Have you ever wondered what the producers of a particular candy had in mind when they made it? Probably not. But when it comes to these famous conversation heart-shaped candies, you might have seen a short message that made you wonder where they come from. Also called candy hearts or sweethearts, these candies have an interesting history. This article will highlight the origin of conversation hearts- let’s dive right in!
A pharmacy business started it all
A Boston pharmacist, Oliver Chase, started to make apothecary lozenges in 1847 when they were popular for helping with sore throats and bad breath. However, the strenuous process of kneading dough, rolling it out, and cutting it raised the need for Oliver to find an easier way.
Eventually, the pharmacist made a machine for rolling out lozenge dough and pressed wafers into discs. He later shifted his focus to making candies, making his machine a candy-making machine.
The printed versions came later
The candies Oliver Chase produced would later become what is known as ‘Necco Wafers.’ His company, Chase and Company, later became the New England Confectionery Company (Necco).
The printer versions didn’t come into existence until 1866, when Oliver’s brother found a way to press words onto the candies. He used a felt roller pad moistened with red vegetable coloring to write words on the candies.
Why did they become conversation candies?
There are many explanations of what inspired Daniel Chase to start pressing words onto Necco wafers. One common belief is that Union soldiers in the Civil War were behind the inspiration; since they carried Necco wafers and letters from their loved ones, printing the letters on the candies was a good idea.
However, the most likely explanation is that Daniel got the idea from Cockles, a popular candy that contained a motto printed on thin paper. Then, he decided to write the words directly on the candies.
Then the hearts came much later
It might amaze you to know that Conversation Hearts were not heart-shaped until 1902. The candies were made to look like watches, baseballs, and other fun shapes.
In those times, the sayings were much longer, like “How long shall I have to wait? Please be considerate”. Since then, the company has added and removed different sayings in line with how people speak. They also write sayings under different themes.
How popular are these conversation candies?
While some people don’t like these heart-shaped candies, others love them and continue to see them as Valentine’s Day candy. This makes us curious as to how much people love the candies.
The company produces about 8 billion candy hearts each year; they make about 100,000 pounds of conversation candies every day from mid-February to January. If that’s not a lot, then we don’t know what is!
