Who ever could guessed how vast, varied, and devout the world of gummy candy would become? According to one analysis, the gummy candy category is already worth nearly $500 million, and it’s expected to grow into a $750 million business by 2032, proof positive that our obsession has no signs of slowing. And what’s not to love? They’re sweet, they’re chewy, dentists hate them (or maybe love them, since candy gives them business), and they’re impossible to stop eating, especially for anyone who loves sinking their teeth into that QQ texture (a Taiwanese term for that bouncy, boba-esque chewing experience we love).

So, how does one rank the “best” gummy candies, when there are literally thousands of varieties out there? Well, Eater is home to a few enthusiastic and judgmental gummy aficionados. At every gas station and airport candy store, for instance our staff writer Amy McCarthy is on the hunt for the best — and weirdest — gummy candies from the United States and beyond. She has a deep appreciation for German confectioner Haribo and its iconic gummy bears and really enjoys the current proliferation of foamy, sour Swedish gummies. Meanwhile, our senior commerce editor Hilary Pollack is straight-up otaku about hard-to-find gummies, ordering them from strange corners of the internet and falling deep into #CandyTok for tips on lesser-known varieties. As such, we feel highly qualified to bestow upon the internet this highly opinionated ranking of the best gummy candies out there, listed in descending order.

Factors we considered: Flavor (balance of sweetness and tartness; realism of fruit flavors); bounciness and chewiness; and overall texture (overall mouthfeel when not chewing).

Disagree? Too bad, make your own list.

15. Haribo Goldbears

This classic really sets the standard for what a gummy bear should be, which makes sense considering that Haribo founder Hans Riegel invented the gummy bear in 1922. The texture is a little toothier than your average generic-brand imitator, and the pineapple (clear) flavor is especially compelling. Iconic and timeless! — Amy McCarthy, reporter

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14. Trolli Sour Brite Crawlers

If you’d asked me to make this list 20 years ago, when I was a mouthy 17-year-old with a penchant for candy, I’d have put Trolli’s Sour Brite Crawlers at the top of my list. And while my palate has expanded since then, there’s still no denying the appeal of these dual-flavored worms coated in sugar and citric acid for the perfect amount of sour-sweet punch. — AM

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13. Haribo Happy Cola

Cola-flavored candies have long been popular in Germany, and in 1965, Haribo introduced its Happy-Cola candy, and an icon was born. These dense, stretchy gummies do taste shockingly like a fizzy can of Coca-Cola, just without all the burps — with a tangy, caramel flavor that’s pure nostalgia. — AM

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12. Life Savers Gummies (Wild Berries, specifically)

When Life Savers Gummies were first released in 1992, I was a very small child with a dad who was addicted to classic butterscotch Life Savers hard candies, so I was practically born allegiant to the brand. The five-flavor Life Savers Gummies did nothing for me even as a kid, but the Wild Berries mix has always been exceptional, and, in my opinion, severely underrated in the modern candysphere. The Wild Berries flavor developers went above and beyond; this isn’t just blueberry, raspberry, and cherry, or whatever. There are six flavors in this mix: strawberry, red raspberry, blackberry, black raspberry, white grape, and cherry berry. It’s very femme, very romantic, very 1992, actually — this was the year that Annie Lennox’s “Walking on Broken Glass” and Celine Dion’s “If You Asked Me To” topped the charts and that doesn’t feel like a coincidence, astrologically or culturally. Beyond the flavor, the texture is flexible, stretchy — unafraid to be a little rubbery. You’re at a gas station in the middle of nowhere and need a mood boost, these are going to save you. And put Annie Lennox on when you get back in the car. — Hilary Pollack, senior commerce editor

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11. Bubs Goody Sour Ovals

The Swedish candy trend shows no signs of slowing down, and that’s a good thing — the Swedes know a thing or two about making excellent gummy candy, especially if you’re into sour stuff. But my actual favorite are Bubs Sour Ovals, a soft, foamy gummy available in tons of compelling flavors, including banana-caramel and strawberry-pomegranate. — AM

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10. Albanese Peach Rings

Those few weeks each year when fresh peaches are abundant and in-season are all too fleeting, and the rest of the time, I have to make due with peach rings. The fake peach flavor in peach rings is, somehow, better than most other fake fruit flavors, and Indiana-born candy purveyor Albanese makes the very best. Their peach rings are perfectly chewy and boast a more sophisticated, peachier flavor than the average iteration of this beloved gummy candy. — AM

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9. Sour Patch Kids

An OG in the American gummy scene, Sour Patch Kids have been on the market since 1985, and they still hit. In middle school, I peeled off the inside of my mouth countless times sucking all the citric acid and sugar from these sour-then-sweet candies, and I regret nothing. Now, I’m more likely to grab the Sour Patch Kids watermelons, an improvement on the original Kids in both texture and flavor. — AM

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8. Haribo Sour S’ghetti

The real innovation in Haribo’s Sour S’ghetti is its now-beloved shape — long, noodle-y gummies coated in sour sugar. Slurping actual spaghetti noodles is fun, sure, but it’s even better when the noodles are made out of candy. — AM

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7. Amos Peelerz

Amos are more new-school innovators in the candy world, producing some very interesting products such as jelly-filled Mermaid Jewels and “4D” strawberries that are dazzlingly beautiful (although I find those gummies a bit too firm, which is why they’re not on this list). Peelerz are really Amos’s greatest offering, and as their name suggests, they are gummies that you peel like a fruit, albeit not terribly easily. They can also be eaten whole, and the texture is phenomenal — a very smooth, silky gummy — and the fruit flavors are very true to form and potent, especially the mango, which suggests an Alphonso. One of the top ingredients is mango jam, which is impressive, given that the vast majority of gummies on the market are artificially flavored. That being said, I’m gonna warn you right now: They are weird. While oddly satisfying, there is also something surgical about the peeling process that makes me feel a bit weird inside. That being said, they are a very original gummy. — HP

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6. Haribo Watermelon

Yeah, there’s a lot of Haribo on this list — and that’s because Haribo gummies are among the best. Few gummies can compete with Haribo Watermelon, which combine the fluffy texture of a marshmallow with the classic bouncy interior of a gummy bear into a candy that’s dangerously easy to eat an entire bag of in one sitting. — AM

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5. Haribo Pico Balla

What sets Pico Balla apart from other Haribo gummies is that it’s basically a finely cut-up fondant-filled licorice tube. Yes, you get the chewy exterior of the tube offers the gummy experience you seek, but it’s the creamy, sugary filling (dare I say it’s marshmallow-adjacent?) that provides a truly lovely, luxurious-feeling contrast. Each tiny candy actually has two distinct fillings combined, so you might get one bite that’s lemon-banana and another that’s apple-raspberry. Sensational, truly. (Yes, Haribo is really dominating this list, but it’s a story about gummy candy; what do you expect?) —HP

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4. Albanese Gummy Bears

Haribo may have invented the gummy bear, but Albanese perfected them. The flavor assortment, which includes watermelon, pink grapefruit, and mango, is much more compelling than the usual cherry-orange-green-apple offering, and the soft, bouncy texture is extremely satisfying. — AM

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3. Kasugai Muscat Gummies

When it comes to QQ texture, Kasugai gummies absolutely reign supreme in my book. They are soft and pillowy with excellent bounce and a silky outer coating, and the flavor selection is also unparalleled, with lychee, yuzu, and kiwi among the offerings. It is the muscat, however, that I originally fell in love with as a child, and to which I remain most loyal; for those who have not had muscat grapes, they are larger, more floral, muskier, and far sweeter than an average green table grape, with a complex aroma that is as akin to a lychee as it is to what we think of as “grape flavor.” The muscat flavor is refreshing yet conveys yearning, with a mouthwatering, honey-like quality. These gummies are truly elite status. — HP

2. eFrutti Apple Trio

You think you’ve had good gummy candy, and then you stumble upon eFrutti’s Sweet & Sour Apple Trio and your whole life changes. While apple wouldn’t necessarily my go-to flavor for any candy, here, it is the truly appley appleness that makes this candy inconceivably good. It is not one, but three apple varieties combined in each pouch (thus the Trio): Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, and Golden Delicious. You can actually distinctively taste the different floral notes and sweet-tart moments of each distinct variety. I have zero interest in eating a Granny Smith apple whole, but here, I come to appreciate its edge in tartness, while also appreciating how it refreshingly balances the more sugary apple flavor of Honeycrisp. Also, great bounciness, great QQ, a real sink-your-teeth-in gummy texture. Do not sleep on these. — HP

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1. Nerds Gummy Clusters

Sitting atop this assortment of excellent gummies is the One True Gummy King: Nerds Gummy Clusters. The flavors are great, yes, but the combination of crunchy Nerds and chewy gummy center is a revelation. And sure, you might say these are just chopped up bits of Nerds Ropes, but real gummy enthusiasts know that Gummy Clusters are the pinnacle of the form. — AM

It’s hard to describe the alchemy that makes Nerds Gummy Clusters such a transcendent candy. They are the true manifestation of what I was promised by watching Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory as a child. They are crunchy yet yielding, chewy yet multidimensional, undoubtedly sweet yet also tart and oddly balanced. They are “fruity,” and yet a flavor all their own that’s like the elusive payoff I always imagined drinking strawberry watermelon Bath & Body Works body spray would taste like. I would give anything to have been a fly on the wall (or actually, a taster) for the research and development phase that resulted in this candy. Greater than the sum of its part, and a triumph. — HP

There you have it: the one true ranking of gummy candies. Now go stock your candy drawer.

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Monica Burton is the deputy editor of Eater.com, where she has covered restaurants, food policy, and the intersection of food and culture since 2017.

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The 97th Academy Awards ceremony is happening Sunday, March 2, honoring what a number of entertainment industry elites have deemed to be the best in movies this year (whether or not moviegoers agree is another matter entirely). At Eater, we’ve made our own appraisals, and while none of the year’s films making the awards campaign circuit qualified for a spot on our list of the best food films of all time, they nonetheless included some memorable moments starring our favorite subjects: food, restaurants, and the act of eating.

Because such specificity is woefully neglected by the Academy, we took it upon ourselves to join the awards season fray and honor these films for their contributions to the cinematic culinary canon. Sure, we don’t have statues to hand out, but take our word for it that these are the most compelling uses of food on film of 2024. Congratulations to all the winners, be they human, edible, or otherwise inanimate. (And it should go without saying, but spoilers for this year’s slate of films ahead.)

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Best performance of eating by an actor

Dennis Quaid, The Substance

In mere seconds, Dennis Quaid, in his role as Harvey, obliterated the warm feelings of goodwill I’d had toward him after a lifetime of loving The Parent Trap (1998). The Substance begins with Harvey firing Elizabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore), from her longtime TV role over a power lunch full of shrimp. (It should be noted that only Harvey is eating in this scene.) The intense close-ups and mouth sounds — squelching, crunching, and chewing, dialed-up to the point that I suddenly understood misophonia — of Quaid demolishing pounds of head-on shrimp perfectly set up the absurd body horror of The Substance. His character is a sleazy chauvinist who sees women as interchangeable and disposable; Harvey’s grotesque approach to eating is further proof of his greed and lack of care. Bravo to Quaid for making eating shrimp so off-putting and to director Coralie Fargeat for creating one of the movie’s most unsettling scenes at the dining table. — Bettina Makalintal, senior reporter at Eater.com

Best kitchen appliance cameo

The espresso machine, Conclave

One brilliant thing about Conclave is its commitment to ugliness: These wannabe popes are drinking their wine out of plastic cups in a fluorescent-lit cafeteria, riding in sprinter vans and vaping while looking at Instagram on their phones. Nowhere was this more apparent than when Tremblay (John Lithgow) offers Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) an espresso from an instant machine in his appointed quarters, which loudly clangs and rattles as Lawrence attempts conversation about the intensely important decision at hand — so much so that you can barely hear them. It’s so unholy, so cheap, and a clear reminder that the process of electing a pope is about gross, material politics, not anything as beautiful as faith. — Jaya Saxena, correspondent

Best performance by a sweet snack (comedy)

The churro, Challengers

It’s only fitting that Challengers director Luca Guadagnino — whose 2017 film Call Me By Your Name might’ve previously won this award for Most Creative Use of a Peach — would employ a churro in a hormone-drenched physical representation of thick sexual tension. In what may be the horniest use of a fried pastry in cinematic history, super-competitive tennis players Patrick (Josh O’Connor) and Art (Mike Faist) aren’t just duking it out on the court, they’re trying to win the affections of the excruciatingly perfect Tashi Donaldson (Zendaya). As this testosterone-fueled arms race heats up, a single bite of a churro is the inflection point that inspired countless thirsty TikToks and Reddit threads, and that’s a whole lot of work for a churro to be doing. — Amy McCarthy, reporter

Best performance by a sweet snack (drama)

The candy, Hard Truths (2024)

Director Mike Leigh’s London-set drama overflows with anxiety and tension courtesy of Pansy Deacon (played by Marianne Jean-Baptiste). She’s a relentless source of rage and unhappiness because she feels like the world — including her own family — is always against her. But it’s her sweet yet socially awkward son Moses (Tuwaine Barrett) who offers a respite of hope. During one of his escapist jaunts through the city, Moses sits down at a bustling fountain when a woman asks to sit next to him. She offers him some of her strawberry lace candy, prompting him to take off his headphones. They toast with their candies — so cute — and begin talking; that act of sharing turns into an unexpected moment of connection with a stranger. Of course it’s candy that offers a flash of optimism in a film awash with misery. — Nadia Chaudhury, editor, Eater Northeast

Best cafeteria choreography

“What Is This Feeling,” Wicked

One of the joys of seeing the musical Wicked adapted to the big screen (even if it takes nearly three hours to get through the first half) is seeing the tricks that director Jon M. Chu can pull off when unencumbered by the limits of the stage. In numbers like “What Is This Feeling?”, a rivalry face-off between witches Elphaba and Galinda, the characters can dazzlingly transition from a split screen, bedroom-set roommate battle to an epic, large-scale production dance number that shifts seamlessly from cafeteria to classroom to martial arts practice. The cafeteria setting in particular allows the witches and their classmates, with golden cafeteria trays and silverware in hand, to slice, spear, and toast their way through Christopher Scott’s energetic choreography. The effect is all very thrillifying. — Missy Frederick, cities director

Best food or drink erotica

The milk, Babygirl

There has been so much divisive chatter around cow’s milk recently, and while much of it has been orbiting around regressive tradwives, raw milk enthusiasts, and the dangerously misleading beliefs of RFK Jr., Babygirl’s erotic milk scenes have given me hope for the ongoing dairy discourse. The film was both written and directed by Halina Reijn (Bodies, Bodies, Bodies), who weighs out the perfect amount of sex appeal, realistically clumsy dialogue, and adrenaline-pumping scenes in her erotic thriller. Here, the horniest moments hinge on milk; in one scene, Nicole Kidman’s CEO character guzzles down a big ole glass from her intern/soon-to-be dom, played by Harris Dickinson. (Not long after, we also watch her lap up milk from a dish on the floor in a hotel room during foreplay.) I thank the heavens for Nicole Kidman every day, but I especially thank her for wrangling cow’s milk away from the boring clutches of Republican drips, and back into the hands of lovable, kink-positive perverts. — Francky Knapp, commerce writer

Best animated meal

The fish-catching scene, Flow

The beautifully animated, Oscar-nominated Latvian movie Flow has plenty of memorable scenes. As the titular cat is traveling by boat through mysterious lands — accompanied by a capybara, Labrador, and ring-tailed lemur, naturally — one thing remained in the back of the mind: When is Flow going to eat? We see the skinny, charcoal-colored cat get plenty of chances as birds drop bait, and we know the waterways are teeming with possible meals. But about halfway through the meditative movie, Flow finally gets brave enough to dive into the water and sneak up on some electric-colored fish. It’s a thrilling, cyclical scene of dive, catch, and return sequences that leaves the animals with a pile of scrumptious fish back on the boat, which they proceed to share in one of the movie’s most satisfying and heartwarming scenes. — Jess Mayhugh, managing editor

Best ensemble performance at a group dinner

A Real Pain

A Real Pain is about my personal nightmare of traveling with a bunch of strangers. Will they like you? Will they be annoyed if you stop to use the bathroom too often? What if they’re all bigots and now you’re on a boat together and can’t get off? Benji (Kieran Culkin) and David (Jesse Eisenberg), cousins who are on a Jewish heritage tour through Poland in the wake of their grandmother’s death, don’t do much to convince me I’m wrong: Benji is distraught, while David is mostly there because he feels bad for his depressed, aimless cousin. And at a group dinner in Lublin one night, these underlying tensions come to a head. Benji is rude and emotionally raw, while David tries to keep the peace, all while everyone else looks wildly uncomfortable. Imagine having to deal with someone storming off from the table and angstily playing the restaurant’s piano and he isn’t even your friend! What do you even say to the waiter after that? Even as you watch their tour mates express genuine sympathy, it’s painfully awkward to watch. — JS

Best performance by a beverage

The Water of Life, Dune 2

It feels a little strange to give an “award” to a “drink” that is in fact poison, made from the biliary excretions of a dying young sandworm. But after the near-death experiences — and wild, hallucinogenic, power-unlocking, plot-driving vision quests — of Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) and later Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), it’s clear: This is some eye-opening shit. The blue raspberry-colored liquid is extracted via syringe from inside the late sandworm by a presumably highly skilled Maker Keeper (what’s the certification process like for this gig?), and when Lady Jessica takes a sip, it’s only a few seconds before she’s writhing on the ground on a trip that will change the fate of the universe.:The Water of Life allows Lady Jessica to become a Reverend Mother, unlocking a series of events that leads directly to war. But as I was watching her drink, one question kept running through my head: What does that worm juice taste like? — Ben Mesirow, associate editor, travel

Best restaurant cameo

Tatiana, Anora

No restaurant could’ve embodied the chaos of a chase scene like Tatiana. No, not that big-deal restaurant inside Lincoln Center, but the crown jewel of the Brighton Beach boardwalk since the 1980s. In Sean Baker’s Anora, Brighton Beach is as much a character as its lead, Ani (Mikey Madison), a Russian American sex worker. The film got permission from the restaurant to shoot there, but many of the people in the scene are real employees and customers, some who didn’t realize initially that the filming was happening. Tatiana is not just any Russian restaurant — it’s an institution, and having regulars was essential to capturing the singular neighborhood’s essence. Tatiana is the kind of place people have parties at, even weddings, and the vibe after hours turns into a dance party with costumes and acrobatics. It’s where handlers of the Russian oligarch’s son Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn) race through to find him, even interrogating a cook in the kitchen. The scene moves as fast as vodka gets thrown back at the tables. — Emma Orlow, editor, Northeast

Additional photo credits: Mubi / Amazon MGM Studios / Niko Tavernise / AP / Getty Images

I grew up using a John Boos cutting board. At the time, it didn’t occur to me that not all cutting boards in life would be as satisfyingly thick and unwarpable, and the parade of dinky plastic boards that have followed in its wake have left me yearning to finally invest in a beefy Boos of my own. The maple, cherry, and walnut boards have been made by the (still Midwestern-based) John Boos & Co. company since 1887, and can easily cost a couple hundred dollars given the sustainably sourced wood and craftsmanship it takes to make them. (This 3-inch thick round walnut slab? A cute $632 for that end grain design). So when I discovered deals of up to 70 percent off Boos boards hiding in Wayfair’s big spring sale, I was pretty pleased.

When properly maintained and oiled, a quality wood cutting board should last you a lifetime. When I interviewed chefs about their most essential cooking tools, Boos cutting boards came up more than once, and were praised for their thick (minimum 1-inch) design, and pleasurable cutting experience. The use of maple, for example, is preferred due to its naturally antibacterial properties, moisture-resistant nature, and tight grain (you don’t want any splitting or splintering). Plus, they look great. You can also use them as a serving board for your charcuterie and movie night spreads.

Below, I’ve selected two star John Boos contenders from the Wayfair sale — so let’s walk through the specs.

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You’re Ready for a Hefty Slab

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If You Have Limited Counter Space

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