Lollipops are one of the most diverse types of candies out in the market today. However, do you know where these sweet treats on a stick first came from? The oldest precursor to them came from ancient Africa and Asia. Archaeologists believe that ancient Chinese, Arabs, and Egyptians all made fruit and nut confections that they 'candied' in honey for preservation, and inserted sticks into them to make them easier to eat. During the Middle Ages, the nobility would eat boiled sugar with the help of sticks or handles. In the 17th century, as sugar became more accessible in Europe, the English produced boiled sugar candy treats and put sticks into them to make them easier to eat. With the birth of automation in the early 20th century, lollipop emerged as we know it today. In 1908, in Racine, Wisconsin, the Racine Confectionery Machine Company introduced the first automated lollipop production with a machine that put hard candy on the end of a stick at the rate of 2,400 sticks per hour. Around 1912, Samuel Born, a Russian immigrant invented a machine that inserted sticks into candy, called the Born Sucker Machine. Linguists say that the term 'lolly pop' literally means "tongue slap" and it is believed that London street vendors may have coined this term as they peddled these treats. Some also suggest that 'lollipop' may be a word associated with the Roma tradition of selling toffee apples on a stick. However, in America, George Smith trademarked the name in 1931 and confessed to naming it after his favourite race horse, "Lolly Pop".
Lollipops today come in all shapes and sizes. We simply love thinking back about these yummy treats that made life sweet "back in the day." For each one of you, lollipops are sure to bring back a sea of nostalgic memories with friends, cousins, family and the lovely days of childhood summers and Halloween. Almost all kids and adults have had lollipops atleast once in life. No matter what your age, lollipops are always a good option. Since we are on the topic, go have a lollipop for a sweet experience!
