Candy corn facts for kids
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| Type | Confectionery |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | United States |
| Region or state | Cincinnati, Ohio |
| Main ingredients | Sugar, corn syrup, carnauba wax, artificial coloring and binders |
| Variations | cupid corn, bunny corn, harvest corn, reindeer corn |
Candy corn is a popular candy known for its unique look. It usually has three different colored sections. These are typically yellow, orange, and white. The candy has a slightly waxy texture. Its flavor comes from honey, sugar, and vanilla. Candy corn is a classic treat for the fall season. It is especially popular during Halloween in North America.
The traditional colors of candy corn have a special meaning. Yellow, orange, and white represent the colors of the fall harvest. They can also remind people of corn on the cob. The wide yellow part looks a bit like a corn kernel.
Some people really love candy corn. Others don't enjoy it as much! It's one of those candies that people often have strong opinions about.
Contents
Discovering Candy Corn
The Sweet History of Candy Corn
Candy corn was first called "Chicken Feed." It was invented in the 1880s by George Renninger. He worked for the Wunderle Candy Company. This company was the first to make candy corn in 1888. Later, the Goelitz Confectionery Company started making it in 1898. Today, this company is known as Jelly Belly.
While Jelly Belly still makes candy corn, the biggest maker is Brach's Confections. This company is part of the Ferrara Candy Company. Brach's makes about 7 billion pieces of candy corn each year. They sell most of the candy corn during the Halloween season.
In the late 1800s, candy makers wanted to sell treats to people living in the countryside. Many candies were shaped like plants, like chestnuts or turnips. Candy corn stood out because of its bright, layered colors.
How Candy Corn Became a Fall Favorite
For a long time, candy corn was not just a fall candy. In the first half of the 1900s, it was a common "penny candy." This meant it was a cheap and popular treat. People could buy and eat it all year round.
Around the 1950s, candy corn became a fall and Halloween favorite. This was when people started giving out individually wrapped candies to trick-or-treaters. The candy's harvest-themed colors also helped. More advertisements in October made it even more popular for fall.
The National Confectioners Association has a special day for candy corn. October 30th, the day before Halloween, is "National Candy Corn Day."
Candy Corn Sales and Popularity
In 2016, people in the United States made 35 million pounds of candy corn. That's almost 9 billion pieces! Most of these sales happen during the Halloween season. This shows how much people enjoy this festive treat.
How Candy Corn is Made
Originally, people made candy corn by hand. First, they mixed sugar, corn syrup, and water. They cooked this mixture until it was thick. Then, they added fondant to make it smooth. Marshmallows were also added to give it a soft texture.
The way candy corn is made is still quite similar today. The process is called "corn starch modeling." Machines now do many of the tasks that used to be done by hand.
What's Inside Candy Corn?
Candy corn is made with several ingredients. These include sugar, corn syrup, salt, sesame oil, honey, and artificial flavor. It also has food colorings, gelatin, and confectioner's glaze. The confectioner's glaze helps make the candy shiny. It is made from lac resin, which comes from a type of insect.
Fun Candy Corn Variations
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Candy corn comes in many fun variations. One popular type is "harvest corn." It has a chocolate brown bottom, an orange middle, and a white tip. This version often appears around Thanksgiving. During Halloween, you might find blackberry cobbler candy corn. There are also candy corn pieces shaped like pumpkins.
Candy makers create different colors for other holidays too:
- For Christmas, there's "reindeer corn." It usually has a red bottom and a green middle.
- For Valentine's Day, "cupid corn" has a red bottom and a pink middle.
- For Independence Day in the U.S., "freedom corn" has blue, white, and red layers.
- For Easter, "bunny corn" often has two colors. It comes in pastel shades like pink, green, yellow, or purple with white tips.
There have been many unique candy corn flavors. Some examples include caramel apple, green apple, s'mores, and pumpkin spice. There was even carrot cake flavored candy corn (green and orange). In 2022, Brach's released a "tailgate" mix. This mix had flavors like fruit punch, vanilla ice cream, popcorn, hotdog, and hamburger!
Candy corn flavors have also appeared in other snacks. You can find candy corn flavored Oreos, M&M's, and marshmallows.
See also
In Spanish: Maíz dulce (golosina) para niños
