National Sour Candy Day 2023: Date, History, Facts about Sour Candy

The 18th of July is National Sour Candy Day, and our taste receptors are already tingling with anticipation! In honour of this day, it is time for sour candies to assume centre stage. We can’t wait to try all of these delightful, tangy, bite-sized chocolates that come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and flavours. From chewy twists and ropes to small firm candies, each one lives up to its promise of delivering a powerful sour punch in our mouths.

The background of National Sour Candy Day

People have enjoyed sour fruits and foods throughout history, but sour candy is a relatively recent phenomenon, even when compared to traditional candy. According to NPR, this is because mass-produced candies had a poor reputation when the industry first emerged in the nineteenth century. People were concerned about the unsanitary conditions in which the colourful candies were produced and the use of potentially hazardous chemicals. Generally, manufacturers did not venture into uncharted territory when creating sour chocolates. However, there were a few exceptions. These manufacturers used acidic ingredients, most commonly vinegar, to convert cane sugar to glucose, resulting in a combination of sweet and sour flavours.

Over time, confectioners began to desire a rise in popularity. Therefore, they turned to the greatest opportunity available: Halloween. They aired advertisements with a Halloween theme that created a lasting association between this holiday and candy. This association permitted candy manufacturers to experiment with flavours not typically sold to the general public, and the sour confectionery market took off. For instance, Ferrara Pan Candy Company introduced a sour candy dubbed the Atomic Fireball around the time the United States military detonated the hydrogen bomb for the first time. This confection, which contains capsaicin and cinnamaldehyde, will leave the mouth numb.

By the end of the 19th century, the passion for sour candies had spread throughout the United States. A contributing factor was the Foreign confection Company’s sour confection called Warheads. Peter De Yager, the company’s creator, travelled throughout East Asia — the centre of the sour candy universe — in search of the sourest candy variety, which he discovered in Taiwan.

The American Licorice Company, which produces its own line of acidic candies, established National acidic Candy Day. On this day, they commemorate sour candies and encourage more people to sample their delicious flavours.

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5 FUN FACTS ABOUT SOUR CANDY

As the various acids used in sour candies — citric acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, fumaric acid, etc. — have varying degrees of sourness, candy makers must carefully select the ingredients for the ideal formulation.

Lactic acid, an ingredient in’sour’ beer, is also present in certain varieties of sour candies.

In the past two decades, confectioners have marketed acidic and fruity candies to children more frequently.

Sour Flush Candy Toilets are a variety of sour candy that resembles a toilet plunger and is dipped into a plastic ‘toilet’ filled with sour sugar.

It is possible to alleviate blocked salivary glands by consuming sour candies, such as Sour Skittles, in moderation.

NATIONAL SOUR CANDY DAY DATES

Year	Date	Day
2023	July 18	Tuesday
2024	July 18	Thursday
2025	July 18	Friday
2026	July 18	Saturday
2027	July 18	Sunday