Roman Chewing Candy is a mule-drawn New Orleans tradition since 1915. The foot-long sticks of taffy, about the diameter of a dime, come in chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry flavors.
The mule retired due to health issues, but Ron Kottemann is looking for a replacement. “I have a lot more mobility with the mule,” Ron says. He’s pulling the wagon his grandfather built nearly a century ago with his pickup truck and parks it under a tree. Usually he’s on St. Charles Avenue, near Audubon Park.
Ron’s grandfather, Sam Cortese, started the business using an old Sicilian recipe. He began as a street vendor selling fruits and vegetables from a mule-drawn cart.
Sam discovered that his mother’s leftover holiday candy sold well. The design of the cart allowed him to cook and pull the taffy while driving the wagon. After Sam passed away in 1969, Ron took over the enterprise.
A basketball-size wad of the sticky candy hangs from a hook at the wagon’s open window. Ron pulls off a rope of the taffy, snips it with scissors, and rolls the stick in wax paper. The process hasn’t changed much since he was a boy helping his grandfather.
The Roman Chewing Candy cart can often be difficult to find. If you can’t locate Ron, the taffy can always be purchased from a second wagon in the Audubon Zoo. It can also be ordered at www.romancandy.gourmetfoodmall.com.
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This article appears in April 26 • 2013.
