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The Unexpectedly Weird History Behind Your Favorite Childhood Candy

Halloween may be over, but our love for candy is, of course, eternal. That's why we headed to the Pez factory for a behind-the-scenes look at how those nostalgia-inducing little tablets are actually made — and the surprising story inspiring their popularity. Turns out, Pez originated in 20th-century Austria, where it was marketed to adults as an alternative to smoking (hence why those iconic dispensers look a lot like cigarette lighters, character heads not included). Once the candy came to America, the cheeky sweets quickly got a playful makeover meant to entice younger audiences, cementing them as an elementary school favourite for generations.
Press play to see the whole, sugar-coated process that behind the colourful nibbles we've been snacking on for decades. Spoiler: the stats are astounding. Don't believe us? 50,000 pounds of granulated sugar are delivered to the factory every 4 days — and 2 million finished tablets are produced every 7 hour shift. That is, after 3,000 pounds of pressure have been exerted to shape just one Pez candy. Yep, who knew our go-to childhood treat goes through so much before ever even making it to the grocery store? Check out the entire — and undeniably mesmerizing — journey in the video above.

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