Sweet Facts About Candy Canes
Nothing says holiday fun quite like the crisp crunch and cool peppermint swirl of a candy cane. These hooked sweets have been brightening up winter celebrations for hundreds of years, but there is plenty of history twisted up inside this sugary favorite!
The origin of the bend: Legend has it that a choirmaster first bent straight sugar sticks into shepherd's canes over 350 years ago to keep wiggly kids quiet during long holiday concerts.
All white at first: Early candy canes were completely white with no stripes at all! The cheerful red swirls and minty flavor did not show up until around the early 1900s.
Cool trick: Peppermint oil gives candy canes their icy taste by tricking the sensory receptors in your mouth into feeling cold, even when the room you're in is warm and cozy.
Built-in hook: The crook at the top made candy canes the world's easiest edible decoration, hanging securely from evergreen branches without needing any string.
Candy cane record: The largest candy cane ever crafted measured an astonishing 51 feet long—taller than an entire school bus standing on its end!
