The History Of Laffy Taffy
Laffy Taffy has a long history in American confections that dates back to the 1970s when it was first introduced to the general public. Manufactured by the well known candy company Nestlé and sold under their Willy Wonka Candy Company brand, this particular confection has been a favorite to many, young and old. The delicious candies are small, individually wrapped taffy available in a variety of fruit flavors, as well as a chocolate mousse flavor. In 2003, Wonka introduced a variety called "Flavor Flippers", a piece of taffy that had a soft center with a different flavor.
The actual name refers to both the texture of the taffy as well as its embodiment of silliness; the outside of each wrapper has at least one joke for people to read while enjoying the soft, chewy and flavorful confection. These jokes are usually sent in by children who are then credited on the wrapper if the joke is chosen. Laffy Taffy used to come in thick, square shaped pieces, but today, it is sold in thinner, rectangular shaped pieces that are easier to store for a delicious snack while on the go. In 2007, the company started to make long, thing cords that amount to the same as eating a handful for the original small taffy packets.
Laffy Taffy is the taffy for those who don't like regular taffy. It is a unique form of one of America's oldest candies that suffer from the bland flavor of its salt water taffy predecessors. The long cords of Laffy Taffy are particularly delicious treats that delight the taste buds of all who try them. Taffy, or toffee as it is known outside of the United States, is a sugar and butter mix boiled until it reaches a gooey consistency that can be stretched and pulled into shape, the stretching being most important as this prevents the taffy from becoming hard and more like rock candy. Nobody knows where taffy was invented, in England, Scotland, or France, we do know the first written record of taffy is found in the 1817 issue of the Oxford English Dictionary, though no mention is made if its origins.
The softer chewier candy we know as taffy was very popular in the mid to late 1800s and was a simple candy for local candy stores to make, and when wrapped in wax paper would keep well on candy store shelves. From the early 1800s social events that involved making taffy spread around the US, being known initially as candy pulling, and then taffy pulling by the 1870s. It was a popular pastime, especially liked by young men and women courting each other because it allowed close contact without stigma.
The Willy Wonka range of candies was created to complement the story by Roald Dahl and were packaged with bright labeling and psychedelic colors. After the successful launch of the Willy Wonka Brand, Breaker Confections invited children around the United States to send them their favorite jokes, the best of which would be printed on Laffy Taffy wrappers.
In 1980 Breaker Confections officially changed its corporate name to Willy Wonka Brands, and in 1988 after the company was sold to Sunmark (now a division of Nestlé) the name changed again to Willy Wonka Candy Company which is the name now appearing on all Willy Wonka branded candy in the US, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, all countries where Roald Dahl’s books have become popular favorites.
Laffy Taffy, once known as nostalgic candy, has been a popular candy since its launch, though the release of the 2005 movie “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” starring Johnny Depp helped flagging sales of the candy bar and established a new generation of Laffy Taffy fans. At the same time Nestlé released a chocolate Wonka Bar some of which included a gold ticket as in the movie. Laffy Taffy candy wasn’t included in the golden ticket promotion. In 2005 a new variant of Laffy Taffy, the long cord of Laffy Taffy Ropes, arrived on store shelves to complement the smaller rectangles shaped bars. Flavors of Laffy Taffy include cherry, strawberry, grape, banana, blue raspberry, and sour apple.
That sums up the history of Wonka Laffy Taffy, which is a scrumptious treat adored and loved by many. In fact, many children and adults choose Laffy Taffy over other candy forms whenever their sweet tooth cravings start to act up, which is why many stores offer this popular treat. However, instead of driving to a store to find your favorite flavor, you can simply order it online from Sugar Stand since we carry all the scrumptious flavors! One click of your mouse can send you tons of Laffy Taffy candy in all sorts of your favorite flavors!
