October 30, 2012 Here at the Smithsonian, we’ve got quite a
sweet tooth. From Wayne Thiebaud’s fixation on all things sugar
to astronaut candy, the collection is full of treats. So this
Halloween, look back on the trick or treats that might have been
and ahead to the sure-to-be glorious tradition of outer space
candy collecting. NECCO Wafers, Hershey’s Kisses and Heath bars
had been delighting mouths for years by the roaring twenties.
But the decade proved to be a decadent one, with the
introduction of the Milky Way candy bar, Milk Duds, Baby Ruth
bar and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Unfortunately, the term
“candy” was thrown around a little loosely. Laxatives and
prescriptive chews were also permitted to call themselves candy.
Candy expert and Rutgers University professor Samira Kawash told
Food and Think, “The first candies were medicinal! An apothecary
in the 18th century would prescribe you sugar candy for things
like chest ailments or digestion problems. Back then, the
“spoonful of sugar” idea was literal