People who have their favorite jelly bean flavors dig through an entire bag of Jelly Belly's in order to find the ones they want. These gummy sweet treats have become a sweet replacement for people watching their weight. During spring, jelly beans are a part of Easter baskets, even people who don't celebrate this holiday know that these candies go with the holiday. Although each generation of candy lover finds their favorite kind of this chewy treat, the history of jelly beans began hundreds of years ago.

A version of jelly beans dates back to Istanbul, Turkey. They called their treats Turkish Delight. These treats were not exactly the same modern-day jelly beans; the Turkish Delight consisted of a hard outer layer covering a soft middle. Modern-day jelly bean development occurred in the 17th century with Jordan Almond candies, almonds covered candies with hard outer shells. These candies became intertwined with wedding traditions of giving party favors to the guests.

William Schrafft of Boston introduced jelly beans to the states during the American Civil War, sending this creation to the soldiers of the Union Army. Soon, jelly beans grew to become a penny candy at stores, making them assessable for all people. They also became one of the first confectionary candies sold by weight.

It would be another 60 years, however, before this candy became juxtaposed with Easter celebrations because of their resemblance to little, multicolored eggs. Eggs at Easter represent fertility and birth, and when a bunny delivers eggs, it represents these symbols of this holiday. Hence, jelly beans were a visible symbol of the spring and rebirth. Because jelly beans became associated with Easter, sales of this confectionary treat goes up during this time of year.

In additions to jelly beans association with Easter, they have also had an impact in popular culture. In the 1960s, fans of the legendary group The Beatles threw jelly beans on stage at their concerts or send the group this confectionary treat as gifts. In the 1980s, United States President Ronald Reagan kept a jar of Jelly Belly jelly beans on his desk. A popular photo of President Reagan prominently displays the jar of jelly beans with the president in the background. Reagan was a popular president; therefore, he is credited for increasing sales of Jelly Belly's.

The history of jelly beans transcended literature and film. In 1920, "The Great Gatsby" writer F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote a short story called "The Jelly Bean." In the animated film "Ant Bully," the ants referred to jelly beans as sweetrocks, the object of their desires. The students of Hogwarts in the Harry Potter movies ate a variety of jelly beans.

The history of jelly beans proves that, throughout history, people have always wanted something simple to satisfy their sweet tooth. Next time people eat a bag of Jelly Belly or Brach's jelly beans, they should think of Turkish Delight. This forerunner to the modern jelly bean paved the way for these tiny sweet treats.

Source:

http://www.candyfavorites.com/ shop/catalog-jordan-almond-his tory.php

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