Christmas candy is a beloved part of the holiday season. Familiar sweets like candy canes, peppermint bark, and chocolate Santas evoke feelings of nostalgia and coziness during the holidays. But when were these festive treats actually invented? Many of our favorite old fashioned Christmas candies have been around for over a century.
The History of Candy Canes
The candy cane is one of the most iconic symbols of Christmas. These red and white striped candies are hung on Christmas trees, used as decorations, and of course, eaten in large quantities. But when did the first candy cane appear?
There are several legends about the origins of the candy cane. One story says in 1670, a German choirmaster bent white sugar sticks into cane shapes to keep children in his church quiet during long Living Creche ceremonies. He reportedly gave out the candies to children after the services. While some experts say this story is apocryphal, it’s certain that candy canes were being produced and sold in Germany in the 17th century. Germans are credited with being the first to add flavorings like peppermint or cinnamon to the plain white candy sticks.
The earliest verified reference to striped candy canes is in 1837, when August Imgard, a confectioner from Wooster, Ohio, decorated a Christmas tree with candy canes and other sweets for his children. In 1847, a German immigrant named August Oechsler is said to have introduced the treats to the United States. Oechsler moved to Ohio and opened the first American candy cane factory. Oechsler helped spread their popularity across the country by handing out the sweet treats to children visiting his shop.
The practice of bending the candy sticks into cane shapes became commonplace by the end of the 1800s. Candy cane choirs were popular gifts for Christmas in 1900. Their distinctive red stripes may have been meant to represent Jesus’ sacrifice for humanity. Candy cane manufacturing was automated by the early 1920s, making them easier to produce and distribute. By the 1950s, candy canes had become a staple Christmas candy in America and a nostalgic symbol of the holiday season.
Peppermint Bark History
Peppermint bark is a chocolate treat that’s synonymous with the holidays today. A sheet of crisp white chocolate is topped with crushed peppermint candies for a festive candy with sweet and minty flavors. But how long has this candy confection been around?
Peppermint bark is a more recent invention than candy canes. The earliest recipes for peppermint bark date back to the 1980s. Famed American chocolatier and chef Alice Medrich is widely credited with inventing the sweet treat at her San Francisco chocolate shop Cocolat. Her signature Dark Chocolate Peppermint Bark became immensely popular during the holidays.
In the 1980s, white chocolate was still somewhat novel in the US, having only become widely available a decade earlier. Medrich capitalized on Americans’ growing taste for white chocolate. By coating it with crunchy bits of peppermint candy like candy canes, she created an inventive spin on the classic chocolate bark confection.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, imitations and variations of Medrich’s peppermint bark popped up across the country. Recipes were published in newspapers and magazines, spreading the candy creation further. Dark chocolate peppermint bark remains the most popular type, though cooks experiment with versions using milk chocolate, white chocolate, or swirled chocolate. Peppermint bark soon joined candy canes as a beloved holiday candy tradition.
When Were Chocolate Santas Invented?
Foil-wrapped chocolate Santas are a holiday treat found in homes across America. Biting into the familiar Santa-shaped chocolates is an edible way to celebrate the Christmas season. But when did candy makers start producing chocolate Santa Clauses?
Chocolate Santas emerged in the late 19th century in Europe. German confectioner Theodore Hildebrand & Sons are often credited with producing the first chocolate Santa in the 1880s. In 1889, the company called Stollwerck began manufacturing molded chocolate Santas in Germany. The treats were sold individually or in sets with Mrs. Santa and elves. Christkindl, the traditional gift-bringer in Germany, was also a popular chocolate candy figure.
Chocolate Santa Clauses became more common in America in the early 20th century. The 1920s to 1950s is considered the vintage heyday of chocolate Santas. American companies like Wilbur Chocolate, Goelitz Candy Company, and Walter M. Lowney Company made elaborate foil-wrapped Santa chocolates. Detailed Santa molds rendered every strand of his beard, buckle on his boots, and fold in his hat and clothes.
Over the decades, chocolate Santas evolved from premium handcrafted candies to mass-produced holiday stocking stuffers. Candy companies competed to offer the lowest prices on chocolate Santas, lowering costs with simpler packaging and molds. Today chocolate Santas can be found for just a few dollars in any grocery store at Christmas time.
The History of Bonbons
Bonbons, also known as chocolate truffles, are a hallmark of Christmastime indulgence. These bite-sized chocolate candies have a ganache center enrobed in a chocolate shell. While we may associate bonbons with the holidays, they have been enjoyed for centuries.
The earliest chocolate truffles originated in Europe in the early 1800s. At that time, confectioners were experimenting with chocolate recipes, leading to creations like bonbons, pralines, and chocolate bars. The original French chocolate truffles were simply chocolate ganache balls rolled in cocoa powder. The name “truffle” was coined due to their resemblance to fungal black and white truffles.
As the techniques for making chocolate improved in the mid-1800s, confectioners began perfecting chocolate truffle recipes. By the late 1800s, luxury chocolatiers like Charbonnel et Walker in London were selling decadent truffle chocolates in decorative boxes as Christmas gifts. Premium brands like Godiva brought chocolate truffles to America around the 1920s.
The earliest cookbook reference to chocolate truffle or bonbon recipes is from the late 1800s. Initially, chocolate bonbons had irregular handrolled shapes. In 1912, the first chocolate bonbon machine patented by Cadbury revolutionized confections with its ability to produce perfectly spherical bonbons. While bonbons are made year-round today, elaborately boxed bonbon assortments still make popular holiday gifts.
Conclusion
While old fashioned Christmas candy may taste timeless, most treats we enjoy each holiday season actually originated less than 200 years ago. Candy canes first appeared as plain white sticks in the 1600s, acquiring their red stripes and peppermint flavors in the 1800s. Peppermint bark was the sweet invention of chef Alice Medrich in the 1980s. Chocolate Santas emerged in Germany in the late 1800s and arrived in America in the 1920s.
The intricate choclate truffles we now know as bonbons originated as chocolate ganache balls in the early 1800s. Candy technology rapidly advanced through the Victorian era, allowing for the mass production of Christmas candy in the early 1900s. So while these sweets invoke nostalgia, their long history shows they continue evolving to delight candy lovers today.
| Christmas Candy | Originated |
|---|---|
| Candy Canes | 1600s Germany |
| Peppermint Bark | 1980s United States |
| Chocolate Santas | 1880s Germany |
| Bonbons/Truffles | 1800s Europe |