Business
10 Sweet Facts About Your Favorite Candy Part 3
You wouldn’t believe just anybody about this, but we’ve got a whopping ten more facts about your favorite candies, making 30 in all and putting an end to this series of three articles about those sweets that seem to call to you in the night while you should be sleeping, or while you try to stay on that pesky diet of yours. But while you read about these classic candies, go ahead and have some of those Smarties you brought along with you. Go ahead … your secret’s safe with us.
10. It Used To Take 27 Hours To Make A Single Peep
Peeps were first introduced back in 1953 and although they pretty much tasted similar to the variety we know and love today, they sure didn’t produce them as quickly as they do today. They were previously owned by the Rodda Candy Company and are now owned by Just Born, a company out of the States. And when the candy was first introduced, it used to take the Rodda company plant workers a whopping 27 hours to make only one single peep. Seems like production was a heck of a lot slower than the demand was, especially around the holidays. Peeps were and are still popular around the holidays, specifically Valentine’s Day, Easter and of course Halloween. These days, however, the Pennsylvania plant can actually pop out 5.5 million peeps every single day. Now these days, they can seriously meet up with the crazy demands that the holiday seasons might present. And good thing, too. What’s Easter without a peep or two? Let’s give a thought to the old plant workers, though. What did they do during the 27 hours it took for that single peep to bake?
9. “Pez” Actually Comes From The German Word For Peppermint
The word is actually: pfefferminz, and yes it means peppermint. And it totally makes sense, seeing that Pez was first offered mainly in a peppermint flavor, and interestingly enough, the candy was actually first invented to help smokers kick the pesky habit. It was actually invented in 1927 in Vienna, Austria by an anti-smoking advocate by the name of Eduard Haas III. The company’s slogan back then was actually: “Smoking prohibited, PEZing allowed.” This is actually quite interesting seeing that many think that smoking was a little more accepted by society as a whole back then. But there were actually far many more people that were opposed to the practice, and even as early as the 1920s, as this little bit of information proves. Just goes to show you though how long it takes to convince society as a whole when something’s bad for you, doesn’t it? Like candy’s better, many would say. Well, we’d like to think so.
8. “Pez” Were Also Designed To Appeal To Children
Seeing that the candy was launched to prevent people from smoking, or at least to turn people away from the habit, it is interesting to know that the design of their dispensers changed to appeal primarily to children as the years progressed. As we know them today, Pez dispensers can be some of the most colorful little trinkets, and they often feature the likenesses of many popular characters from the media and popular culture. In fact, it’s been that way for quite some time, and because of this, they’ve become quite popular with children and the young kids. But beyond this, Pez dispensers are actually quite popular among hobbyists and collectors, as some Pez dispensers go for top dollar on internet auctions as well as at hobby shops. So if you see a Pez dispenser in some shop and if it looks old enough but is still in good condition, pick it up whatever its worth. It may be worth much more down the line. An interesting thing to add about Pez dispensers and the candy in general, is that the fun goes way beyond the eating of the candy itself. The actual playfulness involved and the experience itself is half the selling point. Not many other companies caught on to this phenomenon and it’s served Pez very well.
7. M&Ms Actually Released a Coffee Nut Flavor
For those of you out there that are in need of some energy, maybe you can forgo those energy drinks that seem to be taking up a lot of shelf space at your local corner store. And if you need the energy for exams, work, a workout, there is no better energy than natural energy and where’s the best place to get energy naturally? Well, in coffee of course, everyone’s favorite warm beverage. But of course a steaming cup of coffee isn’t the only place to get a good shot of caffeine. People have been finding ways to get the stuff any way they can. Chocolate covered coffee bean anyone? But what’s probably more interesting and a tad more appropriate for us here today to mention is that M&Ms actually released a coffee nut flavored M&M. Now, we don’t know how much caffeine is actually in the mini pieces of chocolate and candy, but at least they taste of the stuff we seek at a few hour intervals every day of the week. So if you’re trying to stay awake for that meeting, they’re worth a try.
6. The Two M’s in M&M’s Actually Stand For Something
For years the general public has wondered just what the two M’s in the name of their favorite candy stands for, if it stood for anything at all. As it turns out, the letters actually do have meaning, and they represent some pretty important pillars of the company. They were actually named after the two associates who actually put the whole M&M train into motion, and the creators of the delicious candies, Bruce Murrie and Forrest Mars. Forrest was the son of Franklin Clarence Mars, who first launched the company and Bruce was a close associate at the time. So the name was meant to be, as they say. So take that Marshall Mathers … these were the original M&Ms on the block!
5. Life Savers Got Their Shape From Medication
Life Savers were unleashed onto the public back in 1912. That makes this particular candy over 100 years old. To some that would pretty much be ancient, and although they didn’t share time and space on the continuum with King Tut and his wild cats, they sure have been around for a long time. Hence, the tenure they have on the market. Life Savers are probably up there, right along with the trusted Tic Tac, as being the candy package most found at the bottom of a woman’s purse, or the bottom of a man’s pocket. After all, it’s just good sense to bring a long a package of mints anywhere you go. And if mint isn’t your flavor of choice, then they’ve got some tootie fruity flavors as well. As Carleton from the Fresh Prince once said: “I’m a tootie fruity man, myself.” Now many would say that the candy got its name because of its resemblance to an actual life preserver, and although that’s true, that isn’t why it has the particular shape that it does. Apparently, the inventor of the candy, Clarence Crane was at a pharmacy and it was while he watched a machine make a few pills that were round and flat, that he got the idea that would serve himself and the rest of the world for years to come. Over the long years the company changed hands many times, but Life Savers are now released through Kraft Foods.
4. Snickers Got Its Name From a Horse
The particular names that products in the market go by can often determine the success they’ll ultimately have, and a bad name can definitely be the end of a product in the food industry, no matter how great it tastes. If the public doesn’t buy into the name, the product may be doomed. This might have been brought up back in the day when the Mars Corporation invented and released the Snickers bar, as the name is quite odd when we think about it. These days, it’s normal to us, because we’re more than used to it, but back then, we’re sure it raised a few eyebrows. Regardless, it was a success, despite the fact that the name caused us to chuckle at its expense. The candy bar was one of the first three to ever be released from the Mars Company, the other two being the 3 Musketeers Bar and of course The Milky Way, followed closely by the company’s fourth invention, the Mars Bar itself. Now the names of the latter three bars are pretty self-explanatory, as the 3 Musketeers got its name from the three original ingredients that were contained in the bar (nougat, strawberry and vanilla); the Mars Bar was named after the man who invented it himself, Franklin Clarence Mars, and the Milky Way got its name from the milkshake that actually inspired that candy bar in the first place. But often hard to determine was where the name for the Snickers Bar came from, and the answer is actually a tad different and certainly not as obvious as these other three. As it turned out, Franklin Clarence was raised on a farm in Tennessee, and Snickers was actually a racehorse that the family had owned for quite some time but had unfortunately just passed on. Clarence named his famed candy bar after this horse as an homage. Just goes to show you that sometimes, you have no idea what the stories are behind what you eat almost every day.
3. M&M’s Are Quite Popular Among Astronauts
Who said space food’s gotta taste bad? Certainly not us, especially considering this little tid-bit of information here … When you think of space food, you probably think of powdered juices, meal replacement shakes and the such … you know, things that travel well. But as a recent poll shows, astronauts actually prefer M&Ms when it comes to their choice of candy to take up with them to a galaxy far, far away. And although we’re quite sure that Darth Vader wasn’t popping M&Ms while he planned the destruction of the galaxy, we could definitely see Han Solo enjoying a few with Chewey as they made their way from adventure to adventure. Quite interesting to think about and it just makes us wonder … all those amazing historical expeditions in space as well. Just how many of those astronauts had M&Ms in their pockets while they made those discoveries?
2. Smarties … Britain’s Response to the M&M Wasn’t at First Distributed in The States
And it still isn’t in some cases. This particular candy is available in the States only by import, but it isn’t widely distributed. They are actually distributed elsewhere in the world and do quite well, especially in Canada. So if your local store doesn’t carry this particular brand of candy, and this gives you a craving, you can always take a trip North of the border and have a taste of this awesome candy. Well worth the trip and you can always take loads and loads home for later consumption. The reason the United States doesn’t carry the candy all that much is because there already are Smarties Candies marketed in the country. The tablet pieces of candy that resemble multi-colored pills, and the two brands operating under the same brand name would cause quite a problem in the market it seems. It was actually introduced to the world in 1937 by Rowntree and Company and is now manufactured and distributed by Nestle. They come in eight distinct colors which are orange, yellow, red, green, blue, mauve, brown and pink. Interestingly enough, however, the blue was actually replaced with a white candy for a time because the company was trying to find a healthier substitute for the blue dye that was used in the blue candies. The colors don’t really represent any specific flavors, as the candies all pretty much taste the same, the chocolate center, the focal point of the treat itself. But they sure are tasty, and if you get used to them, you may begin to ask yourself a similar question that many Canadians face: Smarties or M&Ms … which do you prefer?
1. A Dentist Invented Cotton Candy
You’re walking the midway at the local fair that has made its way to your town. You were at home, but something called you forth. Almost like a primitive call of the wild, something summoned you from the comfort of your home to this whirlwind of fun set up at your local mall or beachfront. Maybe it was the music, maybe it was the people, or even the sound that the rides made as you were settling in for an evening of TV, but regardless, there was something in the air. So you make your way through the people that have come out and you finally realize what it was that got you here … the smell. The smell of the carnival food: the popcorn, the hot dogs and corn dogs and above all else, the cotton candy being freshly made on the spot. You can smell the subtle smell of the heating sugar and you immediately want—no need—to have some. After all, you’ve been having cotton candy since you were a child, especially at such places, no matter how many times your parents told you to stop. You just couldn’t get enough. And as always, as you munch on the soft fabric-like candy that you so love, don’t worry about the dentist and that check-up you’ve got coming up, because we’ve got a response you can give him. You can tell him or her that cotton candy was invented by a dentist, so how bad can it actually be for your teeth? Although he or she may be flummoxed, it is the truth. As it turned out, a dentist by the name of William Morrison teamed up with a candy and sweet maker John C. Wharton to make a machine that turned sugar into strands of soft, sweet candy-like strands. They actually first named their creation Fairy Floss. It was in 1897 that they initially worked on it, but it wasn’t officially released to the asses before the 1920s, and well, the world certainly hasn’t looked back since.