The Weird History of Candy Corn

Do you love it or hate it? 🍁🎃

Did you know that candy corn is the most popular Halloween candy out there?

Depending on your stance, that either makes total sense...or it's completely horrifying. 

But no matter how you feel about this super-sweet Halloween treat -- I bet it still puts you in the mood for Spooky Season! 👻 And if it feels like candy corn has been around forever...that's because it basically has. 

We took a deep dive into the weird history of candy corn. Check it out! 

Who Invented Candy Corn?

No one knows for sure who invented it. But it's generally believed that George Renninger, candymaker at Wunderle Candy Company, is the mastermind behind this tri-colored treat. 

In 1898, the Goelitz Candy Company picked up his creation (that's the company we now know as Jelly Belly!), and candy corn as we know it was born. 

It Wasn't Always Called Candy Corn

When candy corn first entered the scene, it was called Chicken Feed. 

Weird, right? That's because the candy is supposed to resemble corn...and at the time, corn was primarily used as animal feed. 

Candy corn was similar to 19th-century "butter creams," which came in all kinds of flavors and shapes.

But no one had ever seen a candy with three different colors before. It was pretty groundbreaking -- especially because it had to be made by hand!

And it Wasn't Always for Halloween! 

Candy corn was once an all-year-round treat. You could find any time you wanted at the penny candy store! 

After World War II, candy corn started being marketed as a candy perfect for the holidays, and soon it became especially popular in the Fall. And the rest is history!

Fun Facts About Candy Corn

🎃 There's a National Candy Corn Day! It's celebrated on October 30th.

🎃 There are two different ways to eat it. Just over 50% of people eat the whole thing at once, and the rest eat it layer by layer. Which side do you fall on?

🎃 Over 7 billion pieces of candy corn are sold every year. That's one for every person on the planet! 

🎃 There are other variations of candy corn! You can find harvest corn (it has a chocolate layer...) caramel apple candy corn, Valentine's Day candy corn, Christmas candy corn, and more! 

Now, we want to know: do you love or hate candy corn? 

To the comments!