3 Musketeers (chocolate bar) facts for kids
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| Type | Confectionery |
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| Owner | Mars, Incorporated |
| Country | United States |
| Introduced | 1932 |
The 3 Musketeers candy bar is a popular treat made by Mars, Incorporated in the United States and Canada. It's known for its light, fluffy, whipped nougat center, all covered in delicious chocolate. It's a bit like the Milky Way bar you might know, but without the gooey caramel inside.
Contents
The Story of 3 Musketeers
The 3 Musketeers bar first came out in 1932. It was the third candy brand made by the company that is now called Mars.
Why "3 Musketeers"?
When the candy bar was first made, it had three different flavors in one package! These flavors were chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla. This is why it was named "3 Musketeers," just like the famous book The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas.
Changes Over Time
During World War II, it became harder and more expensive to get ingredients like sugar. Because of this, the strawberry and vanilla flavors were stopped. Only the chocolate flavor remained, which was the most popular one anyway. When the bars first came out, they cost only five cents. They were also advertised as one of the biggest chocolate bars you could buy!
New Flavors and Editions
Over the years, Mars has released many new and exciting flavors of 3 Musketeers:
- In 2007, for the candy bar's 75th birthday, they introduced 3 Musketeers Mint.
- That same year, they had a special "Autumn Minis Mix" with French Vanilla, Mocha Cappuccino, and Strawberry flavors.
- Cherry 3 Musketeers came out in 2008.
- For Easter 2008, Raspberry 3 Musketeers and Orange 3 Musketeers were released. The orange one had milk chocolate, while the cherry and raspberry ones had dark chocolate.
- In 2019, Mars added the 3 Musketeers Birthday Cake flavor.
How 3 Musketeers Are Made
The main part of a 3 Musketeers bar is its whipped nougat center. This nougat is made in large, flat pieces.
- First, egg whites are whipped until they are very light and foamy.
- Then, a sweet sugar syrup is added. This makes the foam stable and creates a soft, fluffy mousse.
- Finally, other flavors are added to the mousse to create the specific taste.
After the nougat is ready, it's cut into bar shapes and covered in milk chocolate.
You can find 3 Musketeers bars being made in different places, including Chicago, Illinois; Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania; and Newmarket, Ontario in Canada.
Advertising the Candy Bar
Over the years, 3 Musketeers has had many different advertisements.
Early TV Ads
In the 1950s, the candy bar was advertised on the popular Howdy Doody TV show. The show's host, Buffalo Bob Smith, even encouraged kids to sing a song about the candy bar!
"Less Fat" Campaign
In 1998, the ads for 3 Musketeers featured three men dressed like the famous Three Musketeers. These ads promoted a new message: the bar had "45% less fat." The slogan changed from "Big on Chocolate!" to "Big on Chocolate, Not on Fat!" These fun ads were created by Will Vinton Studios, who also made the popular M&M's characters.
Connecting with Young People
Around 2015, Mars started a new way to advertise 3 Musketeers using a YouTube channel. This was a way to try and connect with younger audiences, sometimes called Generation Z. This type of advertising, where popular online personalities or "influencers" share products, helps companies reach people who trust these influencers.
A Common Myth
There's a common story that the 3 Musketeers bar and the Milky Way bar accidentally swapped their names when they were first made. The myth says that the Milky Way bar, which has three parts (chocolate, nougat, and caramel), was originally supposed to represent the three musketeers. However, this isn't true! The Milky Way bar came out in the U.S. in 1924, and the 3 Musketeers bar was released later, in 1932. So, the names couldn't have been swapped.
What's Inside? (Nutrition)
A regular-sized 3 Musketeers bar (about 60 grams) has about 257 calories. It also contains 7 grams of total fat and 40 grams of sugar. A smaller, mini-size bar (about 41 grams) has around 179 calories, 5 grams of total fat, and 27 grams of sugar.
Different 3 Musketeers Flavors
Here is a list of some of the flavors that have been released:
- Original 3 bar-Chocolate (chocolate, vanilla, strawberry), 1932–1945
- Chocolate with filling, 1945–present
- Mint, 2007
- "Autumn Minis" – Cappuccino, French Vanilla and Strawberry, 2007
- Cherry, 2008
- Raspberry, 2008
- Orange, 2008
- Chocolate Strawberry Brownie, 2008
- Chocolate Brownie Bar (Generation Max series)
- S'Mores Brownie Bar (Generation Max series)
- Truffle Crisp
- Marshmallow, limited edition Minis, Easter 2011 and 2012
- Coconut, 2011
- Hot Chocolate with marshmallow, Christmas 2012
- Birthday Cake, 2019
See also
- Milky Way (chocolate bar), a similar chocolate bar
- List of chocolate bar brands
