Candy cane
Candy canes are hard confections typically associated with the Christmas holiday, characterized by their distinctive red and white stripes and a hooked shape. Traditionally flavored with peppermint, these treats have evolved to include a variety of flavors and colors to appeal to diverse tastes. The exact origin of the candy cane is unclear, with some stories linking its creation to a German choirmaster in the 1670s who adapted sugar sticks for church use, while others suggest its design was influenced by the need to hang them on Christmas trees. In America, candy canes were popularized in 1847 by August Imgard, who decorated a tree with them in Wooster, Ohio.
The traditional production process involves heating sugar and corn syrup, followed by adding flavoring and shaping the mixture into the iconic hooked form. Innovations in the 1950s streamlined production, allowing for mass manufacturing. Today, candy canes are not only produced by established candy companies like Hershey and Mars but also come in unconventional flavors such as pickle or bacon, catering to a wider audience. The peak season for candy cane sales occurs from Thanksgiving through Christmas, with a significant portion of the annual total being sold during this period.
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Candy cane
Candy canes are a hard confection most commonly associated with the Christmas holiday. A traditional candy cane has red stripes on a white background and a curved hook on one end. It is flavored with peppermint, though in contemporary times candy canes come in many flavors and colors. The candy’s origin is disputed, with some sources saying it is connected to the Christian Church, but others claiming those connections were invented. Regardless of their origin, candy canes are so firmly connected with Christmas that 90 percent of the 1.76 billion canes sold in America each year are bought between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Overview
The origin of the candy cane is uncertain. One frequently cited story says that a German choirmaster at Cologne Cathedral in the 1670s gave out sticks of white sugar candy to the choirboys to keep them quiet during the annual long reenactment of the Christmas story. When church officials complained that candy was inappropriate in church, the choirmaster had the candy maker add a hook to one end. This connection to a shepherd’s crook associated it with Jesus Christ, who is known as the Good Shepherd, and appeased the officials. Other sources claim that the hook was added in the late 1600s to allow the candy sticks to be easily hung on Christmas trees.
It is more certain that candy canes were introduced to America in Wooster, Ohio, in 1847 when a German-Swedish immigrant named August Imgard decorated a small spruce tree with hooked white candy sticks. The iconic red stripes are thought to have been added around 1920, when candy maker Bob McCormack began making them for his children. In the 1950s, McCormack’s brother-in-law, Gregory Keller, invented a machine called a crooker to help make to make candy canes. The machine did the difficult work of shaping the soft, hot candy into a hook, which previously had been done by hand.
Traditional candy canes are made by heating a mixture of corn syrup and sugar in large kettles. The mixture is poured out on a cooling table in batches, where flavoring and starch are added. The traditional flavor is peppermint. This is thought to be a holdover from the days when candy was made by pharmacists, who used mint flavoring when making medicine to hide bitter tastes, and who also may have hoped to draw on some of peppermint’s health benefits.
After being flavored, the candy is pulled and stretched until it turns white. Next, it is formed into a log. Additional candy batches tinted red are similarly pulled and shaped, then placed on the white candy. A machine called the batch roller uses special wheels to roll the candy into a long, thin rope, while a twister manipulates the stripes into the well-known pattern. A cutter portions the still-warm candy, which is wrapped before going into a crooker, which gives it its hook. Wrapping before shaping helps prevent breakage, a chronic problem when candy canes were shaped by hand. However, some modern candy canes can be completely made by machine and come in a variety of flavors.
Though candy canes started as a niche product, companies like the Hershey Company and Mars Inc. now produce their own varieties that can be purchased in groceries stores. Hershey produces a variety of chocolate-flavored candy canes, while Mars Inc. highlights their popular candy lines like Skittles and Starburst. Cereal companies like Post and Kellogg's also make their own varieties of candy canes, like Fruity & Cocoa Pebbles and Froot Loops, respectively. The candy brand Archie McPhee & Co. even released outlandish flavors, such as pickle, ketchup, mac and cheese, and bacon flavored candy canes.
The height of candy cane sales is between November and January each year.
Bibliography
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Eveieth, Rose. “We Don’t Know the Origins of the Candy Cane, But They Almost Certainly Were Not Christian.” Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Dec. 2012, www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/we-dont-know-the-origins-of-the-candy-cane-but-they-almost-certainly-were-not-christian-157380385/. Accessed 4 August 2021.
Gajanan, Mahita. “Candy Canes Are Everywhere During Christmas. Here’s Why.” Time, 20 Dec. 2017, time.com/5069554/candy-cane-story/. Accessed 4 August 2021.
Hislop, Veronica Ann and Derick Rousseau. “The History of Candy Canes and Why They Taste So Cool.” The Conversation, 22 Dec. 2019, theconversation.com/the-history-of-candy-canes-and-why-they-taste-so-cool-128036. Accessed 4 August 2021.
Kennedy, Lesley. “Who Invented the Candy Cane?” History, 7 Dec. 2018, www.history.com/news/candy-canes-invented-germany. Accessed 4 August 2021.
“Learn About the History and Legends of the Candy Cane.” Spangler Candy, www.spanglercandy.com/our-brands/candy-canes/legends. Accessed 4 August 2021.