Jelly Bean

Jelly Beans became famous in the 1980s as US President Ronald Reagan’s favorite candy treat.

Historically, jelly beans may have derived from Turkish delight, a confection composed of gelatin that has been boiled, cubed and dusted with sugar. Turkish delight is sweet that dates back to biblical times.

A more modern version, considered to be the origin of the popular jelly bean, can be traced back to the late 1700s. Haci Bekir, a confectioner to the Ottoman court, is said to have developed a confection that sultans would eat to wash away the bitter taste of Turkish coffee.

In an 1861 advertisement, William Schrafft, Boston candy maker urged people to send jelly beans to soldiers in the Union Army.

The earliest located print reference to jelly beans appears in an advertisement dated 1886 in Illinois, where they were touted as Christmas candy. They were commonly sold in glass or in vending machines as an Easter candy. By 1905 the phrase ‘jelly beans’ had been added to Webster’s American Dictionary.

One traditional jelly bean manufacturer was launched by Gustav Goelitz in 1869, when he opened an ice cream and candy store in Belleville, Illinois. The company then made butter creams and purportedly invented candy corn in about 1900.

The jelly bean was revolutionized in 1976 with the introduction of Jelly Belly, a new style of small, intensely flavored beans created with natural flavors.

David Klein, a small candy entrepreneur, developed the name and the idea and teamed up with the Herman Goelitz Candy Company to manufacture the product.
Jelly Bean