Appreciating all that makes America special

Holiday: Candy Corn

It's reported that more candy corn is produced each year than any other type of candy. Trick or treat! Uploaded by wikimedia.org.

The one absolutely distinctive seasonal candy for Halloween is candy corn. Not everyone likes it (though I do – come to think of it, there’s very little candy I don’t like), but it’s as much a part of Halloween as strippers and French maids.

Uploaded by wegmans.com.

Hard to believe, but this candy was created way back in the 1880s. Since about 1900, the Goelitz Candy Company (now Jelly Belly) has been the main manufacturer, and Brach’s sells more than any other brand. Here are a couple of strange facts about candy corn:

  • About 20 million pounds are sold each year.
  • If the kernels sold by Brach’s annually were laid end to end, they’d circle the earth 4.25 times.
  • The candy has been customized for other seasons: Indian Corn (Thanksgiving), Reindeer Corn (Christmas), Cupid Corn (Valentine’s), and Bunny Corn (Easter).

According to dailyinfographic.com, candy corn is the biggest selling candy product in America. I’m not sure, though, whether kids want to see this in their trick or treat bags. They probably prefer Snickers or Reese’s cups, don’t you think?

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