Interesting Facts About Gummies
More than likely, your favourite candy as an adult is the same candy you loved as a kid. Many things change as we age, but our love of sweets and that little devil on our shoulder known as a sweet tooth never really goes away. The best part about sweets is the fact that they are seen as a special treat and we allow ourselves to indulge when we feel we deserve something special or even just a reward for a long day at work.
A huge contender for an award for ‘The Best Treat’ is gummies. No matter the shape or animal they represent (bear, worm, snake, etc.) they are always consistently chewy, sweet and delicious. But what do we really know about one of the world’s favourite sweets? Here are some interesting facts that you may not know about this popular treat that has been a global favourite for over a century.
Gummy Fact #1: Gummies were invented in Germany in the 1920s.
Over 100 years ago, in 1920, a confectionary worker named Hans Riegl, fed up with his job, used his knowledge of the business and started experimenting in the kitchen. He started making hard candies on a marble slab and moved on to chewy candy once he got the recipe down. With his new chewy candy, he started a business famously known today as Haribo (which is a combination of his name Hans Riegel and his hometown of Bonn, Germany!)
Another fun tidbit about Haribo is that Hans’ wife Gertrude was the very first employee, delivering candies on her bike! By 1940, the company was big enough for Gertrude to put away the bike for good, as they employed over 400 employees by that point!
Gummy Fact #2: Gummy Bears Were Originally Called “Dancing Bears.”
Hans Riegel decided he needed his new candy to stand out, so in 1922 he made his new gummy candy into bear shapes out of fruit gum and called them “dancing bears.” These are now known as the Haribo Gold Bears we see today! If they aren’t called Gold Bears, then they aren’t Haribo brand; they’ve never actually been branded as gummy bears, only ‘gummi candy’ as the package says.
Gummy Fact #3: Gummy Bears And Gummy Worms Didn’t Make It To America Until The 1980s.
Haribo opened up a company in Baltimore, MD in 1982, but a year before, the American company Trolli introduced the popular sweet called gummy worms to American kids, exciting children and disgusting parents all over the country. Interestingly, Trolli was run by another German confectioner, Willy Mederer, who founded Trolli in 1948, and whose company grew very popular in the 1980s in America. No matter which you prefer, gummy bears or gummy worms (or both!), each remains a favourite to this day.
Gummy Fact #4: There Was a Gummy Bear Cartoon!
In typical 1980s fashion, NBC made a show called The Adventures of the Gummi Bears. It ran for a total of six years and was Disney’s first major animated TV series and helped shoot Gummy Bears into popular culture for all time.
Gummy Fact #5: A World-Famous Snack.
Gummy Bears are found all over the world. And gummy candies are of course very popular as well, but the originator will always be Riegel’s Gummi bears or as the Germans call them Goldbaren. In Spain, they are called Osiris de Oro and in America, there are gummy bears in just about every convenience store.
Gummy Fact #6: 26 Pounds Of Fun!
You can actually buy a 12-kilogram, 32,000-calorie gummy bear online. It even comes with a serving dish attached to its stomach!
Quick Gummy Facts
Gummies are:
- Fat Free
- Gluten Free
- GMO Free
- Excellent for replacing much needed glucose in the body after a long workout.
Craving A Handful Of Gummies?
Sweet Factory is here and ready to provide you with the delicious gummies you’ve been dreaming about.
Founded in 1986 in the UK, Sweet Factory is the world’s leading brand of Pick ‘n’ Mix sweets.
With so many options to choose from you will be smiling while you enjoy all of the treats offered in our online shop.
Check out our online sweet shop and add all the treats you want until your cart is bursting! We have many options and offer gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian and halal sweets, so everyone can enjoy them.
Use our delivery option and get our confections sent right to your door with no hassle and the utmost quality.
At Sweet Factory, we want you to Eat Sweets and Be Happy!
