Candy corn is one of those candies most associated with Halloween. It may also be the divisive candy associated with the holiday. It often tops the list of the most hated Halloween candy of them all, but then there are yet others who love candy corn. One thing is for certain, candy corn has been around for around 140 years and it has long been associated with Halloween.
Candy corn dates back to the 1880s. It was of a number of agriculturally-themed candies that candy makers marketed to rural areas of the United States. Not only was there candy corn, but candies in the shape of chestnuts, clover, and yet others. Candy corn was invented by George Renninger, who was employed by the Wunderlere Candy Company. The company had been founded in 1871 in Philadelphia by Philip Wunderlere, a German immigrant. It was in 1888 that the Wunderlere Candy Company began manufacturing a product originally called "Chicken Feed."
Other companies would follow suit in making candy corn. It would be Goelitz Confectionary Company that would popularize candy corn after they started manufacturing it in 1898. The Goelitz Confectionary Company would be renamed the Jelly Belly Candy Company after its most famous candy in 2001. Brach's began manufacturing candy corn in the 1920s and eventually became the largest producer of the product. Indiana-based Zachary Confections began making candy corn in 1950.
While candy corn had existed since the 1880s, it would not be until the 1950s that it would become associated with autumn and Halloween. Much of the reason for this was the growth in the popularity of tick-or-treating. The custom originated in Canada in the late 1920s and then during the 1930s spread throughout the United States. By the 1950s, trick-or-treating was well-established and candy had become the treat of choice. The orange and yellow colours of candy corn are strongly associated with autumn and, for that matter, corn itself is naturally associated with the harvest.
Despite its long history, candy corn has often been cited as the least favourite Halloween candy of Americans. In a 2019 survey by CandyStore.com, candy corn topped the list of a survey of the worst Halloween candy. A survey by Shiney Smiles Veneers found that 36% of Americans hate candy corn, more than any other candy. A 2023 study by Navigator Research found that while candy corn was found favourable by most Americans (42% favourable versus 32% unfavourable), it was also cited as the least favourite candy in open-ended questions.
Regardless of how many people might love candy corn or how many people might hate it, the candy has become a part of Halloween tradition, with many Boomers, Gen Xers, and Millennials feeling nostalgic for it. Chances seem good that it will continue to be produced and consumed for many more years.
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