All About the Iconic Halloween Candy.

If there is one candy that can represent Halloween, that would almost certainly be the candy corn. Read about the candy corn history, its original name, and when it became popular.

Candy Corn History & Origins

Candy corn was first invented in the 1880s by George Menninger of the Wunderlee Candy Company, but back then it had a different name that suited the times, “Chicken Feed.” More than half of the American labor force in this era worked on farms, so candy companies created candies in the shapes of vegetables.

After providing itself in the market, the Goelitz Candy Company (now known as the Jelly Belly Candy Company) also began manufacturing “Chicken Feed” in 1898. After World War I, corn became more recognized as food for people and not just pigs and chickens. So in the 1920s, the “Chicken Feed” candy renamed itself to “Candy Corn.”

As it was not made by automated machinery at that time, the candy was only made seasonally from late August through fall. Today, thanks to machinery, candy corn variations are also made for Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and Easter.

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