Let’s do a little mental exercise. Close your eyes (well, maybe after reading this). Cast your mind back to a time when your biggest worry was what to pick at your favourite corner store. You are probably 10 years old and browsing the aisles. Consumed by thirst, you make your way to the drinks fridge. And that’s when you hear your dad say, “Pick anything you want.” The most wonderful words any child could hear.
Jessie Matthews’ YEG Exotic recreates your childhood fantasy candy store. “You can’t buy memories, but you can help create them,” he says.
I hope you know this magic is available in Matthews’ candy store, not in the candy aisle of a grocery store. It is such a treat not knowing what you’ll get until you walk in and take a bite (or sip) of whatever catches your eye.
Material items can be fleeting, but think back and remember the taste of your favourite candy. Smell and taste serve to pin a memory to your personal timeline. Matthews, for example, recalls sitting on the porch on a warm evening with his family and friends enjoying a Coke, a moment he wishes he could replicate. These memories are the impetus of YEG Exotic.
But he knows that every person has their own sweet treat, from their own childhood. There is no telling who is going to walk through his doors. His clientele ranges from every age and every path of life.
The nostalgia of a butterscotch-flavoured delicacy is one of the most sought-after experiences at his store. With one bite, his customers can’t help but retell their 1960s school days. Others are transported to the 1950s when Stallions Candy Smokes were a part of a make-believe routine as “smokers” who filled their lungs with laughter instead of smoke.
Matthews’ store doesn’t neglect the disgustingly delicious classics like Efrutti Hot Dogs, Toxic Waste and Pop Rocks Dip. For those of us who didn’t grow up in Canada, he has brought a piece of our home to Edmonton — just to name a few: Royal Family Fruit Mochi (Taiwan), Zappo Sour Raspberry Chews (Australia), Popin’ Cookin’ kits (Japan) and Lucas Skwinkles (Mexico).
Most of you have heard of Mexican Coke but have you ever tried a Mexican 7-Up? It might not be such a stretch to say Matthews’ soda collection is limitless. From a Chinese Fanta Pineapple to a Dublin Texan Grape Soda to a Lester’s Fixins Pickle Soda, you will come across flavours you did not even know existed (or maybe you will come across one you had forgotten about).
If all that wasn’t enough, YEG Exotic also has chips — and you know they won’t be your regular, boring potato crisp.
Aside from his imported products, Matthews hopes to experiment with his own soda line in the future. Or he might even start crafting beer. Who knows where his imagination will take him next?
If you walk in with high hopes of finding your ultimate childhood snack and it’s not on the shelves, Matthews says “If we don’t have it, we will get it.” I mean, how much candy is too much? His ever-growing selection could always use more variety.
YEG Exotic
Garside Industrial | 15027 118 Ave NW, Edmonton | yegexotic.com
