by Cicely Richard

Created on: April 04, 2009   Last Updated: April 29, 2009

Snickers bars are among the top-selling candies around the world and the bestselling candy bars of all time. The candy bar is the perfect blend of chocolate, nougat, caramel, and peanuts. Before energy bars became a popular meal replacement, Snickers bars were the choice for people who needed a quick boost of energy. This candy is now sold all over the world, satisfying people in different cultures. Because Snickers is such an unusual word, many candy lovers may wonder how the Snickers candy bar got its name.

Snickers bars were introduced by the Mars family as the second product of their line of candies. The candy bar was named after the family's favorite horse. Snickers candy bars were sold for five cents when they first hit the market. This homage to the family pet made a lot of money for the Mar's family. For almost a century, Snickers has been the best candy for candy lovers of all ages. As times have changed, Snickers candy bars have remained a constant fixture on the candy bar aisle.

Over the years, the line of Snickers products grew to include numerous other forms of the popular candy. This product line grew slowly in the 1970s and 1980s, only adding two new brands of candy to the Snickers family. In the 70s, they introduced the Snickers Munch, and in 1989, Mars introduced the Snickers Ice Cream bar. The ice cream bar included all the same ingredients with the addition of vanilla ice cream and a chocolate cookie coating.

The late 1990s to the present saw a dramatic increase in the number of Snickers products they created. In 1996, the Snickers Ice Cream cone was introduced. They added fun size Snickers sold in multipacks. In 2001, Mars added the Snickers Cruncher bar to their line, and a year later, they created Snickers Almond bars. In addition to adding snack foods to their line of products, they added Snickers bars for the health conscience.

These Snickers bars include ones for energy and additional nutrients. Some of the candy bars include the Snickers Marathon energy bars and the Snickers Charged, which contains Vitamin B12 and extra caffeine. The Snickers Extreme contains five grams of protein and does not have nougat. The hype surrounding dark chocolate likely inspired the Snickers Dark. These types of bars are supposed to be packed with more healthy ingredients than their predecessors.

Snickers the horse would be proud to see that his legacy has been the inspiration for a number of sweet treats candy lovers from around the world. The Snickers bar has also become one of the most sought after endorsements for sports and other major events. So, next time people take a bite of this chocolate treat filled with nougat, peanuts and caramel, they should think of the horse that helped the Snickers candy bar get its name.

Sources:

http://www.foodreference.com/h tml/fsnickerscandy.html

http://www.snickers.com/defau l t.htm

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