Original Peppermint Candy Cane

The peppermint candy cane has a history rooted in tradition and holiday cheer, though its exact origins are a mix of legend and fact. Here's the sweet story:

The earliest version of the candy cane dates back to 1670 in Germany. A choirmaster at Cologne Cathedral is said to have given out straight white sugar sticks to keep children quiet during the Christmas nativity service. To tie the candy to the occasion, he reportedly asked the candy maker to add a hook to the top, resembling a shepherd's staff—a nod to the shepherds in the nativity story.

The peppermint flavour and the red-and-white stripes appeared later, possibly in the 19th century. While there's no definitive account of who introduced these elements, peppermint oil became popular in candy-making around this time, and the iconic stripes made the candy cane visually striking. By the early 1900s, striped candy canes were common and associated with Christmas.

Today, the candy cane is a symbol of Christmas festivities, with its peppermint flavour and design thought to represent purity (white), Christ's sacrifice (red), and the shepherd's staff of the nativity. Whatever its exact origins, the candy cane remains a sweet part of holiday traditions worldwide!

Ingredients:

Sugar, Glucose Syrup, Natural Flavourings: Peppermint, Colours: Carrot Extract.

Approximate weight:

1 Cane (28g)

Origin:

The Original Candy Company, Bucks, UK