 | |
| Type | Confectionery |
|---|---|
| Course | Dessert, Candy, Snack |
| 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 small, pyramid-shapedcandy, typically divided into three sections of different colors, with a waxy texture and a flavor based onhoney,sugar,butter, andvanilla.[1][2] It is a staple candy of thefall season andHalloween in North America.[2]
Candy corn's traditional colors of yellow, orange, and white represent the colors of the fallharvest,[2] or ofcorn on the cob,[3] with the wide yellow end resembling acorn kernel.[1]
Candy corn has a reputation for generating polarizing responses, with articles referring to it as "Halloween's most contentious sweet"[1] which people either "love" or "hate".[2][4][5]
"Chicken Feed" was the original candy name, with production starting in the late 1880s.[6] It was first invented in the 1880s by a Wunderle Candy Company employee, George Renninger.[7] Wunderle Candy Company was the first to produce the candy in 1888.[8] The Goelitz Confectionery Company, now calledJelly Belly, began manufacturing the product in 1898.[9]
While Jelly Belly still makes candy corn, the largest manufacturer of candy corn isBrach's Confections owned by theFerrara Candy Company.[9] Brach's makes approximately 7 billion pieces of candy corn per year and possesses 85 percent of the total share of the candy corn industry during the Halloween season.[9]
Along with other agriculture-inspired treats in the late 19th century, America's confectioners sought to market candy corn to a largely rural society.[10] During the late 19th century, "butter cream" candies molded into many types of nature-inspired shapes, includingchestnuts,turnips, andclover leaves, were quite popular but what made candy corn stand out was its bright and iconic tri-color layering.[5]
Although it is currently most popular in the fall, candy corn was only sometimes associated with the fall and Halloween seasons. For the first half of the 20th century, candy corn was a well-known "penny candy" orbulk confectionery. It was advertised as an affordable and popular treat that could be eaten year-round.[5]
Candy corn developed into a fall and Halloween staple around the 1950s when people began to hand out individually wrapped candy totrick-or-treaters. The harvest-themed colors and increased advertising in October also helped candy corn become a fall staple.[5]
TheNational Confectioners Association has deemed October 30, the day before Halloween, "National Candy Corn Day".[7]
As of 2016[update], annual production in theUnited States was 35 million pounds, or almost 9 billion pieces of candy.[11] The majority of candy corn sales occur during theHalloween season.[1]
Originally, the candy was made by hand.[12] Manufacturers first combined sugar,corn syrup and water, and cooked them to form aslurry.Fondant was added for texture andmarshmallows were added to provide a soft bite.[12] The final mixture was heated and poured into shaped molds. Three passes, one for each colored section, were required during the pouring process.[citation needed]
The recipe is similar today. The production method, called "corn starch modeling",[13] likewise remains the same, though tasks initially performed by hand were soon taken over bymachines made for that purpose.[14]
Candy corn is made with sugar, corn syrup,salt,sesame oil,honey,artificial flavor,food colorings,gelatin, andconfectioner's glaze. The confectioner's glaze is made fromlac resin, a bug secretion.[15]
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A popular variation called "harvest corn" adds cocoa powder;[16] it features a chocolate brown wide end, orange center, and pointed white tip. It is often available aroundThanksgiving.[6] During theHalloween season, blackberry cobbler candy corn can be found inEastern Canada, as well as candy corn shaped like pumpkins. Confectioners have introduced additional color variations suited to other holidays.[13]
TheChristmas variant, sometimes called "reindeer corn",[11] typically has a red end and a green center. TheValentine's Day variant, sometimes called "cupid corn",[17] typically has a red end and a pink center. In the United States duringIndependence Day celebrations, corn with a blue end, white center, and red tip, named "freedom corn", can be found at celebratory cook outs and patriotic celebrations. TheEaster variant, sometimes called "bunny corn", is typically a two-color candy, and comes with a variety of pastel bases, pink, green, yellow, and purple, with white tips all in one package.[citation needed]
There have been caramel apple and green apple, s'mores and pumpkin spice, carrot corn (green and orange, with a carrot cake flavor), and birthday cake candy corn flavors.[citation needed] In 2022, Brach's released a tailgate variant with fruit punch, vanilla ice cream, popcorn, hotdog, and hamburger flavored pieces.[18]Candy corn flavored snacks have become more widely available with candy corn flavored variants of snack foods and candy, includingOreos,M&M's,marshmallows, and more.[7]
