A Guide to the Best of Southern California : FOOD : Feeling Good About Eating Candy

“COVERING A MERE 2% of the world’s surface area, rain forests contain over half of the 5 million to 10 million irreplaceable plant and animal species on the entire globe.” This is one thing you can learn by reading the box. Another is: “Each year, at least 50 million acres of rain forest are destroyed.” Read on, and you learn that at this rate, all the accessible rain forests will be gone within 10 years. But you can do something about it. Rainforest Crunch is a new candy made of cashews and Brazil nuts from the rain forest, and 40% of its sales profits are donated to rain forest-preservation groups. There is a drawback. Rainforest Crunch may be good for the world, but it probably isn’t too good for you--sugar and butter join the native nuts to make it taste good.

Rainforest Crunch is sold at Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream shops and Great Pacific Iron Works, 235 W. Santa Clara St., Ventura, (805) 643-6074; La Arcada Court, 1114 State St., Santa Barbara, (805) 966-7370.