OLYMPIA - Rep. Mike Armstrong, R-Wenatchee, is proposing legislation to make Aplets and Cotlets the official candy of Washington.
     House Bill 1024 was pre-filed by Armstrong for introduction to the Legislature on the first day of session. The measure has not yet been referred to a committee.
     The fruit and walnut confection, made from the juice of apples and apricots, has been produced by Liberty Orchards in Cashmere since 1920.
     "The story of this little candy company is truly the embodiment of the American dream,” said Armstrong. “It began with two young Armenian men who emigrated to the United States, became friends, and purchased an apple farm in Cashmere, which they named Liberty Orchards in honor of their new homeland.
     "To make use of their surplus fruit, they used an old recipe to make rahat loucoum, a candy they enjoyed as children,” he said. “After experimenting, the candy was perfected into what we know as Aplets. It's still made in Cashmere, providing local jobs and supporting the state's fruit industry, and enjoyed by people worldwide."
     Armstrong noted that Washington has many different state symbols, including a state vegetable, the Walla Walla sweet onion, and a state fruit, the apple.
     "Apples remain Washington's No. 1 crop, bringing in more than a billion dollars a year,” said Armstrong. “Aplets and Cotlets are identified with our state's fruit industry, promoting it with this fruit candy which is sold throughout the world.
     "Since the two go hand in hand, it makes sense that Aplets and Cotlets would be perfect as the state's official candy," he said.