Company That First Invented The Gummy Bear

Ever found yourself in a candy conundrum? You know, that moment when you're craving something sweet, but you're also feeling a bit peckish? You don't want a full-on chocolate bar, but a handful of nuts just won't cut it. Well, my friend, you're not alone. And guess who's been there for us, in all our snacky, sweet-toothed indecision? None other than the humble gummy bear.

Now, you might be thinking, "Who was the genius behind this chewy, fruity, bite-sized marvel?" Well, buckle up, because we're about to take a little trip down memory lane to the 1920s Germany. That's right, folks. The gummy bear was born in a place where they knew a thing or two about creating delicious treats - and let's not forget, starting wars (but let's not dwell on that part).

Enter Hans Riegel

Picture this: it's 1922, and a young Hans Riegel is working in his family's confectionery business. Now, Hans was no ordinary candy maker. He was a man on a mission. He wanted to create something new, something different, something that would make people say, "Wow, that's bear-ably good!" (Okay, maybe they didn't say that exactly, but you get the idea.)

So, Hans got to work. He experimented with different flavors, textures, and shapes. He wanted something that was soft, chewy, and easy to eat - something that would melt in your mouth, not in your hand (sorry, M&M's, but you know it's true). And then, one day, it happened. Hans looked down at his creation, a little bear-shaped blob of gelatinous goodness, and he knew he had something special.

Born to be chewy

Hans named his creation "Gummibär" - a combination of "gummi" (German for rubber) and "bär" (bear). It was a fitting name, considering the little candies were made from a mixture of sugar, glucose, and gelatin, giving them a texture that was, well, bear-like. They were soft, yet firm. Chewy, yet yielding. And most importantly, they were delicious.

But Hans didn't stop at bears. Oh no, he was a man of many shapes and sizes. Soon, his little gummy creations were popping up in all sorts of forms - fish, worms, and even little red hearts. And while the bears might have been the original, it was these other shapes that really caught on in the States. But more on that later.

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From Germany to the US

Fast forward to the 1950s, and Hans' company, Haribo (a portmanteau of Hans Riegel Bonbons), was booming in Germany. But Hans had bigger plans. He wanted to share his chewy creations with the world. So, he sent his son, Hans Jr., to the US to set up shop.

Now, Hans Jr. might have been a candy genius, but he was no salesman. He struggled to sell the gummy bears, and it wasn't until he changed his approach that things started to look up. He decided to focus on the other shapes - the fish, the worms, the hearts. And suddenly, Americans were hooked. Who knew that all it took was a change of shape to win over a nation?

Gummy Invasion

By the 1980s, gummy candies were everywhere. They were in vending machines, on supermarket shelves, and even in the pockets of kids across the country. And while Hans Riegel might not have lived to see his creations take over the world, we like to think he's up there, somewhere, smiling down on us as we pop another gummy bear into our mouths.

So, the next time you find yourself in a candy conundrum, remember Hans Riegel. Remember the man who had the guts to create something new, something different, something bear-ably good. And then, go ahead and enjoy that gummy bear. After all, it's not just a candy - it's a piece of history.