Have you ever wondered about Gummy Bears?

Who invented them? Where did they come from? Why are they bears?

These are the thoughts that keep bulk candy lovers up at night. Fortunately, we have the answers so you can finally get some sleep.

The Sweet & Chewy History of Gummi Bears

Gummy bears or gummi bears (depending on how fun you’re feeling) are practically a cultural icon. What other candy has its own song, inspired a Disney animated series that millennials remember fondly, and acts as an unexpected villain in a movie about food falling from the sky?

Answer: None.

So who gets the credit for creating these media darlings?

Once upon a time, in 1920’s Germany a candy maker named Hans Riegel got fed up with the candy grind and struck out to create his own candy company. He named his business Haribo.

Hans started out making hard candies. But everyone else was pretty much doing the same thing, so Hans got an idea. What if he made his candies chewy? It turned out, that was a great idea – people loved chewy candy.

Han also wanted his treats to be a fun and familiar shape. What’s more fun than a dancing bear? At the time, not much. And so the gummy bear was born.

The new sensation spread across Europe, much to everyone’s delight. But it wasn’t until after World War II that the bears migrated to America, carried by German language teachers and soldiers bringing treats home for their families.

Pretty soon, gummi candy was the next hot thing and other companies jumped on the bandwagon. They made bears, but they also made gummi rings, gummi worms and gummi fish. Almost any shape you can imagine has been made in gummi form.

Seriously. Gummi Eggs anyone?

 

 

Fun Gummi Shapes

Here are some of the unique, strange, and above all tasty treats available in gummy form.

Gummi cupcakes – If you’ve ever felt bad for eating too many cupcakes, we have your solution. You can eat gummi cupcakes by the handful – they’re fat-free and gluten free with a fruity flavor and a touch of creamy vanilla.

 

Gummi Hamburger – Why spend your summer sweating over a hot grill when you can serve these tiny gummi cheeseburgers instead. Sure they’re small. That just means you get to eat more of them. Each one is a little stack of gummi burger, gummi cheese, and gummi lettuce between two gummi buns.

Sour Gecko – practically the size of a real Gecko but much tastier, these 5” treats are all the fun off gummy with a sour coating.

Red Hot Gummi Devils – shaped like little demon heads, these gummi treats are almost too hot to handle.

Military Heroes – Green army guys and red white and blue military heroes are fun to play with and to eat. They’re shaped just like those plastic army men you played with as a kid, but they’re better because when the war is over you can eat the losers. And the winners too if you want.

Wacky Quacky Ducks – They’re shaped like ducks. They taste like pineapple. What’s not to love? Add in some tutti frutti flavor and these treats are perfectly wacky.

Gummi Piglets – They say you are what you eat, but you won’t mind what they say when you have a handful of these pink strawberry flavored piglets.

Gummi Butterflies – Every little girl loves butterflies. Why shouldn’t she also enjoy biting the wings off of these 3” gummi butterflies. They come in a selection of grape, strawberry, orange, blue raspberry, wild cherry and green apple.

Perky Penguins – These penguins are so perky they can stand up for themselves. Of course, they won’t have much of a chance since you’ll be gobbling up their raspberry, strawberry, red currant and red fruit flavors.

The selection of gummi treats is almost endless. For even more options, visit our bulk candy store.