Sweet Remembrance

Sweet Remembrance

A Look at the History of Candy

By Julie Shissler
The first candy was actually consumed by cavemen, who sought out honey in beehives. Ancient Egyptians, Chinese, and Arabians fed their craving for sweets by candying fruit and nuts with honey. As time went on and sugar cane was cultivated, candy made from sugar became a delicacy for Europeans during the Middle Ages. Its high price put it out of reach for commoners. In the 1700s, American colonists were fond of boiled sugar candies, as were their fellow Englishmen at home. By the mid 1800s, there were over 380 American factories producing candy. With the discovery of sugar beet juice and new appliances that made harvesting and preparing easier, the sky was the limit.

Americans are fascinated with candy, probably with good reason. Did you know that Christopher Columbus brought chocolate home from his fourth voyage to the Americas? He was not a fan, but his sponsors in Spain loved it. The first packaged box of Whitman’s chocolates was sold in 1854, the beginning of boxed chocolates as we know them today. In 1868 Richard Cadbury introduced the first Valentine’s Day box of chocolates. Candy and Valentine’s Day are now inextricably linked in our culture.

NECCO wafers came along in 1901, named for the acronym of the New England Confectionery Company, who also introduced the first conversation hearts, still a Valentine’s Day tradition. The first imprinted candies were shaped like shells, and text was inscribed on the foil wrapper, not the candy itself.  According to the NECCO folks, during peak periods of production, up to one hundred thousand pounds of conversation hearts are now made each day at their factory!

Milton Hershey created the first “American” candy bar in 1894, although he didn’t introduce the famous Hershey Barfor six more years. In 1907 the first Kisses were created, originally called Silvertops, and were sold individually. By 1923, Hershey’s Kisses were so popular that the name was registered for federal trademark protection. By the way, Kisses get their name from the machines that produce them, which looks and sounds as if the machine is kissing the conveyor belt as it moves along.

The golden age for the American candy bar was the 1920s. At the root of this explosion were returning soldiers who had enjoyed candy bars while serving overseas. Among the candy bars introduced during this period were O’Henry, Peanut Chews, Baby Ruths, Mounds Chocolate Bars, Milky Ways, Mr. Goodbar, Reeses’s Peanut Butter Cups,and Heath Bars.

The Baby Ruthcandy bar was named after the first child born in the White House, daughter of President Grover Cleveland in 1891. If you answered “Babe Ruth,” you might be partly right; the correlation is easy to draw and may have even been intended, although the candy manufacturer strongly denies any association with the famous Yankee ballplayer. The most popular candy bar in the United States got its name from the family horse, Snickers, owned by the Mars family. In 1896, a lollipop was introduced by Leo Hirshfield and carries his daughter’s nickname - Tootsie.

Remember candy necklaces, BB-Bats, Mary Janes, and Squirrel Nut Zippers? Maybe your favorites are Jolly Ranchers, Atomic Fireballs, or Everlasting Gobstoppers. Whatever they are, Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and it’s time to start thinking about your sweetheart, parents, children, or special friends. With over 500 types of nostalgic candies in our barrels, the Mast General Store is just the place to visit to choose treats for your loved ones….and don’t forget to indulge yourself a little, too.