“Too Cool”, “XOXO”, “You are Sweet”, phrases we all have seen on the classic Valentines Day sweet. The conversation heart is one of the highest selling Valentines Day candies and more than 8 billion are made yearly. Many love the popular candy, but the question is, what is the story behind the creation of this classic?
It all started in 1847 when a pharmacist, Oliver Chase, found he wanted a more efficient way to cut and produce medicinal throat lozenges. After creating the new machine, Chase realized that this pharmaceutical invention can also be used to cut candy. He soon started his own candy company with his brother Silas called Chase and Company. This would end up becoming the new England Candy Company otherwise known as NECCO. Chase was coined with making Americas first candy machine.
The invention of the conversation has not come yet. For now, Chase was creating Necco wafers. Conversation hearts were said to have originated because wives at home would send their husbands candy and letters, and so the great idea emerged, make some confections which have sayings stamped on them! Regrettably, this theory is quite far-fetched and more logically the candy is a second version of a former candy which had a small note inside it. To create the new message candy, Daniel Chase, Olivers other brother, created a new machine which was to print words onto the candies. At first the candies had longer phrases, but now they feature more popular one-line phrases that we all come to know and love.
Originally, the conversation heart was not heart shaped at all. The original shape of the confection was mostly everyday items like baseballs, shells, and other common items. Eventually in 1901 the conversation heart finally took its name and shape.
Today, over 8 billion Conversation Hearts are sold a year, and they remain one of the most popular Valentines Day candies and remain a symbol for the iconic day of February 14th.
Sources https://www.delish.com/food-news/a46574188/conversation-hearts-history-facts/ https://www.allrecipes.com/article/history-of-conversation-hearts/
