Every now and again the need for something extremely sweet wins the war an individual’s
taste buds are having with their brain, and the need for the ever-sweet intervention of
candy is needed. Whether it is in chocolate form or in the hundreds of fruity candy options,
there’s plenty to choose from to make your mouth perform somersaults in your head! Here
are ten sweet facts about your favorite candy.
An Amazing Amount of M&Ms are Produced Year Round
M&Ms are produced by the Mars Wrigley Confectionery division of Mars, Inc. They have colored the
lives of many for a great number of years. They were founded in 1947, so that makes it
a whopping 77 years! The original candies were filled with milk chocolate and they did
very well for the longest time, yet the company introduced other types of M&Ms along the way,
the most popular being the peanut filled variety. Other flavors you may not have known about
include: almond, peanut butter, pretzel and even crunchy. It has been reported that Mars
produces an astonishing 400 million M&Ms a day, with US production in New Jersey and
Tennessee. So if we take out our old calculators, that comes out to about 2 billion M&Ms made
every week! That means if they produce every week year round, then that’s 104 billion
candies a year! That’s definitely a lot of candy, which sounds like such an understatement
after those massive numbers. An employee of the plant would definitely have a lot to boast
about at the dinner table after a hard day’s work. And more than that, we wonder how many
samples they get to bring home?
The Origin of the Mike & Ike Name
Mike & Ike has come in many flavors over the long years since its inception, and the world
is all the more grateful for it. The candy originated in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in 1940,
and was available at first only with their original flavors: lemon, lime, orange and
cherry. But that wouldn’t set the tone for where the company would go, ultimately offering
a plethora of amazing flavors. The candy’s peculiar name and its origins are actually
still argued to this day, with a number of possible theories. Some believe that the
candy was named after the old comic strip Mike and Ike (They Both Look Alike); some
believe that the candies were named after the Matina Brothers, who were little people
performers that were extremely popular at the time—they actually played “Munchkins”
in The Wizard of Oz. And finally, some believe that they were named after a vaudeville song
by the same exact name. But of course, no one seems to be sure, exactly. The company
has released many different flavors over the long years, cotton candy and root beer included,
but no definitive backstory on the name.
The M&M’s Candy Surface Serves a Purpose
The M&M slogan: "Melts in your mouth, not in your hand," actually comes from the company’s
origins. Essentially the whole reason that the milk chocolate is covered by a candied
coating is so that the chocolate wouldn’t melt. This was inspired by a practice used
by the military to enable soldiers to carry chocolate on their person in warm climates,
the candy shell allowing the chocolate within to remain intact. Candies and chocolate were
actually believed to inspire happiness and battle depression in soldiers during times
of unrest, so protecting that candy was definitely a priority. M&M decided to apply the practice
when they created these colorful candies we all enjoy to this day. It was genius, as children
have always been able to enjoy them on warm days, as well as cold.
Skittles Originated In Britain
It’s true! Skittles were actually made the first time by a company operating out of Great
Britain, and they’re actually a lot younger than you’d think, especially when compared
to a lot of other candies out there. Skittles were invented in 1974. And they didn’t migrate
to North America until 1979, which makes this particularly popular candy only about 40 years
old. It ended up getting consumed more over here than it ever did where it originated,
but then again, North America consumes all delicious products at a quicker pace than
the rest of the world. It is now a part of the candy
producing conglomerate, the Wrigley Company, which is of course a division of Mars Inc. While
no chocolate at all makes itself available in the form of Skittles, they do have some
pretty outrageous flavors. Of course the original red packaging is the most popular and probably
always will be, but their other flavor combinations such as Tropical, Sour, Wild Berry and even
Sweet Heat ( their spicy variety) do well out there. No matter what kind of sweet tooth
you have, Skittles has a flavor for you.
Salt Water Taffy
So the Jersey Shore isn’t only known for giving us the likes of Snooky, J-Wow and Mike
“The Situation” Sorentino. As it turns out, one of North America’s favorite treats
originated from the same place. Specifically, it was founded in and originally made in the
areas of The Jersey Shore, Atlantic City and other parts of New Jersey. Extremely popular
because of its difficulty to chew, Salt Water Taffy’s smooth and sweet flavor makes it
just right, and it isn’t at all overpoweringly sweet. It has just the right elements of sweetness
thrown in. Its etymology goes way back to the 19th century; the masses have been enjoying
this candy for a long time indeed. The name however, is quite misleading, in that there
is no salt water in the recipe. As it turns out, in the later portion of the 19th century,
a massive storm hit the area where taffy was produced and sold, specifically an Atlantic
City boardwalk. The area was completely flooded. Shortly after, a patron showed up in one of
the many boardwalk shops and asked for some candy. The owner of the shop actually joked
and said that all that was left after the storm was salt water taffy! He said this in
reference to all of the ocean water that had flooded his shop. Now talk about the joke
heard ‘round the world. It transcended time, and still today, people are referencing that
comment he made at the frustration from the flood, and the taffy is known now and forever
as salt water taffy.
Gobstoppers and Laffy Taffy
Authors and writers of fiction sometimes happen to touch onto something that can one day come
to fruition. They say that author Jules Vern actually wrote about many items that were
not even in existence yet, like remote control devices, certain types of weapons, and the
list goes on. Inventions that eventually came to fruition, but only after he’d written
about them, and long after at that. So was the case for this particular brand of candy. The
former pilot, turned novelist hailed from Wales. His name was Roald Dahl, and he gave
the world some of the most successful novels: Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, The Fantastic
Mr. Fox, Matilda, James and the Giant Peach, and of course Gremlins. Like many of Roald
Dahl’s stories, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory was ultimately turned into hit film,
but the film would have never come to fruition had it not been for the Quaker Oats Company.
Interestingly enough, the company actually helped finance the film, but that gesture
wasn’t at all as selfless as it may have seemed. As it turns out, they helped launch
the film all the while planning to launch a candy line at the same time, hoping that
the film would provide ample attention for their brand of candy. It was called The Willy
Wonka Candy Company, and just as they planned it, it ended up working out really well, as
what child didn’t want to eat the candy that they saw in the hit film? So we have
Roald Dahl to thank for candies such as Nerds, Runts, Gobstoppers, Fun Dip and Sweet Tarts.
Candy Corn Can Last a Really Long Time
When you think of Halloween, probably one of the first thoughts you get, after ghosts,
goblins, vampires and zombies, are the many treats that are associated with the holiday.
And probably one of the most famous, or rather infamous, of those treats is none other than
candy corn. The candy is exceptionally particular in that it actually looks like kernel corn,
with the added colors of white and orange, and its taste is tasty enough to be quite
memorable. So much so, that many get cravings for this candy all year round. But as it
turns out, getting this candy in stores year round may be a wee bit of a problem. But,
have no fear, as there is a way to enjoy candy corn at any time of year: just buy a heck
of a lot more of it than you think you’ll be consuming over the Halloween season. Will
it go bad, you ask? As it turns out … not at all. Apparently, after a bag of candy
corn is open, it can last from anywhere between 3 to 6 months! And that’s only if you happen
to open the bag. If it’s stays sealed, you’re good until the end of the summer, which will
bring you safely back to Halloween season, when you’ll start seeing this stuff back
on those market shelves. Just remember to store it in a cool, dry place and away from
direct sunlight. A candy that needs to be kept out of direct sunlight sounds like the
perfect candy for Halloween. Like the vampires of old, they do their best in the dark crevices
of our pantries and only there will they survive the bright sunny days of summer.
A Twix Spread Actually Exists
Of course, you only have to be willing to travel land and sea if you happen to dwell
in North America. That’s right … it’s only available in the United Kingdom. Sorry
folks, but it’s true - the Twix company has actually developed a spread out of this
candy, and many have compared it to Nutella. This spread has some caramel and biscuit thrown
in. Now imagine that spread across your toast or a warm croissant straight out of the oven.
Sounds mouth-watering? That’s because it surely is. Just be ready to bite into something
super sweet, but for many that presents no problem at all, as the sweeter, the better. It’s
unclear as to whether the company has made plans to sell jars of this stuff overseas,
but we’d imagine that it would do well. However, similar spreads that were released
in the past, like Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Spread, actually did quite badly in the
North American market, as well as other spreads that didn’t quite hit the mark with consumers,
which is why there might be a bit of a hold on this one. But if you happen to want a
taste, just go over to the UK, and bring us back a batch while you’re at it. We’ll
have the croissants, warmed and ready.
Dots Gumdrops are Gluten Free
There are many people that are allergic or intolerant to gluten, and that means that
they have to stay away from products that contain this particular ingredient. The diet
industry has jumped on this bandwagon, and the fitness industry as well, and they have
concluded that a gluten free diet is also a great way to shed quite a few of those unwanted
pounds. And as beach season approaches rather quickly, many are jumping onto gluten free
diets and other low-carb diets in hopes of looking rather in shape when they hit the
beaches of the world. The great news in all of this, is that they won’t have to give
up some candy in the process, as Dots Gumdrops are actually gluten free! And they’re vegan
friendly to boot! This fruity-flavored variety of candy has been around since 1945, and the
company claims that it’s the number 1 best-selling gumdrop brand. They’re marketed by Tootsie
Roll Industries and have indeed been a top seller as they claim. From out of their Chicago
plant, an astonishing 4 billion Dots are made and distributed in a single year. That sure
isn’t as many as M&Ms can boast about, but it is a lot just the same. So while you’re
doing those crunches, push-ups, curl-ups and hours and hours of elliptical training, pop
a few of these in your mouth for energy and worry not about the gluten. Besides, you can
use a treat after all those sets and reps. You deserve it.
The Three Musketeers Bar
The Three Musketeers bar was introduced way back in 1932 by Mars. It was only the third
bar to be offered by the company, the other two being the Mars bar and the Snickers Bar.
But when the Three Musketeers bar was first seen, it only had a few ingredients thrown
into the mix. In fact, three in all, hence the name. The bar contained vanilla, nougat
and strawberry. But as it turned out, strawberry and vanilla were actually very expensive and
hard to use during the second World War, thus the company’s decision to drop the other
two ingredients. But the name stuck, and after all these years and for many consumers,
the nougat was more than enough to satisfy their cravings for the bar. However, after
celebrating their 75th anniversary, the company launched other flavors of the bar, with vanilla
and strawberry having a festive return, though the first of the new flavors was none other
than mint. This did quite well, but still sales are still highest when the old standard
flavor is concerned. As they say, nothing beats a classic.
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