Twin Bing facts for kids
The Twin Bing is a yummy candy bar made by the Palmer Candy Company in Sioux City, Iowa. It has two round, chewy, cherry-flavored centers called nougats. These are covered in a mix of chopped peanuts and chocolate. The company also makes single Bings and a larger package of three called the King Bing. The Twin Bing first appeared in the 1960s, possibly in 1969. Many people in Sioux City think it's one of their city's most special treats.
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The Sweet Story of the Twin Bing
The very first Bing candy bar was created in 1923. Back then, Bings came in four different flavors: cherry, pineapple, vanilla, and maple. Even today, these candies are still made by hand!
In the 1920s or 1930s, the Bing candy bar was sold in a special "Crow Bar" package. This package included cool trading cards featuring famous movie stars like Mary Astor and Charlie Chaplin. There were more than 100 different cards in the collection!
How the Twin Bing Was Born
For many years, Bings were sold one at a time. But in the 1960s, something changed, and the second bar was added. This likely happened in 1969.
As the cost of ingredients went up, candy companies first made their candy bars smaller. Then, they increased the price. A Bing used to cost a nickel, but it went up to a dime. With the higher price, the Palmer Company decided to make the Bing candy bars bigger. However, a single, larger Bing would have been hard to fit into vending machines because of its unique shape.
That's when someone at the company had a clever idea: put two Bings together! This created the "Twin Bing," and the new name also made people more interested in the candy.
People who have newborn twins sometimes give out Twin Bings to celebrate. Also, fans of the Minnesota Twins baseball team often ask for them!
In 2001, a grocery store called Hy-Vee built a huge display with over 15,000 Bing bars of all kinds. This was part of a special promotion during the March Madness basketball event. In 2014, a special Twin Bing ice cream was even created when a big basketball tournament came to Sioux City at the Tyson Events Center.
What's Inside a Twin Bing?
The inside of a Twin Bing is a mix of nougat and fondant, which creates a creamy center. One author, Steve Almond, described the candy as "two brown lumps, about the size of golf balls, roughly textured, and stuck to one another like Siamese twins." He also said the Twin Bing was his favorite candy bar!
Another writer, William Grimes, said the Twin Bing "narrowly beats out the Idaho Spud as the strangest candy bar still in production." The Twin Bing was also listed as one of the "Candy Bars Worth Crossing State Lines For" by Chowhound magazine. They described it as "Two brown-gold balls of sweet cherry cream covered with crushed peanuts and chocolate."
The Sioux City Journal newspaper calls the Twin Bing "one of Sioux City's quintessential treats." In 2016, they noted that a hotel bar in the city makes a special drink inspired by the candy called the "Twin Bing Martini." This drink uses Godiva Chocolate Liqueur, cherry-flavored Dr. McGillicuddy's, Frangelico, and splashes of Coca-Cola and grenadine.
Twin Bing Ingredients
Sugar, Peanuts, Corn Syrup, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil, Cocoa Powder, Whey, Invert Sugar, Salt, Egg Whites, Soy Lecithin, Artificial Flavors, FD&C Red 3, FD&C Red 40, Citric Acid, Invertase, Cream of Tartar.
