A Brief History of Lollipops

Brief History of Lollipops

Lollipops are a tasty treat enjoyed by both children and adults alike. They have been a long-time favorite for many people, but the history of lollipops dates back to ancient history. They  come in all shapes, sizes and delicious flavors and have been around for thousands of years to satisfy the world’s sweet tooth.

First Appearance 

Lollipops first appeared a few thousand years ago, when cave people collected honey from beehives with a stick. In an effort to avoid wasting the honey, they most likely licked the stick, thus creating the world’s first lollipop. 

Archeological findings confirmed that ancient Chinese, Arab and Egyptian people  produced fruit and nut confections they candied in honey . Honey acts as a natural preservative, a stick was added to make this combination easier to eat.

Lollipops in Production

As time went on, limited amounts of honey and very low sugar production almost destroyed this tradition until the 17th century, when sugar became more plentiful. Street vendors in London around this time sold manually made “lolly pops” in large quantities. From a linguistics standpoint, “lolly” meant “tongue” and “pop” meant “slap,” meaning that the lollipops we know and love are essentially “tongue slaps.”

Old English lollipops and the lollipops of today differed in that the old lollipop recipe required the candy to be soft rather than hard. As the candy evolved, the formula changed and by the start of the 20th century, modern lollipops had begun to come into their own. Of the candy makers who saw the potential of lollipops and planned to monetize the candy, George Smith was perhaps one of the most famous American candy makers. Smith created the first modern version of the lollipop in 1908. Smith named his candy Lolly Pop after his favorite racehorse with the same name.

Rise in Popularity

After Smith secured the patent on his candy and the name in 1931, production exploded. Companies like the McAviney Candy Co. and Racine Confectionary Machine Co. introduced machines that put these hard candies on the ends of sticks at astonishing rates – as many as 2,400 sticks per hour. Modern machines put these to shame, but for the time, the product levels were amazing.

Children and adults alike continue to enjoy lollipops today, as the candy remains extremely popular among people of all ages. As a candy that has already existed for thousands of years, you can bet this sweet treat isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.  

At CIMA Confections, we have an array of delicious lollipops available in 30 mouth watering flavors . From sour to sweet to spicy, there are lollipops for everyone. Check out our full line of products and order some for yourself today!