In honor of Halloween, I will be writing about the most famous seasonal treat of them all: candy corn.
For those who have been living under a rock, candy corn is a layered, 3-colored candy in the shape of a witch’s hat/cone. Typically, the top is white, the middle is orange and the bottom is yellow.
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Why does it look like that?
Candy corn was meant to mimic the look of actual corn. Hard to believe, am I right?
If it wasn’t called ‘candy corn’ though, you might have guessed that. It just looks so artificial. Not only that but it’s such an accepted candy nowadays that we just see it as its own thing.
The first creator of candy corn is mostly unknown but we do know that the Goelitz Confectionary Company is known for popularizing them in the late 1800s. When the Goelitz Company first produced candy corn, it was called “Chicken Feed.”
Even back then, it was released around fall and Halloween – as it should be. Brach’s – probably the most famous maker of candy corn today – has been making new flavors as of late and even releasing Christmas and Easter ones.
What is candy corn made out of?
To your surprise I’m sure, it isn’t just corn & candy – though there are some corn products and (obviously) sugar in them. Unfortunately, it’s not healthy either, though I guess neither is actual corn.
That being said, there is even less nutritional value in a single piece of candy corn. There is a trace of sesame oil, which contains some vitamin E and honey. Otherwise, you are stuck with a lot of artificial ingredients.
Candy corn ingredients also include: sugar (a given), corn syrup (obvious), confectioner’s glaze, dextrose, yellow 6, yellow 5, and red 3.
There’s gelatin in them too, which means they are not vegan! As you may recall, gelatin is made from animal products. The kicker? The smooth outside coating is made from lac-resin – an insect secretion from lac bugs found in Asia.
What’s your take?
ZOMG Candy has talked about candy corn before but has never officially reviewed the normal flavor. That’s because it’s a Halloween costume staple and it doesn’t really need one.
Personally, it’s not one of my favorites. Though I appreciate the history of the candy, I just can’t get into that chalky taste!
And apparently, I’m not alone here. A 2013 National Confectioners Association survey found that only 12% of people would call candy corn their favorite Halloween treat. Chocolate was the unsurprising #1.
You love it or hate it. Either way, you’ve eaten it hundreds of times. The National Confectioners Association estimates that over 20 million pounds of candy corn are sold each year.