What Are The Most Popular Types Of Candy Around The World? Find Out Here
When people think of candy, they usually think of the most delicious types that are available to them. Candy is a sweet food that is given to children on special occasions or given as gifts, which makes it very popular around the world. Children often have strong opinions about their favorite type of candy, while adults tend to be less rigid when it comes to what type they enjoy eating. But there are some types of candy that are more popular than others around the world.
Gummy bears/gummies
Gummy bears, also known as gummy worms and “worms,” are jelly-like candies usually shaped like small bears or worms with a chewy texture. They come in many different flavors including raspberry/strawberry, grape, apple, and orange. Gummy bears have been around since at least the early 1900s, though they did not become popular until 1980 when Haribo invented the modern gummy bear. Today, these gummies can be found all around the world but mostly in Europe, especially in the UK where these chewy treats are often included in the Candy Obsession pick and mix sweets collection. Because gummies can be a homemade treat, people eat them very often when they want a tasty snack to go with their drinks, which is why this type of candy has become very popular across Europe. In North America, gummy bears are still extremely popular and can be found in most grocery stores.
Saltwater taffy
Saltwater taffy is a soft candy with many flavors including vanilla, strawberry, chocolate, banana, pineapple, blueberry, and many more. It’s made by boiling sugar syrup for at least one hour to reach 260 degrees Fahrenheit before adding flavorings, coloring, and shaping the candy with steel molds. Saltwater taffy became an iconic New Jersey treat when it was developed around 1890 in Atlantic City by David Bradley, who accidentally spilled some saltwater on his batch of boiled sugar during a storm. The candy so reminded him of the ocean that he decided to name it after this unique incident and market it as an “island specialty.” Saltwater taffy is still popular today and can be found at many Atlantic City boardwalk stores and businesses. It’s also popular in other parts of the world, such as Australia and Great Britain.
Marshmallows
Marshmallows are chewy candies usually made from sugar, corn syrup (or another type of sweetener), gelatin, glue, and other ingredients. They are often shaped into small disks or cylinders, although they can be molded into many other shapes too. Marshmallows are mostly eaten on their own but can also be found in cereals, pillows (i.e., a marshmallow sandwiched between two graham crackers), baked goods, and candies/chocolates. The name comes from the plant “Althaea officinalis” which is a herb found in Asia and Europe that’s used to create marshmallow treats. Marshmallows were originally made by boiling the root of this plant with extracts of honey to come up with a sweet, gooey treat similar to nougat candy. They increasingly popular over time until commercially produced marshmallows were created in the late 1800s. Marshmallows are a traditional treat for many North American holidays such as Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
Caramel
Caramel is made from sugar, water, and cream (either heavy or light). The ingredients are first boiled together until the mixture caramelizes and the temperature reaches 320 degrees Fahrenheit. Then vanilla and other flavorings can be added to create an even tastier treat. Caramel was first invented by the Arabs in the Middle Ages as a sweetener for drinks such as coffee, tea, and milk. It has continued to evolve over time into different forms such as chewy candies, lollipops, crispy treats, and chocolate bars/turtles. Today it’s one of the most popular types of candy around the world, with Japan being its biggest consumer. There are many different flavors of caramel available including maple, butter pecan, and honey. Salted caramel is also a very popular type of this candy today.
Jelly beans
Jelly beans are small, colorful candies made from sugar, corn syrup (or another type of sweetener), gelatin, and fruit juice as well as artificial flavoring. They usually come in many different flavors such as strawberry, grape, lemon, and orange, though some companies now sell jelly beans with more unusual flavors such as watermelon and blueberry cheesecake. These confections were first created by the company DeMet’s Candy Company around the turn of the 20th century, though other companies quickly started making their own version, including Ferrara Pan, which is one of the most popular brands today.
Jelly beans are mostly eaten on their own but can also be used in other types of candy, snacks, and baking.
Candy canes
Candy canes are a type of sweet cane, made traditionally from sugar cane syrup that’s turned into a thick paste and cooled until it is stiff enough to be shaped into the iconic crook shape. They are usually flavored with natural peppermint oil, which gives them their characteristic flavor. Some companies now sell different flavors such as strawberry/banana, cherry/vanilla raspberry, grape, chocolate-mint, and orange too, though peppermint is still the most popular one by far. Candies canes have been around since at least 1847 when they were first created in Germany. The Christmastime treat was later introduced in the United States by the candy company A. L. Bentz Company in the 1920s. Today, there are many different brands of candy canes with most stores carrying them year-round, including during Halloween and Easter time too.
Chocolate
By far one of the most popular types of candies around the world today, these confections are made from cacao beans which are dried until they become brittle then ground into a paste that’s separated into cocoa solids and cocoa butter (the fatty oil). After this process is complete, the chocolate solids are combined with more cocoa butter to form a dough-like mixture which is further processed until it finally turns into either bars or chocolate chips/drops depending on how it will be used later on in the production process.
The most popular type of chocolate is milk chocolate, which contains a higher percentage of cocoa butter than dark or white chocolate and has a creamier texture. Dark chocolate is made from cocoa solids and cocoa butter but doesn’t contain any milk, so it’s usually less sweet and has high antioxidant content, giving it a more bitter taste. White chocolate doesn’t actually contain any chocolate since it’s made from cocoa butter, sugar, and milk powders (instead of cocoa beans) though many companies add coloring to give it its familiar brown color. Chocolate can be used in many different types of candy such as truffles, cookies/biscuits, cakes, and hot drinks like mochas or hot cocoas. It’s also the main ingredient in the famous dessert known as chocolate mousse.
In recent years, there has been a huge increase in the number of new types of candy that have been created thanks to the fact that there are so many different flavorings and ingredients available as well as companies constantly innovating to come up with interesting ways to produce candies as well as many other sweet treats too. Though it might be difficult for any person or company to try them all, the ones mentioned above are some of the best-known and most popular types of candy around the world today.