Pixy Stix, Retro Fizz

 

Penny Candy came to life in the mid-1800s and has been around ever since. For decades, and generations, these sweets were sold for a penny a piece, sometimes less. The earliest old time penny candy is still beloved today – NECCO Wafers, pulled cream candy, jelly beans, and circus peanuts. The 1900s brought vintage candy favorites such as Jawbreakers – a descendent of the sugar plum candies of the 1600s, Dubble Bubble – the first bubblegum, satellite wafers, candy cigarettes, and so many more.

The centerpiece of the candy store of old was the wild flavors, colors and textures promising kids a culinary (of sorts) experience. The endurance of these sprightly selections has much to do with their flexibility, sometimes shifting purpose as well as packaging and taste. The Pixy Stix is a prime example. Originally a drink flavoring, much like Kool Aid, it was made in the 1930s and called “Frutola.”  But when inventor J. Fish Smith found that kids preferred eating it, he turned it into an eating candy which he sold with a spoon. In the 1950s, Sunline Inc. made it the fun-lovers candy it is today. Outside of its straw-like wrapper, it would just be another tasty but highly processed sugar. But who cares?