1. It was invented back in the 1800s.
The tri-colored candy is said to have been created by a man named George Renninger who worked at the Wunderlee Candy Company in Philadelphia, PA.
2. The original name was unappetizing.
Goelitz Confectionary Co. began manufacturing and distributing the candy in 1898 with the name "Chicken Feed," thanks to it's resemblance to corn kernels. That company later changed its name to Jelly Belly in 2001, and it continues to sell the treat today!
3. The process will amaze you
The recipe for candy corn has remained virtually the same since the beginning-the main ingredients are sugar, corn syrup and marshmallow which, back in the 1800s, were stirred in giant black kettles, then poured by hand (one color at a time) into special molds. Today the process is much easier thanks to machines-the Jelly Belly factory can spit out as many as 1,200 kernels per second.
4. Over 35 million pounds are made each year
In addition to Jelly Belly, Brach's is a major producer of the sugary sweets-together the manufacturers manage to make about 9 billion individual pieces of candy corn annually.
5. There are many varieties and shapes
Indian Corn, a very popular alternative to the original, has a hint of chocolatey flavor thanks to cocoa powder. Brach's has created several other iterations to try, too-Sea Salt Chocolate, Apple Mix, Caramel, Peanut Butter Cup, and Caramel Macchiato. We also can't forget about Mellowcreme Pumpkins, which taste very similar to candy corn, but have an ultra-satisfying, chewy texture.
6. Apparently there's a right and wrong way to eat it.
Do you carefully nibble on your candy corn, or munch on it without much thought at all? Back in 2013, the National Confectioners Association took a survey to find out how it's eaten most frequently-turns out most eat the whole piece at once, but 42.7% claim to start with the narrow white end first. The three colors taste exactly the same, yet somehow starting at the yellow end just seems wrong.
7. It's one of the most popular Halloween candies in the country
Despite it's polarizing qualities, polls show that there's an astounding number of people who really do enjoy eating it.
8. One serving has a crazy amount of sugar
Just 19 pieces adds up to a whopping 28 grams of sugar-that's nearly up there with the sugar content of an entire can of Coca-Cola! Keep the candy bowl out of reach of kids, or your little monsters might start bouncing off the walls.
9. It has it's own holiday
October 30th, the day before Halloween, has been dubbed the national day to celebrate the brightly colored treat. Whip up some candy corn–themed desserts, stock up on a few bags and do your best to save some for the trick-or-treaters
10. Candy corn is not just for Halloween
For those who love candy corn, we have good news: you can eat it ALL YEAR LONG. And we're not talking about rationing your supply until next Halloween-there's such thing as Reindeer Corn, Cupid Corn and even Easter Bunny corn so that your favorite treats are appropriate for all the major holidays. Sweet!
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