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Just about everyone loves the sweet taste of candy, and there are certainly many wonderful varieties of these sweet treats on the market today. From the incredibly sweet and smooth taste of high end gourmet chocolate to the very sour taste of sour gummi candies, there are as many different kinds of candy as there are candy lovers, and the history of these delicious treats is a fascinating study as well.

What You Didn’t Know About Chocolate

The history of chocolate is one of the oldest stories in the world of candy and candy making, stretching at least as far back to the Aztec Empire. The ancient Aztecs felt that this miracle food held aphrodisiac qualities, and many men still seem to feel that way as they give their sweethearts those heart shaped boxes of candy.

When Montezuma reached the Aztec Empire, he brought the luscious chocolate drink they enjoyed back with him to his native Spain, and a new delicacy was born of the Spanish royal family. After a time the tradition spread to the rest of Europe, and the drink eventually morphed into the chocolate candy bars we know and love today.

It was of course Milton S. Hershey who is credited with bringing mass production methods to the world of candy making, and the Hershey Company continues to be one of the most successful chocolate makers the world has ever seen. The company is by no means alone, however, and a number of companies, including corporate giants like Nestle, also produce some of the world’s best chocolate. When you add the many smaller makers of gourmet and specialty candies, you begin to see just how big this industry really is.

The Power of Gummi

The history of the gummi bear is quite a bit shorter than that of the chocolate bar, but ever since its introduction this sweet treat has been a big hit. The first gummi bears rolled off the production line back in 1922, created by Hans Riegel, a confectioner located in Bonn, Germany. Haribo, the company he founded, is still widely recognized as an industry leader in the world of gummi candies, and the original bears have been joined by a veritable gummi zoo.

It took nearly six more decades for these delectable treats to make their way across the ocean to the United States, but once they arrived they were welcomed with open arms. Gummi bears and other gummi candies still continue to be a big seller, and kids and adults alike love these delicious candy treats.

Chew on This

For many of us, chewing gum was our first introduction to the world of candy, and many adults continue to enjoy the flavor and fun of chewing gum and bubble gum. The history of chewing gum is thought to stretch all the way back to ancient Greece, when the locals chewed a tree resin as a sort of chewing gum.

The Native Americans of the North American continent are also known to have chewed the resin of the Spruce tree, and a number of other indigenous cultures from around the world used some sort of this special treat.

Eventually the manufacture of this treat was commercialized, other substances replaced the original tree resin, and peppermint and other flavorings were added for more variety and spice. Today there are many different varieties of chewing gum, some with liquid centers, others with unique flavors and still others with breath freshening properties.

The Delicious Jelly Bean

While the jelly bean is most closely associated with the Easter season, these delicious treats are now available all year round. These wonderful little treats are among the most popular of all bulk candies, and they in fact may have been the first penny candy.

In fact so many jelly beans are sold in a typical season that if they were stretched end to end the line would go around the entire globe three times That’s 14 billion jelly beans; it’s no wonder the Easter Bunny always looks so tired.