For children growing up in the 1980s, a handful of coins could turn a completely ordinary school day into something to look forward to. There was no need for a fancy café or an expensive dessert. A quick stop at the school canteen, a neighbourhood bakery or a roadside cart was enough.
The treats were small, inexpensive and, by today's standards, hardly the kind of snacks parents would call nutritious. But that was never really the point. Choosing what to buy, counting out the coins and saving the last bite for later were all part of the fun.
Here are five treats that many children associated with those everyday 80s memories.
Phantom cigarettes: The candy that let kids play grown-up
Long before social media trends and novelty sweets, Phantom cigarettes gave children their own little piece of make-believe.
These white, chalky candy sticks with red tips were inspired by the comic-book character Phantom. Children could hold them between their fingers and imitate the mannerisms of adults or film stars, before eventually eating the sweet.
Made by Pune-based Harnik General Foods, the candy became memorable as much for the pretend-play surrounding it as for its taste.
Poppins: Picking your favourite colour was half the fun
A roll of Poppins was more than just a packet of sweets. The colourful, fruit-flavoured candies turned a simple purchase into a tiny decision-making exercise.
With different colours and flavours packed together, children often had their own strategy, eat the less exciting ones first and keep the favourite for the end.
The candy has been around since the 1950s and became a familiar part of childhood snack culture in India.
Toffee: A tiny sweet with a paan-inspired twist
Another familiar school-time treat was the colourful toffee wrapped in red and green packaging.
Its sweet, tangy and mildly spiced flavour gave it something different from the usual sugar candy. The paan-inspired presentation also made it stand out among the treats available at local shops.
For many children, it offered a playful introduction to the flavour associated with paan, without the ingredients and associations of the adult version.
Pepsi cola ice tubes: The ultimate summer school treat
On a hot afternoon, few things were as tempting as a frozen cola-flavoured ice tube.
These thin plastic tubes were commonly sold by roadside vendors and at canteens. You would bite or tear open one end and slowly work your way through the melting ice.
There was even a reason to eat it slowly: finishing it too quickly meant the treat was over. For children heading home from school in the heat, it was an inexpensive way to make the walk a little more enjoyable.
Cream roll: When a bakery treat felt genuinely fancy
The cream roll occupied a slightly different category. It wasn't just a quick candy or frozen snack, it felt like a proper bakery indulgence.
The soft sponge, rolled around sweet cream, gave children the feeling that they had bought something special. A cream roll could cost only a rupee or two, but its appearance and texture made it feel far more expensive.
Picking one up from a neighbourhood bakery after school could turn an otherwise routine afternoon into a small celebration.
Why these cheap treats are still remembered
The appeal of these snacks wasn't really about their price. It was the experience around them.
Children had limited pocket money, so every purchase involved a choice. There was the walk to the shop, the excitement of seeing the options, the calculation of how many treats could be bought and, sometimes, the temptation to save a little for the next day.
Today, childhood treats may come in bigger packets and far more varieties, but those tiny 80s indulgences remain special because they were tied to everyday rituals and memories. Sometimes, all it took was a few coins and a favourite sweet to make an ordinary school day feel like a good one.
Inputs from TOI
