So like, what even is candy corn? Why does it pop up around Halloween each year? Are we supposed to enjoy it? There are just so many unanswered questions.
Candy corn’s ingredients generally include sugar, corn syrup, salt, sesame oil, honey, artificial flavoring, and food coloring. Obviously, this varies by brand. Though, each brand is sure to be filled with color dyes like Yellow 6, Red 3, and Blue 1. Suspicious! To add to the mystery, some companies claim their “secret ingredients” are gelatin and confectioner’s glaze. In real-world terms, gelatin is made up of animal hides, and confectioner’s glaze is made up of lac-resin, a bug’s secretion. So, candy corn is made up of bones and bugs!
Candy corn can be described as a creamy fondant, a rich marshmallow with hints of vanilla. This sounds more delicious than the ingredients listed above though. It seems a majority of the candy is made up of sugar, with one serving accounting for 19 pieces, with a whopping 28 grams of sugar. This just doesn’t sound like a great trade-off to me.
Candy corn has been a Halloween “favorite” for decades. Since candy-making used to be more of a labor-intensive process, candy was only produced from May to November, so candy corn was fully prepared right in time for Halloween and trick-or-treaters. Additionally, the autumn coloring added to the increase in advertising and sales around the 1950s, making it the perfect treat for both Halloween and fall time.
After knowing what is really inside these sweet treats, I don’t think I’ll be snacking on them any time soon. But hey, if you enjoy them, to each their own! My only recommendation, be wary when consuming candy corn this Halloween season!