Junior Mints facts for kids
 
A box of Junior Mints
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| Type | Candy |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | United States |
| Created by | James O. Welch Company |
| Invented | 1949 |
| Main ingredients | Semi-sweet chocolate |
| Ingredients generally used | Mint |
Junior Mints are a popular candy brand. They are small, round treats with a cool mint filling inside a yummy semi-sweet chocolate coating. You might notice a little dimple on one side of each candy! These mints are made by Tootsie Roll Industries. You can find them in different box sizes, from small "fun-size" boxes to much larger ones.
Contents
The Story of Junior Mints
Junior Mints first came out in 1949. They were created by the James O. Welch Company, which was located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. This company also made other famous candies like Sugar Babies.
A talented food chemist named Charles Vaughan invented Junior Mints. He was asked to create a small, chocolate-covered peppermint candy. James Welch, who founded the company, was born in Hertford, North Carolina. He started his candy company in Cambridge in 1927.
Who Has Owned Junior Mints?
Over the years, Junior Mints have been owned by different companies. In 1963, Nabisco bought the brand. Later, in 1988, Warner-Lambert Company took over. Finally, in 1993, Tootsie Roll bought Junior Mints.
Today, Junior Mints are still made in Cambridge, Massachusetts. They are produced at a factory that belongs to Cambridge Brands, which is a part of Tootsie Roll Industries. This same factory also makes Sugar Babies and Charleston Chews.
The Name Game: How Junior Mints Got Its Name
The name "Junior Mints" is a clever play on words! It comes from a popular Broadway play called Junior Miss. This play was based on stories by Sally Benson from The New Yorker magazine.
The play was very successful and ran on Broadway from 1941 to 1943. According to the company's history, James Welch loved this Broadway show. When he created his new candy in 1949, he decided to name it after his favorite play.
All About the Candy
A lot of Junior Mints are made every day! More than 15 million candies are produced daily.
Tootsie Roll also makes other kinds of Junior Mints. There are Junior Caramels, which have a caramel filling inside a milk chocolate coating. They also make special "Inside Outs" with a mint-chocolate filling inside a white chocolate shell.
You can find limited edition Junior Mints for holidays! These include:
- Valentine's Day Pastels (or regular Valentine's Day ones)
- Easter Pastels
- Christmas edition (with red and green fillings)
- Christmas Peppermint Crunch (with crunchy peppermint flakes in the chocolate)
Junior Mints are sold in many different sizes, from small "fun-size" boxes to large "movie theater-size" boxes. They are very popular to eat while watching movies! Junior Mints are enjoyed all over the world. They are also certified kosher dairy, which means they follow special food rules.
See also
- List of chocolate bar brands
- List of confectionery brands
- Poppets (UK equivalent)
