Twizzlers facts for kids
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A chewy licorice type candy with a fruity and sour flavor.
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| Type | |
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| Owner | The Hershey Company |
| Country | United States |
| Introduced | November 20, 1929 |
| Markets | United States |
| Tagline | The Twist You Can't Resist |
Twizzlers are a popular chewy candy. They are made by Y&S Candies, Inc., which is part of The Hershey Company. Twizzlers first came out in 1929. The company that makes them started way back in 1845. This makes it one of the oldest candy companies in the United States!
Twizzlers are often called a "licorice-type" candy. This is because the original flavor was black licorice. Most Twizzlers today, like the popular strawberry ones, do not actually contain licorice plant extract. The main ingredients in Twizzlers include corn syrup, wheat flour, and sugar. Did you know that strawberry is the most popular flavor? About 70% of all Twizzlers made each year are strawberry flavored!
Contents
The Story of Twizzlers
The company that makes Twizzlers has a long history. It is one of the oldest candy makers in the United States. The company started in 1845 as Young and Smylie. They began using "Y&S" as their brand name in 1870.
How the Company Grew
In 1902, Young & Smylie joined with two other small candy companies. They formed a new company called National Licorice Company. A few years later, in 1908, they opened a candy factory in Canada. Then, in 1929, the Twizzlers candy brand was created!
The company changed its name to Y&S Candies Inc. in 1968. Later, in 1977, a bigger candy company called Hershey Foods Corporation bought Y&S Candies. Y&S Candies then became a part of Hershey in 1982.
Where Twizzlers Are Made
Since 1999, Twizzlers have been made in two main places. One factory is in Memphis, Tennessee. The other is in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The Lancaster factory is where the company started.
Before 1999, Twizzlers were also made in Farmington, New Mexico. However, the company moved that operation to Memphis. This was done to save money on shipping costs.
A Record-Breaking Twist
The Y&S Candy Plant in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, holds a special record. In 1998, they made the longest licorice twist ever! It was an amazing 1,200 feet long. That's longer than three football fields! It also weighed 100 pounds. This record is even in the Guinness Book of Records.
All About Nibs
Nibs are small, bite-sized pieces of licorice candy. The word "nibs" has been used in the candy world for a long time. It describes small bits of a product. For example, "cacao nibs" are tiny pieces of chocolate from cocoa beans.
When Nibs Appeared
It's not exactly known when Y&S first started making Nibs. It might have been in the 1930s, soon after Twizzlers were created. Or it could have been a bit later. People who collect old candy wrappers have seen Nibs packages from the 1960s and 1970s.
By 1975, the company was selling nearly 50 million pounds of licorice candy each year. Even with all that success, they hired an advertising company. This was to help make sure people knew the difference between Twizzlers and Nibs.
Twizzlers Flavors and Shapes
The first Twizzlers flavor in 1845 was black licorice. But in the 1970s, the company started adding more flavors. These included strawberry, grape, chocolate, cherry, and watermelon.
New and Exciting Flavors
In 2006, they introduced some special flavors for a limited time. These were cherry cola and "rainbow" Twizzlers. The "rainbow" mix had flavors like strawberry, orange, lemonade, watermelon, "blue raspberry," peach, and grape. Today, you can still find these "rainbow" Twizzlers in stores and at movie theaters!
Twizzlers come in many different shapes and sizes. The original ones are called "Twists." There are also "Nibs" and "Bites," which are smaller pieces. In 1994, Y&S introduced "Pull 'n' Peel." These are fun because you can pull them apart into thin strings! Later, "Twerpz" and "Strawz" came out in 2004.
There's even a super long Twizzlers variety that is 2 feet long! The regular Twizzlers are usually about 8 inches long.
Filled and Fun Twists
In 2006, Y&S created "Sweet and Sour Filled Twists." These have a yummy, fruity filling inside. They come in two colors: yellow and red. The yellow ones are Citrus Punch flavor, and the red ones are Cherry Kick.
In 2011, "Super Long Nibs" were introduced. These combine the taste and texture of classic Nibs with the longer length of a regular Twizzlers twist. In 2013, a new "Raspberry Wild Berry Lemonade" flavor was added to the Pull 'n' Peel line.
More new flavors for Pull 'n' Peel and filled Twizzlers came out in 2014 and 2016. These included Fruit Punch, Strawberry Lemonade, Cherry, and Green Apple.
Special Dietary Information
Many Twizzlers products are certified as kosher. This means they follow special food rules. Also, some Twizzlers, like strawberry, cherry Pull 'n' Peel, and black licorice, are approved as vegan candy. This means they do not contain any animal products.
See also
In Spanish: Twizzlers para niños
