Abba-Zaba

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Abba-Zaba are taffy candy bars with peanut butter centers, made by Annabelle Candy Company.,Inc. in Hayward, California.

The bar was originally manufactured by the Cardinet Candy Co. along with U-No Bar. Annabelle Candy Purchased the Cardinet Candy Co. in 1978. Annabelle now manufactures both candy bars in addition to others.

Abba-Zaba bars are kosher pareve.

Rumors circulate on the internet that the wrapper of the bar, before Annabelle Candy Co. started manufacturing it, featured racially biased cartoons. Annabelle Candy Co. will only say that the wrapper has been the same for as long as they have manufactured the candy.

Abba-Zaba bars can be found almost exclusively west of the Rockies. The wrapper features a stylish yellow and black checkerboard "taxi" pattern. They can be purchased in bulk on the web. They can also be found in candy specialty stores anywhere in the U.S.

Recently Annabelle has produced a new Abba-Zaba that has an apple flavored taffy.

[edit] Mentions in Popular Culture

Abba-Zaba gained popularity in the United States after its appearance as the favorite candy bar of custodian Thurgood Jenkins (played by Dave Chappelle) in the film Half Baked. He is quoted as saying "Abba Zaba, you my only friend.", while taking a bite of the candy bar. There is also a sequence portraying the smoking of marijuana where Dave's character pulls a giant Abba Zaba bar down off the convenience store shelf.

Abba-Zabas were mentioned in California native Tom Waits' song "Chocolate Jesus," found on his 1999 album Mule Variations. Abba Zaba (sans hyphen) is also a title of a song from the 1967 Captain Beefheart album Safe as Milk. The album cover also features the black and yellow checked design borrowed from the candy label; this was because the record's working title was in fact "Abba Zaba", but Cardinet refused permission and the album was retitled after a different track (ironically, one not even on the album)[1]

Abba-Zaba was also seen in the US TV show Monk in the episode "Mr. Monk Goes Home Again". When Lt. Randall Disher takes a candy bar out of the candy dish on Halloween, Monk's brother Ambrose attempts to grab it back, explaining that he bought only the perfect amount for the children. As they struggle over the candy bar, we can see the black and yellow checked label showing Zaba.

Abba-Zaba was mentioned on the Cary & Mindy Skit from the cd Party by Nick Swardson