![]() ![]() One common story tells the tale of a German choirmaster in the 1670s bending the sticks into “shepherd’s staffs,” as a symbol of Jesus the Good Shepherd. Striped candy canes began appearing in paintings and drawings after this period. It is certain that today’s candy canes are derived from straight sticks with a natural white color, as were depicted in Christmas artwork until the early 1900’s. Multiple tales, stories, and legends have labeled the hook and the red-and-white appearance of the candy cane as a Christian invention. Now that we understand the ingredients, let’s move on to learning more about its shape and colors throughout history. Founded in 1869, Todd’s mint plantations were the largest in the world, until a mint blight in 1924 ended their agricultural reign. ![]() Todd’s Michigan mint business, which was later recognized as the leading producer of extracted and distilled peppermint and spearmint flavoring. Michigan was the global frontrunner in cultivating mint, and farmers there were responsible for growing 90% of the world’s supply. While most mint agriculture now resides in the Pacific Northwest, Michigan was a clear leader throughout the early 20th century.Īccording to Shandra Martinez of mlive, mint reached a boom in America at the turn of the 20th century. While they can be made in any flavor, color, or size, Rigby points out that peppermint and lemon are the best-selling flavors.Īmericans not only enjoyed the taste of peppermint, but the country was also a strong leader in mint production. Rigby, details the process of making a candy cane. “ Rigby’s Reliable Candy Teacher,” a confectionary guidebook from the early 1900s written by Will O. In addition to being a common cold buster, peppermint was simply a popular flavor, particularly in America since the late 1800s. Mint as a common medicinal ingredient is surely a viable explanation for the prevalence of peppermint candies, particularly during the winter holidays. Sugar would have helped to offset the dominant qualities, creating an enjoyable experience while maintaining its medicinal purpose of fighting colds. With their powerfully minty sensations, they may have been too overwhelming to consume on their own. Wintergreen and peppermint were believed to be an effective remedy against colds, widely prevalent during the chilly winter months. The same may be argued for mint essences. “A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down,” as Mary Poppins would sing… ![]() Though sugar isn’t valued as a beacon of healthtoday, apothecaries in Europe, as well as those in America, relied upon it heavily throughout pharmaceutical history.Īs explained by Darcy O’Neil in her book Fix the Pumps, available on Amazon, pharmacists and drugstore or apothecary owners recognized the lucrative value of combining sweet ingredients with unpalatable drugs that were often used in medicines.įor liquid consumption, they would combine soda water sweetened with sugar as a means of concealing the bitterness of the other medicinal ingredients. Sugar was consumed in different forms, such as crystals or twisted into sticks, called penida in Latin, which may have been the original versions of our modern-day canes twisted with mint essences. The Oxford Companion to Food, 2nd Ed., available on AmazonĪs it became more accessible during the Middle Ages, Britain used sugar as a means to remedy colds. In The Oxford Companion to Food, author Alan Davidson recognizes that sugar, being a rare and costly commodity when it was first introduced to Europe, was valued “mainly for its supposed medical qualities and finding its place in the pharmacopeia of the medieval apothecary.” ![]()
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