Germany is known for delicious foods like bratwurst and schnitzel, but did you know it’s also the birthplace of gummy bears? These chewy candies became popular in the 20th century and were once considered a unique German treat. In fact, German language teachers in the U.S. used to bring gummy bears to class to introduce students to German culture. Before the 1980s, many American kids had never even tasted them!
So, how did gummy bears go from being a German specialty to a global favorite? And what’s the story behind their cute bear shape? Let’s dive in and find out!
Gummy bears are one of the most popular gelatin candies today. Gelatin is made from proteins called collagen, which come from animal products like bones. This means that unless labeled otherwise, gummy bears aren’t vegetarian. The first jelly candies used flour or starch to get their soft texture. A famous example is Turkish delight, which originated in the Ottoman Empire over 250 years ago. A candy maker named Hachibakir Efendi started selling these sweet, jiggly cubes in Istanbul in 1777. His family shop is still open today, making it one of the oldest businesses in the world!
Turkish delight became popular worldwide, but Europeans found it tricky to make. Using starch was time-consuming, so they switched to gelatin, creating a different kind of candy. In 1909, a British candy maker named Charles Gordon Maynard introduced wine gums, one of the first gelatin-based candies. Despite their name, wine gums didn’t contain any wine. They were chewy and sweet but came in simple shapes like circles and rhombuses.
There was still room for more fun-shaped gummies, and that’s where Haribo came in. Hans Riegel started his candy company in 1920 in Bonn, Germany. The name Haribo comes from his first and last name and his hometown. Initially, he made hard candies, but in 1922, he had a brilliant idea: mold fruit-flavored gelatin into bear shapes. This idea took off, and soon, gummy bears were a hit!
Riegel chose bears because they were a familiar sight at German festivals, where trained dancing bears were popular. By 1960, gummy bears were a staple in German sweet shops. Haribo then expanded across Europe, changing the bears’ shape to the chubby teddy bear look we know today. In 1967, they started making multi-colored gummy bears, and in 1975, they trademarked the name Goldbären, or Gold Bear. These bears come in five flavors: strawberry, lemon, orange, pineapple, and raspberry.
Interestingly, the color of gummy bears can trick our taste buds. For example, Haribo’s green bear is strawberry-flavored, but some people think it tastes like apple or watermelon. This happens because our brains associate certain colors with specific flavors.
The gummy bear craze hit the U.S. in the 1980s. In 1981, two companies, Hermann Goelitz and Brock, began making gummy bears in America. Haribo followed in 1982, and soon, gummy candies of all shapes and sizes were everywhere. Some popular shapes include gummy sharks, peach rings, and cola bottles. Others, like Dungeons and Dragons gummies, didn’t last as long.
In 1985, the “Adventures of the Gummy Bears” cartoon aired on NBC, marking Disney’s entry into animated TV shows. This success led to other beloved Disney series like “DuckTales” and “Chip and Dale: Rescue Rangers.”
Haribo may have invented the gummy bear, but many other companies now make them too. Brands like Brock’s, Jelly Belly, and Albanese have created their own versions. Some even sell giant gummy bears that weigh up to five pounds! However, most people still prefer the classic, smaller gummy bears.
Thanks for joining us on this sweet journey through gummy bear history! If you have any food-related topics you’d like us to explore, let us know. See you next time!
Create a timeline that traces the history of gummy bears from their origins in Germany to their global popularity. Use key dates and events from the article to illustrate the journey of gummy bears. You can draw this timeline on paper or use a digital tool to make it interactive.
Conduct a taste test with different colored gummy bears. Record your predictions about the flavors based on their colors, then taste each one to see if your predictions match the actual flavors. Discuss how color can influence our perception of taste.
Research how gelatin is made and its role in gummy candies. Prepare a short presentation to share your findings with the class. Include information on why gelatin is used instead of other thickening agents and any alternatives for vegetarians.
Design your own unique gummy bear shape and flavor. Draw your design and write a short description explaining your choice of shape and flavor. Consider what makes your gummy bear special and how it could stand out in the market.
Research another candy from a different culture and compare its history and popularity to that of gummy bears. Prepare a short report or presentation to share with the class, highlighting similarities and differences between the two candies.
Germany is famous for foods like bratwurst, schnitzel, and, starting in the 20th century, gummy bears. If you live outside Germany, you may not think of gummy bears as a foreign snack, but they were regarded as such as recently as 50 years ago. German language teachers in the U.S. even brought these candies into their classrooms to teach students about the country’s cuisine. Outside of an educational context, most American children would never have had a chance to taste the sweets before the 1980s.
So how did gummy bears go from a niche German product to a worldwide phenomenon? How did they become the default candy to consume, and what’s the connection between these adorable gummies and animal history? Let’s explore.
I’m Justin Dodd, and welcome to Food History. Gummy bears are one of the most popular gelatin candies sold today. Gelatin is made by drawing proteins called collagen out of animal products like bones, so while gummy bears do not contain actual bears, they’re usually not vegetarian unless labeled otherwise.
The first jelly candies used flour or starch instead of gelatin to achieve a soft, bouncy texture. Turkish delight, or lokum, originated in the Ottoman Empire roughly two and a half centuries ago. Confectioner Hachibakir Efendi opened his candy shop in modern-day Istanbul in 1777 and started selling jiggly jellied cubes in a variety of sweet flavors. The recipe has likely antecedents, as there are other traditional Turkish confections made from boiled down grape juice mixed with starches. When sugar syrup became more widely available, it replaced the boiled grape juice and allowed for different flavorings to shine, which Bakir Efendi perfected. Today, his family-owned store is the oldest business in Turkey and one of the oldest still operating businesses on earth.
Turkish delight soon became popular internationally, but Europeans had a problem making it. Using starch is time-consuming, and according to food historian Laura Mason, Europeans just couldn’t get the knack of it, which is why many recipes from the late 19th and early 20th centuries used gelatin, creating a very differently textured treat.
In 1909, British candy maker Charles Gordon Maynard debuted wine gums, one of the first commercial treats made with gelatin. His candies didn’t contain actual wine, but they did combine chewy gelatin and sweet flavoring in a bite-sized package. Wine gums pioneered the gelatin gummy formula, but the presentation left something to be desired. The candies, which are still around today, traditionally come in generic shapes like rhombus, circle, and oblong.
There was still a hole in the market for whimsical gummy candies, and Haribo became the one to fill it. Hans Riegel founded his own sweets company in 1920 after leaving his job at a candy factory. The name Haribo is a portmanteau of his first and last name and his hometown of Bonn, Germany. Haribo’s first products were colorless hard candies that Riegel made in a copper pot at home. He sold his confections at local street fairs and had his wife deliver them via bicycle. They sold well, but not well enough to take his operation to the next level.
Then in 1922, he had the idea to mold fruit-flavored gelatin into the shape of bears. This sweet treat catapulted Haribo to success and eventually launched a worldwide obsession with shaped gummy candies. Regal chose to model his gummies after bears as an homage to a European tradition that goes back centuries. Trained dancing bears gained popularity during the Middle Ages and persisted into the 20th century, being a common sight at German festivals. Regal knew it was an image his customers would recognize.
By 1960, dancing bears were a staple of German sweet shops, and Haribo was ready to expand their reach. That year, they began selling their product to the wider European market and changed the look of the candy from slimmer, more naturalistic bears to the pudgier teddy bear-like shapes we’re all familiar with. In 1967, Haribo started manufacturing packs of multi-colored gummy bears after previously only making them in gold. In 1975, they trademarked the brand name Goldbären or Gold Bear. Haribo’s gold bears come in five classic flavors: strawberry, lemon, orange, pineapple, and raspberry.
While it’s true that different gummy bear flavors have distinct tastes, what you taste doesn’t always match reality. Some people report that Haribo’s green bear tastes like apple or watermelon when it’s actually strawberry flavored. This discrepancy is a product of how color affects our perception of taste. Our brains are highly suggestible; just seeing the color yellow can convince us that we’re tasting lemon, even if we’re eating something totally different.
The gummy craze didn’t reach the U.S. until the 1980s. In 1981, two companies started making gummy bears in the United States: Hermann Goelitz and Brock. The next year, Haribo opened offices stateside, and soon Americans were eating gummy candy in every form imaginable. Gummy shapes that have stood the test of time include gummy sharks, peach rings, and cola bottles. Some varieties were shorter-lived, like Dungeons and Dragons gummies from the 80s and Haribo’s limited edition Archmitt Oren, which translates to a German insult.
Animal rights activists pressured the company to stop making candy shaped like squished animals with tire marks, leading to their discontinuation in 2005. Gummy mania even infiltrated our media; in 1985, “Adventures of the Gummy Bears” premiered on NBC, marking the end of Disney’s long-standing policy of staying out of animated television content. Its success paved the way for beloved Disney shows like “DuckTales,” “Tailspin,” and “Chip and Dale: Rescue Rangers.”
Haribo may have invented the gummy bear, but they’re no longer the only name in the game. Their global success inspired other companies like Brock’s, Jelly Belly, and Albanese to start producing their own lines of gummy bears. The bears themselves have also evolved over the years; today, several brands sell giant gummy bears that weigh up to five pounds, but most sugar enthusiasts still prefer to eat their gummy treats in a tinier, more adorable package.
Thanks for watching Food History! If you have a food-related topic you’d like to see us cover in a future episode, leave a comment below. See you next time!
Gummy – A type of chewy candy made with gelatin and often shaped like animals or other fun shapes. – Gummy candies became popular in the 20th century and are enjoyed by people all over the world.
Bears – In the context of food history, refers to gummy bears, a popular type of gummy candy shaped like small bears. – Gummy bears were first created in Germany and have become a favorite treat for many children and adults.
Germany – A country in Europe known for its rich history and as the birthplace of gummy bears. – Germany is famous for its contributions to candy history, including the invention of gummy bears in the 1920s.
Candy – A sweet food made with sugar or other sweeteners, often flavored and shaped in various forms. – Candy has been a part of human culture for centuries, with each era adding new flavors and types.
Gelatin – A protein obtained from animal collagen, used to give gummy candies their chewy texture. – Gelatin is a key ingredient in making gummy candies, giving them their unique and enjoyable chewiness.
History – The study of past events, particularly in human affairs, including the development of foods like candy. – The history of candy reveals how sweets have evolved from simple honey treats to complex confections like gummy bears.
Flavors – Distinct tastes that are added to foods, such as candy, to make them more enjoyable. – Gummy candies come in a variety of flavors, including fruity and sour, to appeal to different taste preferences.
Sweets – Foods that are rich in sugar and often enjoyed as desserts or snacks. – Sweets have been a part of human culture for thousands of years, with each civilization adding its own twist to the recipes.
Culture – The customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation or people, including their food traditions. – Candy plays an important role in many cultures, often associated with celebrations and festivals.
Treat – A special food given as a reward or enjoyed for pleasure, often sweet like candy. – Gummy bears are a popular treat for kids, often given as a reward or enjoyed during special occasions.
