Yellow, orange, white. Quick, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? If you didn’t answer with an immediate “candy corn,” we need to talk.

What’s not to love about these tiny triangles? The certain sweetness about them is unmatched by any other candy. It’s distinct in its reminiscence to honey; though artificially flavored, it carries a strangely natural feel. Even the name feels good coming off the tongue; it rolls just as smoothly as the candy does between your teeth.

Upon tossing one in my mouth, I am instantly brought back to being little again. All of a sudden, I’m 6 years old and reaching an eager hand up into my Nana’s pumpkin-shaped jar on the high counter. I can feel the smooth, rounded tips of each candy graze my fingers and I purse my lips, struggling to cup as many as possible into one handful. I retrieve my hand and, wide-eyed, find a sweet array of identical triangles. My nostalgia remains associated with the candy even now.

There is also a certain fun in how to eat the treats; layers, in my mind, are the best way to go. A strange satisfaction lies in cleanly biting off the large yellow top, followed by the orange middle and finishing with the minuscule white bottom. You may, instead, break it down bottom to top. Some just jump the gun, overwhelmed by the sweetness, too impatient for this layer nonsense, and pop each corn into their mouth without a second thought.

So however you eat them, whatever childhood memories you associate with them, and however you break it down, candy corn is an entirely important element of fall festivities. Pair some with a glass of cider and thank me later.