A History of Candy
Every candy has a history. Some of that history took place in the shadow of Aztec temples. Some of it happened in 20th century America. How did your favorite candy make the journey to your trick-or-treat bag?
Bubble Gum
Exactly who invented bubble gum is disputed. Was it the Shelby Gum Company in 1924? Walter Diemer of Fleer Chewing Gum Company? Gilbert Mustin, the President of Fleer? In any case, the Dubble Bubble bubble gum was created by the Fleer company in 1928. After that, it surpassed Lifesavers as America's most popular candy. Early bubble gum would stick to your face when blown, but later brands like Hubba Bubba and Bubble Yum were made with softer gum that didn't stick too much.
Candy Corn
Candy corn was created in the 1880s by a confectioner named George Renninger. He worked for the Wunderle Candy Company. The candy is meant to resemble corn kernels, hence the triangular shape and tri-colors. It is available all year round, but most of it is consumed during Halloween. Americans consume 20 million pounds of this multi-colored sweet stuff annually. It is made from corn syrup, sugar and honey. A single serving of Brach's Candy Corn is about 22 pieces and contains 140 calories with no fat.
Chocolate
Chocolate has been cultivated for 3 millenia in Central and South America. The Aztec, Maya and Olmec made it into a bitter, frothy drink spiced with chili peppers or vanilla. The Aztecs associated the drink with their fertility goddess. When the Conquistadors came, they brought this discovery with them. Eventually, Europeans began mixing it with vanilla, milk and sugar to take off the bitter edge. When the Industrial Revolution brought mass production to the world, many of the chocolate treats we know and love became public.
Licorice
To produce the flavor that we know as "licorice", the roots of the licorice plant must be boiled. The phrase"black licorice" used to be thought redundant, but with the advent of Twizzlers and other "red licorice", the term has become common. The American Licorice company produced the first licorice whips in 1914.
Marshmallows
Marshmallow, like licorice, derives from a plant of the same name and was originally brewed as a sore throat cure by herbalists. The first marshmallow treats came from these plants: peeling the stem revealed a spongy center, which was boiled in sugar. The marshmallow as we know it was born at the Doumak company in 1948, which holds a patent for the marshmallow extrusion process.
Taffy
Saltwater Taffy was invented in Atlantic City, New Jersey, when ocean water was accidently added to regular taffy. Regular taffy was invented in the early 19th century. Originally, it was treacle, a thick sweet syrup like molasses. Boiling the treacle a little longer produced the thick, stretchy sweet that we now enjoy as Starbursts and Laffy Taffy.
Candy has played its own sweet part in the human drama. Each piece has come to us from a long way, across the passage of time and through many cultures. With all the wonderful thoughts and memories that arise as you enjoy your favorite candy, history lessons are likely to be at the back of your mind. Maybe now, that will change.