Editing Candy corn

{{Short description|Type of small, pyramid-shaped candy}}
{{About||the 2019 film|Candy Corn (film)}}
{{Infobox prepared food
| name             = Candy corn
| image            = Candy-Corn.jpg
| image_size       = 250px
| caption          =
| alternate_name   =
| country          = United States
| region           = [[Cincinnati]], [[Ohio]]
| course           = Dessert, Candy, Snack
| type             = [[Confectionery]]
| served           =
| main_ingredient  = [[Sugar]], [[corn syrup]], [[carnauba wax]], artificial coloring and binders
| variations       = cupid corn, bunny corn, harvest corn, reindeer corn
| calories         =
| other            =
}}

'''Candy corn''' is a small, pyramid-shaped [[candy]], typically divided into three sections of different colors, with a waxy texture and a flavor based on [[honey]], [[sugar]], [[butter]], and [[vanilla]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Pai|first=Tanya|date=2015-10-29|title=Candy corn: Halloween's most contentious sweet, explained|url=https://www.vox.com/2015/10/29/9633560/candy-corn-explained|access-date=2020-10-12|website=Vox|language=en|archive-date=2023-12-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231204203707/https://www.vox.com/2015/10/29/9633560/candy-corn-explained|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Citation|last1=Hartel|first1=Richard W.|title=National Candy Corn Day|date=2014|url=https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9383-9_26|work=Candy Bites: The Science of Sweets|pages=101–104|editor-last=Hartel|editor-first=Richard W.|place=New York, NY|publisher=Springer|language=en|doi=10.1007/978-1-4614-9383-9_26|isbn=978-1-4614-9383-9|access-date=2020-10-12|last2=Hartel|first2=AnnaKate|editor2-last=Hartel|editor2-first=AnnaKate|archive-date=2024-05-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240530030110/https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4614-9383-9_26|url-status=live|url-access=subscription}}</ref> It is a staple candy of the [[Autumn|fall]] season and [[Halloween]] in North America.<ref name=":5"/>

Candy corn's traditional colors of yellow, orange, and white represent the colors of the fall [[harvest]],<ref name=":5"/> or of [[corn on the cob]],<ref name="Google Trends">{{cite web|title=History of candy corn|url=http://www.spectatornews.com/showcase/2007/10/29/history-of-candy-corn/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920163417/https://www.spectatornews.com/showcase/2007/10/history-of-candy-corn/|archive-date=20 September 2020|access-date=5 October 2012|work=[[University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire|The Spectator]]|department=Showcase}}</ref> with the wide yellow end resembling a [[corn kernel]].<ref name=":1" />

Candy corn has a reputation for generating polarizing responses, with articles referring to it as "Halloween's most contentious sweet"<ref name=":1" /> which people either "love" or "hate".<ref name=":5"/><ref>{{Cite web|last=Taylor|first=Elise|title=Candy Corn: You Either Love It or Hate It, There Is No In-Between|url=https://www.vogue.com/article/candy-corn-love-hate|access-date=2020-10-13|website=Vogue|date=20 October 2017|language=en-us|archive-date=2023-10-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231006002736/https://www.vogue.com/article/candy-corn-love-hate|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":4" />

==History==
[[File:Original candy corn.jpg|thumb|An early advertisement for Goelitz candy corn]]

"Chicken Feed" was the original candy name, with production starting in the late 1880s.<ref name=Broek>{{Cite web |url=http://www.bhg.com/halloween/recipes/the-history-of-candy-corn/ |title=Broek, Sara. "The History of Candy Corn: A Halloween Candy Favorite", ''Better Homes and Gardens'' |access-date=2014-10-29 |archive-date=2023-03-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230328215357/https://www.bhg.com/halloween/recipes/the-history-of-candy-corn/ |url-status=live }}</ref> It was first invented in the 1880s by a Wunderle Candy Company employee, George Renninger.<ref name=":2">{{Cite magazine|last=Waxman|first=Olivia B.|date=2013-10-30|title=A brief history of candy corn for Nat'l Candy Corn Day|language=en-US|magazine=Time|url=https://newsfeed.time.com/2013/10/30/an-oral-history-of-candy-corn-the-most-polarizing-confection-of-them-all/|access-date=2020-10-12|issn=0040-781X|archive-date=2020-10-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201007153129/https://newsfeed.time.com/2013/10/30/an-oral-history-of-candy-corn-the-most-polarizing-confection-of-them-all/|url-status=live}}</ref> Wunderle Candy Company was the first to produce the candy in 1888.<ref>{{cite web |title=Wunderle's Candy: Our claim to fame |url=https://wunderlecandy.com/ |publisher=Wunderle's Candy |access-date=3 July 2020 |archive-date=7 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807175910/https://wunderlecandy.com/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Goelitz Confectionery Company, now called [[Jelly Belly]], began manufacturing the product in 1898.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|last=Schmidt|first=Ann|date=2019-10-30|title=Candy corn sales expected to top $73M: How Halloween's controversial treat got its start|url=https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/candy-corn-what-to-know-halloween|access-date=2020-10-12|website=FOXBusiness|language=en-US|archive-date=2020-10-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029124700/https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/candy-corn-what-to-know-halloween|url-status=live}}</ref> 

While Jelly Belly still makes candy corn, the largest manufacturer of candy corn is [[Brach's|Brach's Confections]] owned by the [[Ferrara Candy Company]].<ref name=":3" /> Brach's makes approximately 7 billion pieces of candy corn per year and possesses 85 percent of the total share of the candy corn industry during the Halloween season.<ref name=":3" />

Along with other agriculture-inspired treats in the late 19th century, America's confectioners sought to market candy corn to a largely rural society.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Lewis|first1=Danny|title=Candy Corn Hasn't Changed Since the 19th Century|url=http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/candy-corn-hasnt-changed-19th-century-180957107/|website=Smithsonian.com|publisher=Smithsonian Institution|access-date=21 September 2017|archive-date=6 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231006001820/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/candy-corn-hasnt-changed-19th-century-180957107/|url-status=live}}</ref> During the late 19th century, "butter cream" candies molded into many types of nature-inspired shapes, including [[chestnut]]s, [[turnip]]s, and [[clover]] leaves, were quite popular but what made candy corn stand out was its bright and iconic tri-color layering.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|last=Kawash|first=Samira|date=2010-10-30|title=Where Our Love/Hate Relationship With Candy Corn Comes From|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2010/10/where-our-love-hate-relationship-with-candy-corn-comes-from/65428/|access-date=2020-10-12|website=The Atlantic|language=en-US|archive-date=2020-10-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201007032211/https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2010/10/where-our-love-hate-relationship-with-candy-corn-comes-from/65428/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Although it is currently most popular in the fall, candy corn was only sometimes associated with the fall and Halloween seasons. For the first half of the 20th century, candy corn was a well-known "penny candy" or [[bulk confectionery]]. It was advertised as an affordable and popular treat that could be eaten year-round.<ref name=":4" />

Candy corn developed into a fall and Halloween staple around the 1950s when people began to hand out individually wrapped candy to [[Trick-or-treating|trick-or-treaters]]. The harvest-themed colors and increased advertising in October also helped candy corn become a fall staple.<ref name=":4" />

The [[National Confectioners Association]] has deemed October 30, the day before Halloween, "National Candy Corn Day".<ref name=":2" />

==Sales==
{{As of|2016}}, annual production in the [[United States]] was 35 million pounds, or almost 9 billion pieces of candy.<ref name=":0" /> The majority of candy corn sales occur during the [[Halloween]] season.<ref name=":1" />

==Production==
Originally, the candy was made by hand.<ref name="recipes.howstuffworks.com">{{cite web |title=What is Candy Corn and How is it Made? |url=http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/menus/candy-corn.htm |work=howstuffworks.com |access-date=15 October 2009 |archive-date=27 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230927050925/https://recipes.howstuffworks.com/menus/candy-corn.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Manufacturers first combined sugar, [[corn syrup]] and water, and cooked them to form a [[slurry]]. [[Fondant icing|Fondant]] was added for texture and [[marshmallows]] were added to provide a soft bite.<ref name="recipes.howstuffworks.com"/> The final mixture was heated and poured into shaped molds. Three passes, one for each colored section, were required during the pouring process.{{Cn|date=January 2021}}

The recipe is similar today. The production method, called "[[corn starch]] modeling",<ref name="Saeger">{{cite news|last=Saeger|first=Natalie|date=29 October 2007|work=[[University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire|The Spectator]]|title=History of candy corn. With new colors and flavors, it is a treat for all seasons.|department=Showcase|access-date=5 October 2012|url=http://www.spectatornews.com/showcase/2007/10/29/history-of-candy-corn/|archive-date=20 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920163417/https://www.spectatornews.com/showcase/2007/10/history-of-candy-corn/|url-status=live}}</ref> likewise remains  the same, though tasks initially performed by hand were soon taken over by [[Starch mogul|machines made for that purpose]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Candy Corn Bulk Candy |url=http://www.candyfavorites.com/Candy-Corn-Bulk-Candy-pr-1303.html |work=Candyfavorites.com |access-date=4 October 2009 |archive-date=27 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327234621/http://www.candyfavorites.com/Candy-Corn-Bulk-Candy-pr-1303.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Ingredients===
Candy corn is made with sugar, corn syrup, [[salt]], [[sesame oil]], [[honey]], [[artificial flavor]], [[food colorings]], [[gelatin]], and [[Resinous glaze|confectioner's glaze]]. The confectioner's glaze is made from [[Lac (resin)|lac resin]], a bug secretion.<ref>{{cite news |last=Snider |first=Mike |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/food/2023/10/15/halloween-candy-corn-iconic-treat/71146047007/ |title=The origins of candy corn: A divisive delicacy, destined to be a Halloween tradition |work=[[USA Today]] |date=2023-10-15 |accessdate=2023-10-15 |archive-date=2023-10-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231015203056/https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/food/2023/10/15/halloween-candy-corn-iconic-treat/71146047007/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Variants==
[[File:Easter candy corn (6918360384).jpg|thumb|Easter candy corn]]
[[File:Oreo Cookies Candy Corn (13982361173).jpg|thumb|Candy Corn–flavored Oreos]]
A popular variation called "harvest corn" adds cocoa powder;<ref>{{cite web |title=Brach Harvest Corn product description |url=https://www.brachs.com/products/halloween/harvest-corn.html |access-date=2021-10-10 |archive-date=2021-10-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211010213010/https://www.brachs.com/products/halloween/harvest-corn.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> it features a chocolate brown wide end, orange center, and pointed white tip. It is often available around [[Thanksgiving]].<ref name="Broek"/> During the [[Halloween]] season, blackberry cobbler candy corn can be found in [[Eastern Canada]], as well as candy corn shaped like pumpkins. Confectioners have introduced additional color variations suited to other holidays.<ref name="Saeger"/> 

The [[Christmas]] variant, sometimes called "reindeer corn",<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2016/10/10/health/strange-facts-about-candy-corn/index.html|title=5 strange facts about candy corn|author1=Griggs, Brandon|author2=Maxouris, Christina|date=10 October 2016|work=CNN|access-date=31 October 2018|archive-date=15 November 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221115090214/https://www.cnn.com/2016/10/10/health/strange-facts-about-candy-corn/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> typically has a red end and a green center. The [[Valentine's Day]] variant, sometimes called "cupid corn",<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/17/candy-corn-facts_n_5961586.html |title=Jacques, Renee. "10 Things You Never Knew About Candy Corn, The Candy You Love To Hate", ''Huffington Post'', October 17, 2014 |website=[[HuffPost]] |date=17 October 2014 |access-date=October 29, 2014 |archive-date=May 29, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180529024500/https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/17/candy-corn-facts_n_5961586.html |url-status=live }}</ref> typically has a red end and a pink center. In the United States during [[Independence Day (United States)|Independence Day]] celebrations, corn with a blue end, white center, and red tip, named "freedom corn", can be found at celebratory cook outs and patriotic celebrations. The [[Easter]] variant, sometimes called "bunny corn", is typically a two-color candy, and comes with a variety of pastel bases, pink, green, yellow, and purple, with white tips all in one package.{{cn|date=August 2024}}

There have been caramel apple and green apple, s'mores and pumpkin spice, carrot corn (green and orange, with a carrot cake flavor), and birthday cake candy corn flavors.{{cn|date=August 2024}} In 2022, Brach's released a tailgate variant with fruit punch, vanilla ice cream, popcorn, hotdog, and hamburger flavored pieces.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hot Dog-Flavored Candy Corn Is Part of This New 'Tailgate' Mix |url=https://www.foodandwine.com/news/tailgate-candy-corn-hot-dog-hamburger-flavors-brachs |access-date=2022-11-01 |website=Food & Wine |language=en |archive-date=2022-11-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221101140247/https://www.foodandwine.com/news/tailgate-candy-corn-hot-dog-hamburger-flavors-brachs |url-status=live }}</ref>
Candy corn flavored snacks have become more widely available with candy corn flavored variants of snack foods and candy, including [[Oreo]]s, [[M&M's]], [[marshmallow]]s, and more.<ref name=":2" />

==See also==
* [[Candy pumpkin]]
* [[Fruitcake]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Candy Corn}}
[[Category:Products introduced in 1888]]
[[Category:American inventions]]
[[Category:Candy]]
[[Category:Halloween food]]
[[Category:Halloween in the United States]]
[[Category:Maize]]
[[Category:American snack foods]]
[[Category:American confectionery]]