Candy Dish Blog

We are down to the wire here, with Hanukkah starting next Sunday, the 21st, at sundown. There’s not much time left to buy supplies, make latkes and clean the wax off the hanukkiah (try this stuff - I am told it works miracles). But many people still wonder - what is Hanukkah? Here is a little more explanation for folks who are not as familiar with it.

Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, is celebrated around the world to commemorate the victory of the Jews over the Hellenist Syrians in 165 BCE. Following their victory, the Maccabees, who led the Jews in their revolt, entered the Holy Temple in Jerusalem to reclaim it from the Syrians and to rededicate it to the service of God. Hanukkah is the Hebrew word for dedication or consecration. To light the temple, they needed oil blessed by a priest, which would take a trip of eight days to acquire. They only had enough consecrated oil to light the temple for one evening but miraculously, this oil burned for eight nights until someone could return with the blessed oil. This is the miracle of Hanukkah.

To commemorate this miracle, candles are placed in a hanukkiah, which is a type of menorah or candelabrum with holes for nine candles. Eight of these candles represent the eight days of Hanukkah and the ninth is the Shamash, which is the candle used to light the other candles. The Shamash is lit first and then used to light the other candles. Each night of Hanukkah sees a new set of candles. They are placed in the holders starting on the right and then lit starting on the left. The first night only one candle is lit, the second night two are lit, and so on until the eighth night, which can look like quite a blaze! Prayers are recited and the lights are enjoyed for their beauty and never used for any purpose except as a reminder of God’s blessings.

Hanukkah is a joyful family celebration during which gifts are exchanged, children play games, and traditional foods, such as latkes (potato pancakes) or sufganiyot (Israeli jelly doughnuts) are served. The foods of Hanukkah are often fried in oil, which is associated with the oil in the Temple lamps. Another popular Hanukkah treat is gelt, which are chocolates in the shape of gold coins.

Children play dreidel, a game of luck, with a toy that spins like a top. The dreidel has four sides and each side contains a Hebrew letter that represents the first word in a Hebrew phrase meaning, “a great miracle happened there.” In Israel, where the great miracle actually happened, the last letter is different, standing for, “here,” instead of, “there.” The origin of this game is uncertain. Some believe that it dates back to ancient India and others believe that the dreidel was a playful teaching tool during times when Jews were not allowed to practice or study, and thus had to hide their faith.

Are you planning a Hanukkah party or even just a small family celebration? What do you have in store to make it a fun, meaningful occasion?

Hanukkah by drurydrama.

A coworker sent me a link to the Kakawa Chocolate House, where they sell hot chocolate elixirs similar to the way the Aztecs likely made it. The chocolate comes in little balls that you mix with liquid to produce the drink. Unfortunately, the exact directions are not on the company’s web site, but likely they come with the chocolate.

This isn’t grandma’s hot chocolate, sweet as can be and topped with marshmallows. This chocolate is flavored with such savory ingredients as hot peppers, vanilla, nuts and flowers. It doesn’t sound as appealing as the syrupy, rich goodness that warmed me on a cold day as a child. On the other hand, my grandmother lived in Florida, where cold days are not as prevalent as here in northern Virginia. All the same, these chocolate drinks from Kakawa are sure to put some fire in your belly.

I don’t know if I am ready to pay as much as it costs to try this product but it does have its appeal. A new twist turning this old favorite back to what it once was is intriguing. You never know - you may end up understanding on a different level why chocolate was once called the food of the gods.

Have you ever tried something like this? Let me know if you want to do a review of it.

Hot Chocolate by leiabox.

Yesterday, Amanda commented on a post about the candy dish I saw at the DMV, asking about the story behind candy corn’s color. Heck, we can’t even decide which is the top of the candy kernel! I decided to try my hand at some research on the topic anyway. Here is what I emailed her:

I don’t know if there is a story behind it or not. I would guess that the inventors wanted to make something colorful to attract attention (since pale candy isn’t too appealing) and that the autumn colors make it perfect for the season.

Rob Williams at Sweet Candy Corn has linked to a video from the Food Network. At around three minutes into it, a candy corn magnate (I can’t remember which one now) says that the colors of candy corn are all there in real corn kernels, only more subdued. Thus, it is my assessment that the colors of candy corn come from nature, and like many candy depictions of reality, are caricatures.

Watch the video here:

So what do you think - is there more to the story? Do you know a secret about the mysteries of candy corn’s colors?

According the National Retail Federation, 74 percent of you plan to pass out candy on candy October 31.  Here are some fun candies - perfectly sized for the dozens trick or treaters who will come to your door this year (or, you know, for snagging a few for yourself).

• Hershey’s® Cookies’n’Cream Halloween –Inside a ghoulish wrapper lies a treasured treat of Hershey’s® creamy, rich white chocolate scattered with bits of chocolate cookies that will tantalize your taste bud. Perfectly portioned, the holiday fun-size treats will sweeten Halloween night. (The Hershey Company)
• Baskin-Robbins™ – For a creamy ice cream indulgence you can enjoy at Halloween time or any time, dip into Baskin-Robbins™ new Soft Candy, available in two Baskin-Robbins™ ice cream flavors you’ve come to love, Mint Chocolate Chip and Very Berry Strawberry. Each creamy delight comes individually foil wrapped and packaged in a theater-size box for perfect portioning. (BestSweet Inc.)
• Atkinson’s – Old-fashioned Coconut Long Boys® combines smooth chewy caramel with delicious flakes of real coconut for a true taste sensation in a bite-size treat. Or chomp into a bite-size Chick-O-Stick’s® sweet crunchy peanut butter and toasted coconut, wrapped in a thin candy shell. And for peanut butter lovers, try classic Crunchy Peanut Butter Bars, a peanut butter center wrapped in a candy shell that delivers a crunchy, bite-size burst of fresh peanut goodness. (Atkinson’s Candy Co.)
• Tootsie Roll® – New Tootsie Pop Drops® is a bite sized version of traditional Tootsie Pops®, without the stick! Each Pop Drop® is a bite-size hard candy with a chewy Tootsie Roll® Center in classic flavors: chocolate, orange, grape, cherry and blue raspberry. Or try all the great taste and bubble gum fun of Blow Pops® now in bite-size Blow Pop® Minis – no stick mini hard candies with chewy bubble gum centers, available in fun-size pouches of flavor favorites like Sour Apple and Blue Razz. (Tootsie Roll Industries, Inc.)
• Primrose Fabulous Fall Caramel Swirls – Add a twist to your classic caramel with new bite-size Fabulous Fall Caramel Swirls, available in chocolate-peanut butter and caramel-apple flavors. These rich and creamy caramels with color-flavor swirls are as delightful to look at as they are to eat! (Primrose Candy Company)

Hopefully you know by now that all of these candies will be included in TOMORROW’S candy giveway contest.  Be sure to read the Candy Dish Blog on Thursday for your chance to win!

Nothing puts the fun into candy holidays like a history lesson does. I pulled these facts from NCA’s site and hope you will like them.

• The celebration of Halloween started in the United States as an autumn harvest festival. In pioneer days, some Americans celebrated Halloween with corn-popping parties, taffy pulls and hayrides.

• In the late nineteenth century, with the large influx of Irish immigrants into the U.S., Halloween became associated with ghosts, goblins and witches.
• Jack-o-lanterns are an Irish tradition. In Ireland, oversized rutabagas, turnips and potatoes were hollowed-out, carved into faces and illuminated with candles to be used as lanterns during Halloween celebrations.
• The word “witch” comes from the Old Saxon word “wica”, meaning “wise one.” The earliest witches were respected dealers in charms and medicinal herbs and tellers of fortunes. This one is my favorite because I love word origins!
• The pumpkin originated in Mexico about 9,000 years ago. It is one of America’s oldest known vegetables. Pumpkins generally weigh from 15-to-30 pounds, although some weigh as much as 200 pounds. The majority of pumpkins are orange, but they also can be white or yellow. They are rich in vitamin A, beta-carotene and potassium, and their seeds provide protein and iron.
• According to legend, the jack-o-lantern began with a fellow named Jack, who was too stingy to be allowed into Heaven and too mischievous to join the Devil in hell. As consolation, the Devil threw Jack a lighted coal, which Jack placed inside a turnip he was eating. It is said that Jack continues to use the coal to light his path as he searches for a final resting place.

I think I might be related to the Jack fellow - sounds like some of my relatives.

Jack-o-Lantern by opheliates

In the United States of America, the production of chocolate proceeded at a faster pace than anywhere else in the world. It was in pre-revolutionary New England — 1765, to be exact — that the first chocolate factory was established in this country. During World War II, the U.S. government recognized chocolate’s role in the nourishment and group spirit of the Allied Armed Forces, so much so that it allocated valuable shipping space for the importation of cocoa beans. Many soldiers were thankful for the chocolate bars, which gave them the energy to carry on until more food rations could be obtained. Today, the U.S. Army’s Meals Ready to Eat (MRE’s) contain chocolate bars and chocolate candies, and chocolate has been taken into space as part of the diet of U.S. astronauts.

Thanks for reading our series on the history of chocolate. Our version is brief, but we tried to hit the major milestones of chocolate’s rich history. If you have anything to add or share, we would love to hear from you in the comments.

Chocolate by suavehouse113.

Spanish monks were assigned the task of processing the cocoa beans. It may have been these monks who let out the secret by discussing cocoa with their French counterparts. Then, in 1580, the first cocoa processing plant was established in Spain. It did not take long before chocolate was acclaimed throughout Europe as a delicious, health-giving drink. For a while it reigned as the chosen beverage at the fashionable Court of France. Chocolate drinking spread across the English Channel to Great Britain, and in 1657 the first of many famous English Chocolate Houses appeared.

Mass production of cocoa became possible with the introduction of a perfected steam engine, which mechanized the cocoa grinding process. By 1730, cocoa had dropped in price from three dollars or more per pound to within financial reach of all.

Conrad Van Houten’s invention of the cocoa press in 1828 was another major breakthrough in cocoa production. This not only helped reduce prices even further, but more importantly, improved the quality of the beverage by squeezing out about half of the cocoa butter (the fat that occurs naturally in cocoa beans) from the ground-up beans, leaving behind a cake-like residue that could be further processed into a fine powder. From then on, chocolate drinks had more of the smooth consistency and the recognizable flavor of those enjoyed today.

The 19th Century witnessed two more revolutionary developments in the history of chocolate. In 1847, J. S. Fry & Sons, an English company, introduced the first solid eating chocolate made by combining melted cocoa butter with sugar and cocoa powder. This chocolate had a smooth, velvety texture and quickly replaced the old coarse-grained chocolate which formerly dominated the world market. The second development occurred in 1876 in Vevey, Switzerland, when Daniel Peter devised a way of adding milk to chocolate, creating the product we enjoy today known as milk chocolate. In 1879 Rodolphe Lindt of Berne, Switzerland invented the conching process – a system of heating while constantly mixing chocolate to help give it a complex flavor and smooth texture.