A needham is a

confectionery Confectionery is the art of making confections, which are food items that are rich in sugar and carbohydrates. Exact definitions are difficult. In general, however, confectionery is divided into two broad and somewhat overlapping categories ...

dessert bar made from sugar, chocolate, coconut, and potato. It is chiefly associated with the U.S. state of Maine. The needham became a common dessert in Maine in the late 19th century, and is believed by scholars to have originated from an evangelist named George Carter Needham, who came to America from southern Ireland and became well known for his preaching and writing. A candy manufacturer named Seavey named a new dessert he had just begun marketing after the preacher in the early 1870s. The needham includes as its distinctive ingredient the potato, a food cultivated in Maine, especially in

Aroostook County Aroostook County ( ; french: Comté d'Aroostook) is a county in the U.S. state of Maine along the Canada–U.S. border. As of the 2020 census, the population was 67,105. Its county seat is Houlton, with offices in Caribou and Fort Kent. Kn ...

. The taste is similar to the commercial

Mounds bar Mounds is a candy bar made by The Hershey Company, consisting of shredded, sweetened coconut coated in dark chocolate. The company also produces the Almond Joy, a similar bar topped by whole almonds and covered in milk chocolate. The two pro ...

. The needham is not widely available outside of northern New England.

References

{{Reflist New England cuisine Symbols of Maine Foods containing coconut American confectionery Brand name confectionery Chocolate-covered foods