It's the third in the Sweet Hamper Company’s encyclopaedia of sweets!
For this instalment, we're focussing on the letter C – from Cola Bottles to Cadbury's Creme Eggs and everything in between – to take a delicious deep dive into the sweetest Cs from the past and the present.
Don't forget... most of the sweets and candy featured in our blog posts can all be found in the Sweet Hamper Company’s range of wonderful sweet hampers, chocolate boxes, candy subscriptions and more!
Sweets beginning with C
Cola Bottles
A penny pick 'n' mix favourite, Cola Bottles are an absolute classic, adored by school kids for generations. These scrumptious little gummies come in a few varieties – from standard cola and fizz free versions to cherry coke and bubblegum flavours.
Although Cola Bottles were originally made in the 1930s, it wasn't until the 1970s when they gained iconic status. They were invented by German sweet-smiths, keen to capitalise on the growing popularity of Coca Cola. The craze for these tangy little beauties soon spread throughout Europe.
The precise recipe for Cola Bottles is a closely guarded secret, although there's certainly sugar, gelatine, glucose syrup and some natural flavour enhancers in there. In terms of nostalgic pick 'n' mix sweets, these are at the top of the list.
Candy cane
Who could forget the stripy sensation that is the candy cane? A festive favourite – often used as a Christmas tree decoration – but perfect all year round, these iconic red and white striped sweets
Part of the appeal comes in the unique shape of these sweets, a stick with a hook, which makes them instantly recognisable and extra appealing for kids. Candy canes have a hard candy texture and tangy sour taste. The classic flavour is peppermint, although in recent years all kinds of bizarre flavours have appeared – bacon flavoured candy cane, anyone?
The origins of candy cane go way back to the 1670s in Cologne, Germany. Legend has it that a disgruntled choirmaster wanted local sweet makers to keep kids quiet in church during Christmas Eve service. The 'stick with a crook' design was intended to help children remember the shepherds who visited Jesus.
Modern day candy cane has its roots firmly in the U.S., where they were first made by hand, until candy cane machines were developed in Chicago.
Candy Sticks
Another candy classic, these long cylindrical sticks are believed to have been first developed in the United States, where they are known as ‘old fashioned candy’. Originally launched in the 1830s, these sweets have been delighting candy lovers for almost two centuries.
A staple in many school playgrounds throughout the 20th century, candy sticks had been known as 'candy cigarettes' in the UK for a number of years – they even had a red tip! Rebellious school kids would often pretend that they were smoking a cigarette, with the candy wedged between their lips. Thankfully, that's not the case nowadays.
With a taste that's similar to marshmallow candy, chewy candy sticks are still hugely popular with kids today. This nostalgic sweet snack generally comes in a standard sugar flavour, although sometimes you'll find peppermint, pineapple, raspberry or strawberry varieties.
Cadbury Creme Eggs
One of the most popular confectionery products during the festive and Easter seasons, Cadbury Creme Eggs are pure heaven! With their thick milk chocolate shell and fondant filling that mimics the white and yolk inside an egg, these egg-traordinary sweets are a modern phenomenon.
Created in 1963 by Fry's (they were originally Fry's Creme Eggs), they were renamed by Cadbury in 1971 and have remained one of the nation's favourite sweets. Varieties include bite sized creme eggs, salted caramel, Oreo creme eggs and peppermint eggs, but the original milk chocolate version is still the best!
It's estimated that Brits consume around 350 million creme eggs a year! The eggs are made in two halves using chocolate moulds, before adding the filling and sealing the two moulds together. Wondering what the filling in Cadbury Creme Eggs are made of? In fact, among other things like sugar and glucose syrup, they are made from dried egg white!
Chewits
This might be one sweet that's better known for its advertising than the actual sweet. I mean, who can forget the iconic TV adverts for Chewits in the '80s and '90s, featuring Chewie the dinosaur?
Having said that, while the adverts were unforgettable, the sweets were pretty fantastic too. Sure, they used to get stuck to the wrapper from time to time, but with flavours like strawberry, blackcurrant, orange, banana and fruit salad, these chewy, fruity delights were the perfect summertime snack for sweet-toothed kids.
Cadbury's Caramel
The second Cadbury's chocolate bar on our list of sweets beginning with C, Cadbury's Caramel was one of the best-selling chocolate bars of the '90s. In 2003, it was renamed Cadbury's Dairy Milk Caramel, but it retained its delicious taste and texture.
Cadbury's Caramel comes in the form of a chocolate bar divided into individual segments. The classic Dairy Milk chocolate coats a deliciously gooey caramel filling, making a mouthwatering mix of tastes and textures.
Curly Wurly
Another classic Cadbury's chocolate bar, Curly Wurly bars have been a playground favourite since they were created in the 1970s. Made from chocolate coated caramel and formed into a long, thin bar with intertwining threads, the classic Curly Wurly has unique appeal – it's one of the chewiest sweets out there!
Yes, this is one that can, and frequently does, get stuck in your teeth, and it certainly works the jaw! If you're not a fan of chewy candy, give this one the swerve, but for those who like stretchy, chewy chocolate bars, this iconic candy bar is up there with the best of them.
Chupa Chups lollipops
Sweet refreshing lollipops don't get any better than the iconic Chupa Chups! The undisputed king of sweets on a stick, these fruity favourites were invented by Enric Bernat, a worker in an apple jam factory in Catalonia, Spain.
The candy loving Catalan wanted to find a way for kids to enjoy sweets and candy bars in the summer without getting sticky hands. His invention proved massively popular and, before long, Chupa Chups was creating a range of flavours including strawberry, strawberry and cream, raspberry, cola, apple, orange, cherry, vanilla, lemon and mango.
Did you know that the Chupa Chups logo was designed by legendary surreal artist Salvador Dalí? Another intriguing fact... there's a reason Chupa Chups lollipops are so annoyingly difficult to unwrap – they're double wrapped and heat sealed, to better preserve the delicious candy on the inside.
Cotton Candy
A sweet spun sugar treat that's popular at fairgrounds all over the world, cotton candy has a taste and texture like no other. The flavour is sweet caramel – it's made almost completely from sugar – and the sensation is like diving taste bud first into a delicious cloud that melts in your mouth. There's no wonder kids find it utterly irresistible.
Cotton candy is made by pouring granulated sugar, as well as food colouring, into a spinning machine. As the sugar passes through, it melts, before being squeezed through small holes by centrifugal force. Due to the heat and movement, the sugar turns into fluffy strands, which are gathered with a stick or cone to form candy floss.
Machine-spun candy floss was invented at the turn of the 20th century, before being unveiled to a wide audience at the 1904 World's Fair in Louisiana. However, spun sugar is believed to go all the way back to 15th century Italy.
Crunchie
Launched in 1929, Crunchie chocolate bars are one of the world's oldest chocolate bars still in existence. Consisting of a block of crunchy honeycomb toffee and a milk chocolate coating, Crunchies are sweet, chocolatey and have a texture that's different to most well-known chocolate bars.
They became particularly popular in the '80s off the back of their "Get that Friday Feeling" slogan. Today, Crunchie bars aren't as popular as the likes of Dairy Milk or Boost bars, but that unique honeycomb crunch has earned them plenty of fans over the years.
Crunchies are produced in large slabs of honeycomb toffee, which is then divided using highly focused jets of oil. A blade would break up the bars, whereas water would melt the toffee – using jets of oil prevents this from happening, however, producing perfectly straight lines and uniform blocks. The honeycomb toffee blocks are then covered with delicious milk chocolate.
Crunch
Made from crisped rice and creamy milk chocolate, Crunch was first introduced in the U.S. in 1938 by Nestlé, then later in the U.K. in the 1960s. A large flat bar, with a crunchy texture on the inside and a thin layer of chocolate on the outside, Crunch are also sold in miniature form.
Chomp
First manufactured by Cadbury South Africa in the early 1970s, Chomp bars are also sold in the U.K. and Australia. Consisting of a thin wafer layer, chewy caramel and a luscious milk chocolate coating, Chomp bars are similar in taste and texture to Curly Wurlies, albeit in a more standard chocolate bar shape.
Celebrations
Okay, this isn't an actual single sweet, rather a collection of chocolate bars. We couldn't leave this magnificent medley off the list though!
The perfect chocolatey gift for Birthdays, Christmas and, well, celebrations, this assortment of bite sized candies is made up of some of the most popular sweets out there, all combined within one tantalising tub of decadence!
Mars, Snickers, Twix, Bounty, Maltesers, Galaxy, Galaxy Caramel and Milky Way... it's like a who's who of delectable chocolates. Celebrations are so good, they even give our chocolate gift boxes a run for their money!
Clark Bar
A true old school American classic, the Clark bar was first produced way back in 1917. A popular candy during both world wars, Clark Bars were made to be sent to the troops on the front line in WWI. Originally created with a caramel centre surrounded by milk chocolate, its popularity really took off when the filling was replaced with crispy peanut butter.
Some More Candy Names with the Letter C
- Caramac
- Cherry Sours
- Circus Peanuts
- Cherry Mash
- Candy Corn
- Chocolate Truffle
- Candy Raisins
- Caramel Drops
Take a look at the Sweet Hamper Company’s range of delicious Sweets & Chocolates to find your favourite chocolates, sweets and candies, including some of the classics mentioned above!