A Sweet Journey Through Candy History

The Originals

From Native American barks, to the first candy ever, to the sugars and sweets of the Bible. Healthy. Medicinal. Tasty. Symbolic.

Collections

Botanical Bliss Tea Sampler: Botanicals have always been exuberant in their display of life and their gift to the living, used since antiquity as a curative tea. The Biblical rose and hibiscus brings calm and sweet dreams and chamomile endowed with healing properties. The much-esteemed dandelion cleansed the blood. Chrysanthemums, prized by ancient royalty, were thought to possess the power of life, while Aztecs revered marigolds as the apex of magic and healing. Comes with ageless honey.

Comfort From The Heart Tea Sampler: When life was difficult, when stress prevailed, people through the ages have turned to botanical teas to bring comfort to their hearts. The Ancient Egyptians and Romans highly valued chamomile and lavender as restorative cure all's. Marshmallow root soothed the body while olive leaf brought peace. Half a world away, the Iroquois used the mild tasting white oak bark to treat loneliness from a broken heart. Aztecs prized marigolds for magical, religious, and medicinal purposes. Today, these teas are the perfect go-to for comfort, as found in Susan's recent book "Fun Foods of America."

1500s-1700s

Candied Peels and petals, chocolate sticks, sugar plums, & other sugary treats.

Many common fruits, nuts, and spices arrived in the 1500s to 1700s and brought with them new forms of confections…and all the symbolism that went with them. Curated by Susan Benjamin based on her independent research and publications.

Collections

1700s Candy Timeline: An 18th Century timeline with a variety of sweets such as sorghum sugar, sugar plums, licorice root, stain glass and more. Also comes with a keepsake card telling the story of each item on the back! 

1700s Candy Time Capsule: Now the perfect chance for kids to experience history in an entirely new way, with a time capsule filled with 18th century sugars and sweets, such as candied peels, Turkish delight, sugar plums, and stain glass. Most important, they’ll find a letter from the Time Traveler written just for them, telling them about each selection, as well as a special gift from George Washington.

Colonial Home Brew Kit: Cheers!! takes on all-new meaning with the Colonial Home Brew Kit, adapted from a handwritten entry in George Washington’s French and Indian War journal, “To make small beer.” The beer was used by the militia, servants, enslaved workers and children. The process is quick, easy and ready in only 24-hours.

Colonial Grog Kit: Edward Vernon, a British admiral, created the first “grog” – rum diluted with water to allow the naval squadron to drink rum without getting drunk. What followed were as many variations of the drink as there were ships, containing sugars, a variety of fruits, and spices to improve the flavor. The drink later became a favorite of the Continental Navy.

Colonial Mulling Spices Kit. From Ancient Rome to the American Colonies to your home -make your own mulled cider, wine, aka wassail, with our mulling spices kit!  The flavor of this ancient blend depends how you use it – but is always good.

Individual Selections


1800s

An amazing shift in sweets, from medicines to fun food and the start of retro candy.

The 1800s saw the growth and demolition of enslavement with its close connection to sugar cane; the introduction of new sugars promoted by abolitionist; and the massive shifts in foods due to the Industrial Revolution, including the candy we know today.

Collections

1800s Confectionery Shop in a Box: The 1800s were a time of tremendous upheaval, change, and transformation, and sugars and sweets were part of them. This collection contains some of the most significant, from sorghum sugar, widely used throughout the nation, including as a cane sugar replacement for abolitionists, to Others, taffy, the Wilbur bud, and many more.

 

1800s Time Capsule: The 1800s were a dynamic time for foods of all sorts, and candy was no exception. In this time capsule, kids will experience these changes from the tasty and medicinal hard candies to the Circus Peanut, actually made for circuses in the late 1800s. Each one is described in a note from the Time Traveler. Fun, educational and tasty.

 

 

 

 

 

Civil War Commissary in A Box: Civil War soldiers received food – including sweets and sugars – from numerous places: the government, packages from home, groups and associations, and sutler’s – disreputable merchants who followed the troops, selling over-priced, often hard-to-find foods. The sutlers prompted the U.S. government to open commissaries.

 

 

Penny Candy Store in A Box: Penny Candy came to life in the mid-1800s and has been around ever since. This collection contains 15 favorite penny candies enjoyed for decades and generations, from traditional candy sticks to Pixy Stix. Candy Buttons? Licorice Laces? Yes. Packed with Fun, Flavor and Memories. That’s why we say….”Memories Never Tasted So Sweet.”

 

Taffy Treasures: Saltwater taffy, molasses pulls, and Turkish Taffy: hand-made, machine-made, stick-to-you-teeth, or melt-in-your-mouth, the taffy in this bag, mainly from the late 1800s, says it all.

Individual Selections

 

 

20th Century

The rise of candy we know today – from Candy Bars to Sponge Candy.

The 20th century launched an unprecedented age of candy made for kids, sent to soldiers at war, and reflecting everything from Prohibition to the Cold War. The colors were bright, the scent alluring, and the flavors out of this world.

Collections

1900s Collection Box: Known as “retro” candy, “old time candy” or “vintage” candy, the assortment of 20th century candy is as dynamic and surprising as the century itself. Think about it – the 20th century started with horse-drawn carriages and ended with rockets in space. The Industrial Revolution became just industry and air travel became an everyday event!

 

Armed Forces Collection Box: While the military was fighting in World War I and World War II, sugars and sweets were with them… but not for

 the reasons most people think. Enjoy this historic candy collection of soldiers rations spanning the two great wars of the 20th century. Candies sent by family, provided by the government, purchased from traders and foraged or found.

 

 

Bar in a Box: A delightful boozy walk-through taverns, saloons, and contemporary bars in a candy setting brought to you by award-winning researcher and True Treats’ founder Susan Benjamin.  Enjoy authentic bourbon balls made with Woodford Reserve whiskey, plus mint julep balls, bourbon-infused caramels, a variety of alcohol-flavored cordials, perfect Margarita Rimming Sugar, rock candy cocktail stirrer, and a historic recipe book for the perfect drink.

 

Bubble Gum Capsule: Thirty pieces of bubble gum, from big gum balls to tiny Dubble Bubble. Fun and festive, from the 1920s-1940s.

Car Ride Kit: As for the roads – highways surfaced on the national landscape thanks to President Eisenhower, diners and rest stops sprouted up, including the first highway chain “Howard Johnson’s”, and fun food found a ready audience with kids in the back seat of the car. This indispensable kit is about traditional back seat fun, complete with finger games once popular in full-size and pint-size, and made-for-the-car board games and books with plenty of room for an old-fashioned diary, aka travel journal.

 

Exclusive Chocolate Box: The best kind of gift for the chocolate lover. A sample of chocolates from the very first eaten by the ancient Olmecs through the 1700s, 1800s into the 1960s. The selection includes bars, bourbon balls, nonpareils, chocolate covered caramels, Swiss chocolate…all with a tag giving the story of each. Each bite about culture, gardening, industry and like though the ages in the USA!

 

Fabulous Jewelry Box: An exclusive and highly tasteful assortment of sugar gems and chocolate nuggets, a candy necklace, watch, bracelet and ring, accented by red candy lipstick. Always in good taste.

Grandmother’s Purse Collection: The collection is made of memories, this bag contains the candy grandmas have dished out of their purses and grandpas out of their pockets. The selection based on comments from our customers and include Chic-O-Sticks, Lifesavers, NECCO wafers and plenty others.

Gummy Collection:The ultimate gummy collection for gummy lovers young and old! A flavorful mix of authentic 10th century Turkish delight and its descendants: gummy bears, gummy worms, jelly beans, Swedish Fish, gum drops, and more.

Licorice Lovers Box: Licorice may have started as a root used as a tooth brush, medicine, and flavoring for thousands of years. But enter the 1800s and up and a fascinating line of licorice sweets emerged. This box contains a variety to sample and enjoy such as licorice Allsorts (1880s), Good n’ Plenty (1893), Licorice Laces (1920s), and chalk licorice, licorice wheels, licorice pastels and pipes from the 1940s up.

Office Candy Set:  Celebrate the Professional in your life. Whether called secretary, administrative assistant, or administrative professional that person was a powerhouse, ensure that office systems flowed smoothly and that everyone was able to work their best. And, of course, was the keeper of the candy – available to all as a respite, a pick-me-up and a chance to enjoy. These are some of the chocolates, chewy treats, and classics they provided – and still do today!

Princess Purses: Adorable plastic purses with a variety of candies no little lady can live without. Includes candy necklaces, candy lipstick, chocolate coins, and, of course, the Starlight Mints…and many more.

Toys and Treats Box: Paired with space age satellite wafers, fizzy Pop Rocks, colorful rock candy, and more retro favorites. Candies may vary based on availability. The young and young at heart are sure to love this fun filled collection of classic toys and candies!

Individual Selections