After Eight facts for kids
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| Owner | Nestlé (1988–present) |
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| Introduced | 1962 |
| Previous owners | Rowntree's (1962–1988) |
After Eight Mint Chocolate Thins, often called After Eights, are a popular type of candy. They are thin squares of dark chocolate with a creamy, minty filling inside. These treats are usually enjoyed after dinner, which is how they got their name!
After Eights were first made in the United Kingdom in 1962 by a company called Rowntree's. Later, in 1988, another big company named Nestlé bought Rowntree's. Since then, Nestlé has been making After Eights for people all over the world.
How After Eights Are Made
After Eights are made in a special way to get their unique liquid center. They were first produced in a factory in York, England. Later, the production moved to Castleford. Today, for the UK market, they are made in Halifax, West Yorkshire. More than one billion After Eights are produced every single year! That's a lot of minty chocolates!
The Special Filling
The soft, minty center of an After Eight is called fondant. It's made from sugar, water, and a tiny bit of a special helper called an enzyme (say: EN-zyme). This enzyme is called invertase.
When the fondant is first made, it's a bit stiff. But after it's covered in dark chocolate, the invertase enzyme slowly starts to work. It breaks down the sugar in the fondant into two other types of sugar: glucose and fructose. These new sugars are much more watery. This process makes the center of the After Eight become soft and gooey over time.
Different Kinds of After Eights
Originally, After Eights were made with dark chocolate that didn't have any dairy in it. But in 2002, Nestlé started adding a little bit of butterfat to some After Eights. This helped the chocolate stay smooth and shiny, preventing it from getting a dull, white coating called "chocolate bloom." By 2009, all After Eights had this butterfat added.
Nestlé has also made some fun special editions of After Eights. These have included After Eights with an orange flavor and even ones made with milk chocolate instead of dark chocolate.
After Eights are also certified kosher dairy. This means they meet certain food preparation rules for people who follow Jewish dietary laws.
See also
In Spanish: After Eight para niños
