Candy Brands: The Foreign Candy Company
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From the creators of Rips Licorice, Eiffel Bon Bons, Big Fat Hissee Fit, and many more, I present to you… The Foreign Candy Company, Inc. This brand thrives on delivering fun, flavorful, and unique candies that are loved by both kids and adults.
The story behind this brand is one that began in 1976 when Peter W. De Yager stumbled onto an overnight success. Yager, who was a high school German teacher at the time this adventure began, started taking his students on trips abroad. After one trip to a gummy bear factory in Germany, the students decided to sell their candy as a fundraiser to raise money for the next year’s trip. It turns out that selling foreign candy was a huge success, so Yager decided to begin selling the candy across the country.Read more
Candy Brands: Ferrara Pan
Friends and family will likely remember "Paula's Red Hot Marathon of 2006." No, it wasn't a fiery run; it was my shamless order of three cases of Red Hots direct from the manufacturer to be shipped to my door, and the consumption that ensued. I'm blaming the new baby hormones.
Red Hots have always been my candy of choice. There's something about that hot flavor getting stuck in my teeth that epitomizes how a candy should behave. And let me clarify: Red Hots are the BRAND; the generics are called cinnamon imperials. I've had the knock-offs, and believe me, there is only one Red Hot.
Ferrara Pan is the creator of the Red Hot, and the company brand has an interesting history. Created as a namesake for the founder, Salvatore Ferrara, Ferrara Pan was founded in 1908 in Chicago, Illinois. The word "pan" in the company name indicates that some of the candy they make is "panned". This process involves building candy pieces from single units, such as grains of sugar, nuts or candy centers, tossing them in revolving pans while adding the flavor, color and other candy ingredients. This process continues until the pieces become the desired size. Finally, the candy gets a high polish with an edible vegetable wax, which gives it an attractive appearance.
In terms of branding, the company has retained a functional, yet personality-infused continuity with its line of products: Red Hots, LemonHead, Atomic FireBall, Jaw Busters, Boston Baked Beans, Black Forest Gummies, and Ferrara Chocolates. With the exception of the Boston Baked Beans, I can look at their candy lineup and know exactly what I'm getting.
Check out the company's virtual tours of "How Panned Candy Is Made." And if you see a box (or bag) of Red Hots at the convenience store, pick one up for me.
The Sweetest Day
It’s that time of year again! Have you stood in line to dig through all of the picked-over cards to find just the right one for this week’s special holiday? If you’re thinking to yourself “It’s not Christmas or Valentine’s Day, or even Halloween yet” then you’re right. This Saturday is actually “Sweetest Day.” Sweetest Day is a holiday set aside every third Saturday in October to celebrate the "occasion that offers all of us an opportunity to remember not only the sick, aged and orphaned, but also friends, relatives and associates whose helpfulness and kindness we have enjoyed" (according to Retail Confectioner’s International).
This much debated “candy” or “Hallmark” holiday can be traced back to the early 1920s and is said to have originated in Cleveland, Ohio by Herbert Birch Kingston, a local candy company employee. In 1921 he, along with other candy employees, formed a confectioner’s committee and provided over 20,000 candy gift baskets to orphans, the poor and others less fortunate. While the holiday has become mostly celebrated within the Great Lakes region, it is considered a holiday geared toward giving loved ones flowers, cards and candy. So, I don’t know about you, but I definitely can find reason in having another day dedicated to giving and receiving candy and chocolate!
By: Kelly Wilson