Conversation Hearts – Let’s Talk Necco

Necco - The first “conversations” candies were not in the shape of a heart but rather shaped as sea shells. The first Motto Candy was invented in 1900 but it still was not heart-shaped. For some strange reason, perhaps to allow for longer imprinted sayings, these Sweet Heart candies were in the shape of baseballs, horseshoes, postcards, and watches.

The candy companies NECCO, Brachs, and Jelly Belly are the three primary manufacturers of the Conversation Hearts in the early 21st century. No matter who makes this Valentine treat, about 8 billion hearts are produced each year. Conversation Hearts are made by man and machine working together.

There are 7 major steps in creating these Necco candies:
• Step 1 – Combine sugar, corn syrup, cornstarch, flavors, gums, and colors into the mixing machine.
• Step 2 – The machine mixes the ingredients together until they form a dough, much like the consistency of Play-Dough©.
• Step 3 – The dough goes through a machine that presses the dough until it is flat.
• Step 4 – The “conversation” words are applied to the dough and are then cut out of the dough in heart shapes.
• Step 5 – The hearts take a 30-minute ride through a drying tunnel.
• Step 6 – The six different flavors are mixed together.
• Step 7 – the Conversation Hearts are bagged, boxed, and ready to eat.

The candies come in 2 sizes – small and large.

A Sweet Sweets History – Necco

Whitman Chocolates first hit the market in 1800’s. By 1898, the Goelitz Confectionery Company’s Necco candy corn took the market by storm and has done so longer than any other candy ever invented. By the 1900s, Hershey’s chocolate bar became a hit after it was introduced by Milton Hershey of Pensylvannia. A year later, pure peppermint stick candy “The King Leo” became popular. In 1905, the Squirrel Nut Zipper became the first peanut bar ever made.

A year later, Hershey Bar Chocolate Kisses became popular in those silver foil wraps. In the 1920’s, the first retail candy store surfaced in Chicago with candy Necco bars that still make us drool today – Baby Ruth, the Milky Way, Bit-O-Honey and Milk Duds, among others. And then there was the Snicker Bar in 1930. Then the first so-called “novelty candies” came out as Tootsie Roll Pops which were a combination of two candies rolled into one.

In 1990, MARS Candy Bar was given a new name. Then came Smarties candy roll wafers, Junior Mints, and E! Bubble Bubble Gum Cigars. By the 1950’s, the candy industry was in a slump with only three new brands introduced, the Marshmallow Peeps (Just Born, Inc.), Bobs Candy Canes, and Candy Necklaces, a retro sweet classic. Then, healthy candy became a hot topic in 1960 (Necco).

Other posts you may be interested in reading: personalized chocolates

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