Obituary: The Jaffa (1927–2025)

Orange-coated. Chocolate-centred. Regionally divisive.

We mark the passing of the Jaffa - not just a spherical sweet of uncertain charm, but a cultural shorthand for that most polarising of beings: the Aucklander. Just Another… Well, you know the rest.

First manufactured in 1927 in Dunedin by the ever-optimistic folks at Cadbury, the Jaffa combined a brittle orange shell with a milk chocolate centre and somehow convinced generations that this was a treat. It became a staple of cinema confectionery — not so much eaten as weaponised. Many a film was punctuated by the unmistakable clatter of rogue Jaffas rolling down the aisle, followed by the slow, shameful rustle of retrieval.

It was a sweet that divided the nation. Beloved by some, barely tolerated by others, and held up by many in the South as a metaphor for Auckland itself - loud, bright, and always turning up where it wasn’t wanted. Still, there was something endearing about it: its unfashionable confidence, its refusal to evolve, its complete lack of self-awareness.

In recent years, both meanings of Jaffa found themselves increasingly out of step with the times. The sweet faded from shelves, while the label limped on as regional banter in a country that had mostly agreed to be polite about Auckland — at least in public.

Pre-deceased by Snifters, Tangy Fruits, and a certain kind of cheap night out at the pictures, the Jaffa is survived by memories of sticky fingers, chipped teeth, and heated debates over who let them loose during The Empire Strikes Back.