The Controversial Halloween Candy Snoop Refuses To Eat

The three judges on "Snoop & Martha's Very Tasty Halloween" had six hours to kill while three teams of contestants constructed their scary and edible sets for a very tasty Halloween party, complete with four baked treats. Hosting the party was none other than food TV's favorite couple, Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart, joined by guest judge Alvin Zhou.

To pass the time, they asked each other about their favorite Halloween candy ... and the candy they wouldn't touch if it landed in their trick-or-treat bag. Snoop Dogg didn't get a chance to share his favorite Halloween candy, but he had a few treats he definitely hated.

Count Snoop Dogg among the legions who give a thumbs-down to black licorice and black jelly beans. Consider them one and the same, since black jelly beans are modeled after licorice flavor — at least the ones made by Jelly Belly, according to the company's website. Snoop Dogg should be familiar with those, since Jelly Belly introduced black licorice jelly beans as one of its original eight flavors in 1976, around Snoop's fifth birthday.

Scientists who study our senses of taste and smell say people like Snoop can't be judged for hating licorice. "I don't know a specific gene that is associated with liking and disliking licorice," Marcia Pelchat at the Monell Chemical Senses Center told NBC News. "It does seem to be something that people are born with."

When the judges on "Snoop & Martha's Very Tasty Halloween" were discussing their favorite and least favorite Halloween candies, Snoop Dogg seemed to have the most hate for an especially controversial seasonal treat. "I can't stand corn candy," Snoop said.

As with his aversion to black licorice, Snoop is not alone in his distaste for "corn candy," or candy corn. A lot of people turn up their noses at the waxy little orange, yellow, and white triangles of sugar. But just how unpopular is candy corn, exactly? CandyStore.com releases what it considers to be the definitive Halloween candy rankings every year, based on a survey of thousands of its customers combined with some other sources. Candy corn came in dead last on CandyStore.com's 2021 survey, earning that dubious distinction for the third year in a row.

Incidentally, "Snoop & Martha's Very Tasty Halloween" guest judge Alvin Zhou was on the right track when he declared Twix to be his very favorite Halloween candy. The caramel and chocolate-coated shortbread bar ranked number seven on CandyStore.com's list.