How America's Favorite Halloween Candies Came to Be

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© Twizzlers

Twizzlers

This popular sweet licorice candy is a product of North America, manufactured by Y&S Candies, Inc., which is now owned by The Hershey Company. The original flavor was introduced in 1845, before it became known as "Twizzlers" in 1929. You might be surprised to learn that most of the Twizzlers brand products (twists, pull 'n' peel, bites, nibs, etc.), don't actually contain any licorice. Instead, they are made from mostly corn syrup, enriched wheat flour and artificial flavoring. The closest thing to the authentic flavor is licorice extract, found in the black licorice flavor. While Twizzlers' creators stayed mum about the origins of the name, we can only guess it comes from the word "twizzle," which means to twist or form by twisting.