You gotta wonder at the name — did sailors pull taffy when they weren’t trimming sails? Whatever its origins, saltwater taffy can be found on every seaside sidewalk, boardwalk, arcade, and causeway, in glass jars big enough to stick your head — I mean hand — into.
As a western NC child, I didn’t discover this nugget of gummy goodness until age 12, at Dee Gee’s in Morehead City, and to this day, I bypass the wax-paper-wrapped whites and browns for the sticky squares of yellow and pink and lilac and green pastels.
And while there’s nothing salty about the sugary taste, the taffy texture is just right for pressing flat to your palate or back against your molars. ’Cause whatever your age, unwrapping a piece of saltwater taffy days, weeks, or even months after that last day of vacation will take you right back to sandcastles, shrimp, and sea breezes.
Across the globe from Vietnam, effects of the war reverberate through the state, where social and political perspectives are shifting quickly and dramatically.
These places are the stewards of some very special items: Doc Watson’s first recording, the desk Virginia Woolf used to redefine the novel, and Elisha Mitchell’s pocket watch are just some of the cherished pieces that teach us about our state’s history and the people who preserve it.
From burgers to comfort food to elegant entrées, the range of plant-based dining in North Carolina is growing. Restaurants on this list are exclusively vegetarian and/or vegan.
