What's the story behind gummy bears?
How did they get their start, and what makes them so perfectly chewy?
They're a ridiculously satisfying candy, but as it turns out, there's a lot more to their
story than meets the eye.
Here's what you should know about gummy bears.
Gummy bears have been around for almost 100 years.
They were created and popularized by a German company named Haribo.
Hans Riegel, the founder of Haribo, was only 27 when he became a trained confectioner and
started his company in 1920.
Riegel began by producing hard candies until he decided to try a few experiments with gelatin.
It took two years, but he invented his first bear-shaped candy made of gummy in 1922.
Riegel originally called them Dancing Bears and they were a bit larger and thinner than
modern gummy bears.
It wasn't until 1960 that Haribo updated the Dancing Bears name to Gold-Bears.
Then in 1978, the bears changed shape to the shorter, thicker version that we know and
love today.
While gummy bears have been a popular candy in Germany since the 1920s, it took many decades
before they became widely known and loved in the United States.
According to Bon Appetit, U.S. high school teachers in the 1970s would bring gummy bears
into their German language classrooms so students could try snacks from Germany.
As more Americans were introduced to the tasty treats, candy companies knew it was time to
jump on the gummy bear bandwagon.
Jelly Belly was the first American company to begin producing these little bears in 1981.
However, Haribo wasn't willing to sit quietly and watch from the sidelines.
So one year later, in 1982, their gummies debuted in America.
Other brands such as Brach's and Albanese followed years later and started producing
their own version of gummy bears.
Have you ever grabbed a handful of gummy bears, and picked out all of the bears of one specific
color because, presumably, they were your favorite flavor?
Then you bite into the gummy candy only to find out the flavor was lying to you?
It happens to the best of us.
According to Charles Spence, a professor of experimental psychology, all our senses affect
one another, and flavor perception can be incredibly multisensory.
That's the reason why when we see an orange candy, we think it's orange fruit-flavored.
Keith Dannoff, Vice President of Marketing for Haribo, told NPR that the company's gummy
bears come in five flavors: strawberry, lemon, orange, pineapple, and raspberry.
Oddly enough, there is a green colored gummy bear in the mix.
But when we bite into that green bear, the flavor is actually strawberry, which might
come as a big surprise to some gummy bear fans.
"The red one is more gooder to me 'cause it tastes like berries."
We all know that there's something unique about biting into gummy candies.
Next to the flavor, it's the texture that we love.
But what gives them that special chewiness?
Well, much like other classic treats, such as marshmallows and Jell-O, it's all about
the addition of gelatin.
Gummy bears, gummy worms, and all of our favorite gummy goodies are made with sugar, corn syrup,
water, coloring, and flavorings, but it's the gelatin that really gives gummy candy
that perfect, squishy texture.
Gelatin allows for the thickening of a product, while still keeping a gooey consistency without
adding any color or flavor.
Gelatin comes from collagen, which is found in the tissue, skin, and bones of animals
such as pigs and cows.
Also, this is the reason that vegetarians and vegans should stay far away from traditional
gummy bears.
"Did you learn that at vegan academy?"
There's always something joyous about eating a handful of gummy bears.
They're one of the most adorable candies out there, and for many, it's hard not to remember
eating them as a child.
But what if you could take gummy bears and really kick them up a notch to make an adult
version?
Turns out you can.
Just like the magic combination of Jell-O and alcohol, you can make your own gummy bear
shots.
All you need to do is add gummy bears to a bowl or a cup, pour in vodka until it just
barely covers the top of your gummy bears, and let them sit for a few days.
The bears will absorb the alcohol, and you'll end up with plump, juicy bears that will make
you feel warm with nostalgia - and booze.
There aren't too many candies that have been made into successful television shows.
Sure, there's plenty of commercials for various candies, and of course, they appear within
shows, but a TV show inspired by a candy is pretty rare.
In 1985, Disney decided to capitalize on the popularity of gummy bears in the United States
and produce a cartoon.
A group of cuddly, colorful bears make up the characters in Disney's Adventures of the
Gummi Bears.
The show tells the story of a civilization of bears that was almost destroyed by humans.
However, there's one group that still lives beneath a medieval kingdom.
Most humans stopped believing in Gummi Bears long ago but a young boy named Cavin [still
believes in them because of the stories his grandfather told him.
After being chased by ogres, he's discovered by a group of Gummi Bears who are understandably
suspicious of humans.
"I've never seen a human close up before.
Zummi, do they really eat Gummi Bears?"
"Oh no, oh no, of course not, Cubbi."
Cavin earns their trust and they join together to battle the evil antagonist, Duke Igthorn.
He's on a never-ending quest to steal the bear's Gummiberry Juice, which keeps them
bouncing and gives people superhuman strength.
It might sound a little gimmicky, but the show actually had a big international following
and aired for six seasons until 1991.
When you consider the number of companies producing gummy bears, all vying to be crowned
the favorite, it's extremely impressive.
Haribo has factories all over the world.
Plus there are plenty of other gummy goodies coming from such brands as Jelly Belly, Albanese,
Trolli and Black Forest.
The amount of gummy bears being produced and sold is astonishing.
In 2017, Haribo announced plans to open its first U.S. factory in Wisconsin.
According to the Seattle Times, Haribo said it will create 400 new jobs, adding to the
existing 7,000 people Haribo employed worldwide at the time - all working to produce 100 million
gummy bears daily.
The introduction of the new factory was in response to the ridiculous growth the candy
industry had seen in gummy bear popularity.
According to Quartz, U.S. sales of gummy bears for Haribo alone from 2011 to 2017 had increased
to $115 million.
Not bad for a little bear from Germany.
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