Halloween is here, and stores have long abandoned their summer themes in favor of cackling skeletons, hideous witches and ghastly ghouls. Following suit is by far the most popular aspect of Halloween besides dressing up: the candy. Warehouse stores, corner stores, and grocery stores alike are filled to the brim with chocolates, licorice, taffy and all sorts of candies and sweets. Some of these treats will be gone in a flash, while some will be thrown in bargain bins after the Halloween craze wears off.

We wanted to know what candies students at Portola High School favored, so we released a survey online. After a staggering 220 votes, the results came in with some undeniable winners and some obvious losers. See if you can find some of your favorite candies in the top five and agree with the majority, or if you prefer to frequently indulge in candy that most Portola students give a big thumbs down.

MOST POPULAR:

5) Milky Way

Milky Way has never been at the forefront of the chocolate industry. It has always just been there, nestled in between the KIT KATs and the Snickers. Some call it an inferior Twix, while others defend it as an acceptable and even tasty chocolate. After sampling a piece, I did not particularly enjoy it. It didn’t have anything distinct itself from other discount candies, like Kit Kat’s signature wafer or Snicker’s peanut and caramel. Either way, enough people love this nougat-filled treat to get it a spot on this list.

4) Reese’s

Reese’s has always been a contentious candy. Either people love it, or they hate it. Not everyone likes peanut butter, and as expected, not everyone likes Reese’s Cups. Students in favor of the popular cups may point out how delicious the blend of chocolate and peanut butter can be. Trying it, I found that the chocolate balanced the peanut butter rather nicely, and while it was a bit sticky, I enjoyed it.

3) KIT KAT

Now we are getting to the good stuff. KIT KAT is definitely one of the more popular chocolates out there, and many people enjoy this crispy chocolate-covered wafer. It may be seen as too plain by some, but sometimes simple is better. After trying a stick, I really enjoyed the combination of wafer and chocolate. It was crispy and sweet, and I could definitely see why this chocolate is number three on the list.

2) Skittles

Seen as a fruity parallel to M&M’s, Skittles are enjoyed in many varieties, from Sour to Mixed Berry. Unlike the circular chocolates they resemble, Skittles’ flavor changes according to the color. While haters may be annoyed by the rainbow-colored stains Skittles create, avid consumers of the vibrant treat argue that it is part of the fun. After trying each of the flavors, I determined that my favorite flavor was Cherry and my least favorite was Grape. After my sampling, I determined that Skittles are a solid choice for any Halloween bag.

1) Twix

Portola’s most popular Halloween candy is Twix, and it is not very hard to see why. A sweet, crunchy biscuit, drizzled with caramel and smooth chocolate is definitely a hard treat to resist.. I tried one of these crunchy bars, and I can wholeheartedly say that, yes, Twix does deserve its spot on the top of this list. A great candy that definitely will not disappoint, Twix rounds off our list at number one.

LEAST POPULAR:

1.) Almond Joy

I have never tried this chocolate, and upon sampling it, I understood why people disliked it so much. The “coconut” inside the chocolate more closely resembles paper and tasted too sweet and artificial. I did find that the chocolate itself was quite nice, but this strange treat will likely be one of the most disappointing candies to get in your pillowcase this Halloween.

2.) Candy Corn

Over time, candy corn has grown into a candy that people love to hate, and it is not hard to see why. With its waxy texture and glaringly bright colors, the mere sight of this candy is enough to turn most people off this treat. Tasting it, it it is extremely chewy, and the taste is chalky and somehow still overly sweet. These little “kernels” of sugar will definitely be disappointing many eager trick-or-treaters this year.

3.) Licorice

I was a bit surprised to see this candy on the list, as I personally really enjoy red licorice. I have never had the lesser-known black variety, so I tried both. The red cherry variety was sweet and chewy, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, even though the cherry flavoring did taste artificial. When I tried the black licorice variety, I understood why it was so disliked. It was pungent and not sweet. It tasted strongly of medicine and a strange taste that I identified as glycyrrhizin after some research. Glycyrrhizin is a powerful sweetener that apparently gives black licorice its powerful flavor. I only made it halfway through the stick before giving up. Licorice is usually a sweet and fun treat, but watch out for the glycyrrhizin-filled black variety this Halloween.

4.) Whoppers

These little balls of malted chocolate seem to be disliked due to how difficult they are to eat. After crunching through a few of these, I noted that the ball was extremely dry and somehow very crumbly. Chewing through one of these was like chewing through hardened styrofoam.  It would be a real whopper of a lie to call these chocolate-covered malt balls tasty.

5.) 3 Musketeers

The tamest of the least favorite candies, there is really nothing wrong with the chocolate bar other than being overly plain. It is boringly inoffensive, filled with whipped chocolate. I tried it, and as expected it was nothing special. All in all, it is not an awful candy to get, but definitely not something to look forward to.