[{"id":291189227562,"handle":"all-candy","updated_at":"2025-08-06T07:07:39-04:00","published_at":"2025-01-30T08:34:32-05:00","sort_order":"best-selling","template_suffix":"","published_scope":"global","title":"All Old Fashioned Candies","body_html":""},{"id":285115908138,"handle":"apothecary","updated_at":"2025-08-06T07:07:37-04:00","published_at":"2024-09-19T11:36:57-04:00","sort_order":"manual","template_suffix":"","published_scope":"web","title":"Apothecary Retro Candy, Teas \u0026 Sugars Collections","body_html":"","image":{"created_at":"2024-09-19T11:38:58-04:00","alt":null,"width":1760,"height":2016,"src":"\/\/truetreatscandy.com\/cdn\/shop\/collections\/Untitled-design-2023-02-21T113123.881_7745aa84-6279-412e-9cbb-2eb11499e56a.jpg?v=1726760339"}},{"id":285115940906,"handle":"top-sellers","updated_at":"2025-08-06T07:07:39-04:00","published_at":"2024-09-19T11:36:59-04:00","sort_order":"manual","template_suffix":"","published_scope":"web","title":"Best Selling Old Fashioned Candies","body_html":"","image":{"created_at":"2024-09-19T11:39:01-04:00","alt":null,"width":1170,"height":833,"src":"\/\/truetreatscandy.com\/cdn\/shop\/collections\/turkish-delight-blog-photo_e7c94cdf-81b3-47e8-adac-d436d1ff84b9.jpg?v=1726760342"}},{"id":285115613226,"handle":"gift-boxes","updated_at":"2025-08-06T07:07:39-04:00","published_at":"2024-09-19T11:36:37-04:00","sort_order":"manual","template_suffix":"","published_scope":"web","title":"Exclusive Old Fashioned Candy Gifts Boxes","body_html":"\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUnique Gifts - ONLY AVAILABLE at True Treats! From pre-history – today! Plus stories and period illustrations on TT packaging!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","image":{"created_at":"2024-09-19T11:38:38-04:00","alt":null,"width":1170,"height":1088,"src":"\/\/truetreatscandy.com\/cdn\/shop\/collections\/Untitled-design-2023-02-14T103111.798-1_3f4318d0-87ab-4be1-87c1-5077c58d4c6e.jpg?v=1726760319"}},{"id":290043822122,"handle":"quick-order","title":"Quick Order","updated_at":"2025-08-06T07:07:39-04:00","body_html":null,"published_at":"2025-01-03T14:49:08-05:00","sort_order":"best-selling","template_suffix":"quick","disjunctive":false,"rules":[{"column":"variant_price","relation":"greater_than","condition":"0"}],"published_scope":"web"},{"id":285115547690,"handle":"retro-treats","updated_at":"2025-08-06T07:07:39-04:00","published_at":"2024-09-19T11:36:32-04:00","sort_order":"manual","template_suffix":"retro-penny-candy","published_scope":"web","title":"Retro \u0026 Penny Candy Collections","body_html":"\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrom the Circus Peanut of the 1800s to the Satellite Wafers of the 1950s. Variety! Memories! Delicious!!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","image":{"created_at":"2024-09-19T11:38:33-04:00","alt":null,"width":2560,"height":1920,"src":"\/\/truetreatscandy.com\/cdn\/shop\/collections\/Image-19-scaled_b6f0e6f7-b0e2-40d4-a984-8c445a3a8497.jpg?v=1726760313"}},{"id":285115482154,"handle":"1900s","updated_at":"2025-08-06T07:07:39-04:00","published_at":"2024-09-19T11:36:27-04:00","sort_order":"manual","template_suffix":"","published_scope":"web","title":"Retro 1900s Candy Collections","body_html":"\u003ch5\u003eThe rise of candy we know today - from Candy Bars to Sponge Candy.\u003c\/h5\u003e\r\nThe 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.","image":{"created_at":"2024-09-19T11:38:27-04:00","alt":null,"width":2048,"height":2017,"src":"\/\/truetreatscandy.com\/cdn\/shop\/collections\/Untitled-design-2023-04-19T123907.127-1_473a8e56-fd45-41fa-8de7-d821f1aae1d9.jpg?v=1726760308"}},{"id":295426359338,"handle":"retro-candy","updated_at":"2025-08-06T07:07:39-04:00","published_at":"2025-04-15T12:28:46-04:00","sort_order":"best-selling","template_suffix":"","published_scope":"global","title":"Retro Candy Collections","body_html":"","image":{"created_at":"2025-04-17T07:32:06-04:00","alt":null,"width":4032,"height":3024,"src":"\/\/truetreatscandy.com\/cdn\/shop\/collections\/d012120c-b13e-4d6b-a71a-b3d39470a2cd_2.jpg?v=1744889526"}},{"id":285115842602,"handle":"old-time-medicines","updated_at":"2025-08-06T07:07:39-04:00","published_at":"2024-09-19T11:36:53-04:00","sort_order":"manual","template_suffix":"","published_scope":"web","title":"Retro Medicinal Candy Collections","body_html":"","image":{"created_at":"2024-09-19T11:38:55-04:00","alt":null,"width":1600,"height":1393,"src":"\/\/truetreatscandy.com\/cdn\/shop\/collections\/untitled-design-2023-02-21t110249.104-3_449ba2ae-d6e7-4b7b-a4bb-b3c7b621fbfa.jpg?v=1726760335"}},{"id":285116039210,"handle":"only-at-true-treats","updated_at":"2025-08-06T07:07:39-04:00","published_at":"2024-09-19T11:37:04-04:00","sort_order":"manual","template_suffix":"","published_scope":"web","title":"Vintage Candy Only at True Treats Collections","body_html":"","image":{"created_at":"2024-09-19T11:39:07-04:00","alt":null,"width":2259,"height":2112,"src":"\/\/truetreatscandy.com\/cdn\/shop\/collections\/IMG_2267-scaled-e1657311617531_769562dd-003d-414e-be10-0757e094f8a1.jpg?v=1726760347"}}]
["1900s candy","American-made candy","apothecary","best retro candy","buy ancient tea","buy apothecary tea","buy candy","buy get well soon gift box","Buy gift","buy gift box","buy historic candy","buy historic penny candy","buy historic retro candy","buy historic retro treats","buy historic tea","buy historical penny candy","buy historical retro candy","buy historical retro treats","buy historical tea","buy medicinal tea","buy penny candy","buy retro candy","buy retro penny candy","buy teas","buy vintage candy","get well soon card","Get well soon gift","get well soon gift basket","gift","gifts","Hard candies","hard candy","Healing treats","historic apothecary shop","old time candy","Old Time Medicine","penny candy","retro candy","shop now historic tea","shop now tea","wintergreen flavor"]
AS SEEN ON - Jeopardy!, History Channel, PBS, Atlas Obscura, New York Times, NPR, Ologies, WBUR, Delish, Food Network Magazine, Wall Street Journal, Huff Post, CNN, Tasting Table, Gastro Obscura, Voice of America, Daily Mail UK, Oxford University Press, Pittsburg Post, Southern Living...
These wonderful, medicine-inspired candies are made exclusively for True Treats in an authentic 1920s pill capsule mold. The flavor is clearly sassafras, which means it tastes like root beer, a universal favorite. In fact, sassafras was one of the ingredients in the original root beer drink. Each candy is “sanded” meaning it is lightly covered with sugar to keep from sticking. Easy to carry around and simple to store.
Why medicine-inspired hard candy? Because hard candies started as medicines, made in apothecaries in various iterations for centuries. Hard candies straddled the line between candy and medicine starting in the 1800s…and still do today (think cough drops). Interestingly the first “root beer” was called “root tea,” based on Native American health and medicinal drinks, which may have included licorice, native ginger and, of course, sassafras. From root tea, came root beer, and from root beer, the hard candy we call root beer barrels. Native Americans used sassafras for everything from lessening fevers to purifying the blood. Newspapers of the late 1800s, also discussed sassafras as a purifier of blood and an ingredient in “popular priority medicines.”
We at True Treats honor the medicinal history of hard candies. We also honor today’s versions – not medicines but definitely delights.
Love sassafras? You’ll find the flavor in True Treats’ Root Beer Barrels, Reeds Root Beer candies, and similarly flavored Sarsaparilla tea.
Product Details
Size: 6 ounce plastic jar
Sugar, Corn Syrup, Sassafras, Natural and Artificial Flavoring and Colors
Allergen Disclaimer: Please note that our products are made in a facility that processes peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, soy, and wheat. While we take precautions to prevent cross-contamination, we cannot guarantee that our products are allergen-free.
Ideas and Inspiration
Shipping
📩 Check Your Email for the Tracking Number! 📩 📢 B2B orders may take longer to ship than estimated
Please allow 3-5 business days for processing new retail orders. Many of our products are hand-made and assembled, so some orders may experience some delays depending on availability. Most orders are shipped within 5 business days. If you have any questions or concerns about your order please reach out to us.
100% Satisfaction GuaranteeWe provide service the old-fashioned way. If something isn’t right, contact us, and we’ll make it right. Need ideas for a gift? For party favors? Let us know
Fast, Fresh, and Reliable Shipping!We carefully pack and ship every order to ensure it arrives fresh and on time. If your order is damaged or delayed due to carrier issues, contact us with details, and we’ll work with you to find the best solution.
100% Authentic Historic Candy The ONLY research-based historic candy company in the U.S., proudly offering genuine historical candies with the story of each
When Sweets Were Medicine: A Sugary Past
As improbable as it seems, candy got its start in pharmacies AKA apothecaries. And if you think about it, most flavors in today’s candy reflect a medicinal past: mint, lemon, licorice, vanilla – and, of course, chocolate, to name a few. Sugar, the most controversial food around, was considered medicinal, used to ease sore throats, cure stomach ailments, and even take on the plague. So significant was sugar to medicine, from the 13 th through 18 th centuries, the expression “like an apothecary without sugar” referred to a dire situation. Today, some experts, including those at the Harvard School of Public Health find that candy is actually good for your health…in moderation! To learn more about the Health-Candy connection, check out our blog - Old Fashion Candy – The Wonder Drug.
True Treats is the only historically accurate candy store in the world, bringing the past to life through researched sweets, teas, syrups, and more. Every product is rooted in history, telling the story of how people from all walks of life enjoyed treats through time. Leading this effort is Susan, a nationally recognized candy historian, researcher, and author who appears regularly on TV, radio, and in major publications. With over 40 years of experience, she has written ten books and founded True Treats to share the fascinating history of candy in a fun and delicious way. Susan’s work uncovers the surprising origins of America’s favorite sweets, from ancient uses of sugar to the candies of the 1900s. Through True Treats, Susan makes history an interactive experience, allowing customers to taste the past while learning the stories behind every bite.
){kind=icon}
){kind=icon}
){kind=icon}
