Jelly beans are small, sugary confections with a chewy inner layer and candy coating. They come in a range of flavors and are popular worldwide. The recipe for the filling comes from Turkish delight, and the candy coating is based on Middle Eastern recipes. Jelly beans were first sent to American troops during the Civil War and have since become a popular sweet treat. They are often used to decorate baked goods and come in individual or bulk packaging. “Jelly bean” was once slang for a vain person.
Jelly beans are bean-sized sugary confections with a chewy inner layer and crunchy candy coating. These confections are quite popular in many parts of the world and can be found in a range of flavors from the mundane to the exotic. One well-known manufacturer of jelly beans is the US-based company Jelly Belly, which produces a range of regular flavors along with special seasonal releases. Incidentally, if you have a passion for seeing jelly beans being made, Jelly Belly offers tours of its factories in Fairfield, California and Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin.
These little confections are based on some very old candy making techniques, although many of the flavors used are quite modern. The recipe for the jelly bean’s inner filling comes from Turkish delight, a chewy confection that has been made from starch and sugar in Turkey since at least the 1500s, while the outer candy coating is based on recipes that were used in the Middle East since the 1700s. Middle Eastern confections are notoriously sweet to the teeth, due to the high amount of sugar used, and jellies are no exception.
The first known appearance of the jelly bean was during the American Civil War when candy manufacturers sent jelly beans to the troops. These candies are quite stable under a wide variety of conditions, making them useful as a sweet supplement to military rations, and while the range of flavors wasn’t as diverse as it is today, it has established a market for the sweet treat. and soon numerous confectioners were making their own jellies.
Fruit flavors are particularly popular with jellies, but many companies also produce innovative flavors, from chocolate to popcorn. Some consumers like to mix jelly beans to create their own flavor blends, such as a fruit salad or a peanut butter banana sandwich. Many consumers also have favorite flavors, and some jelly bean companies sell their beans individually packaged or in separate bulk jars for consumers to create their own jelly bean blends. In addition to being eaten out of hand, jelly beans are also sometimes used to decorate baked goods, especially around the winter holidays.
In the early 20th century, the “jelly bean” was used as slang to describe a particularly prickly or vain individual. Sadly, this colorful slang term is no longer in use, along with many other rather delightful items of 10s and 20s slang. Jelly Beans themselves go by a few alternative names, including Candy Beans, with some people referring to them as “jelly bellies”, in reference to the famous maker.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
