In Food Bites: The Science of the Foods We Eat, authors Richard and AnnaKate Hartel write: The inventor of this artificially-charged candy has not been pinpointed. While the first known penny candy was the Tootsie Roll introduced in 1896, other popular varieties included Sweethearts, Hershey Kisses, Bottle Caps, Candy Corn, and Jawbreakers. Penny candies - dubbed so because of their 1-cent price tag - were individually wrapped hard or chewy candies that were sold by the piece at soda fountain, candy, and 5- and 10-cent variety stores. They need the perfect conditions to have the correct consistency - too much moisture creates a thin, crusty deposit too little and the peanut will cave inward.Ĭreated in the 1800s, Circus Peanuts are one of the original 'penny candies' and remained popular through the 1960s. In Andrew Zimmern's Field Guide to Exceptionally Weird, Wild, & Wonderful Foods Zimmern writes:Īccording to sources from Spangler, one of the only companies still making Circus Peanuts, this candy is one of the most difficult to make. The candy is then crystalized in a temperature-controlled room for 24 hours before its packaged for distribution. The mixture of ingredients is squirted into molds made of starch - the starch extracts the excess moisture and helps to create the peanut shape. They are made from a mixture of sugar, pork gelatin, corn syrup, food coloring, soy protein, artificial flavors, and pectin (a gelling agent extracted from citrus fruits). The most popular modern variety is orange in color and comes in an artificial banana flavor. Rather, they are a peanut-shaped marshmallow candy with a soft and spongy texture. While this shouldn't come as a shock, circus peanuts are not real peanuts.

Here is everything you need to know about the bite-sized snack with a love-it-or-hate-it reputation. While Circus Peanuts are not as popular as they were during the day of the famous 'penny candies,' many Americans - especially older generations - are familiar with the sweet banana-flavored treat.

When were zotz invented