Marron!

I try to describe food in a way that a reader will taste in his mind's palate, though there is still a bit of a "dancing about architecture" element to it.  I therefore hope I am doing a better job than the girl working behind the Jacques Torres counter who described the marron glace (candied chestnut) as having the texture of a "gummy bear."

I am sure Mr. Torres would be horrified to hear his chestnuts compared to fruity tooth gnashers.  I would say that the starchy chestnut cells are heavy with crystallizing syrup, giving it more of the texture of marzipan; the outside has an crisp onionskin film of hardened sugar, like the coating of a glazed cake donut.  It reminded me very much of a Thai dessert of yucca root drenched in sugar syrup -- not my favorite dessert, but not unpleasant.  They're probably delicious to people who grew up with them. 

But it was no gummy bear.

Marrons Glaces are available at Jacques Torres' Chocolate Haven
350 Hudson Street, 1 block South of Houston
212-414-2462