The History Of Jawbreaker Candy And Why It Became So Popular

Naming a candy after its ability to break your jaw may seem like a questionable marketing move, but jawbreakers actually have a long, enduring, and beloved history. The candy's origin cannot be precisely pinned down, but the Ferrara Pan candy company is most often associated with bringing the jawbreaker to its high level of popularity in the early 1900s. 

Jawbreakers seem to have been a well-received piece of confectionary innovation right from the jump. Especially in the 19^th and 20^th centuries, candy was more of a luxury item than an everyday enjoyment. So, when kids were getting limited access to sweets, it makes sense they'd prefer a treat that is known for being long-lasting and multi-flavored. Once "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" came out in 1971, though, jawbreakers were thrust into a whole new spotlight thanks to the fictional "Everlasting Gobstobber."

A few years after the film was released, a candy company called Breaker Confections brought the Everlasting Gobstopper to life, revving up the popular candy's fame even more. The company adapted the mini, multiflavored jawbreakers it was already producing and rebranded them as the whimsical "Everlasting Gobstopper." Today, many brands continue to produce jawbreakers in just about every size and flavor you can imagine. From classic fruit flavors to sour to hot cinnamon, there's a jawbreaker for every kind of candy-lover.

Jawbreakers are made using a kind of candy-making technology that originated in the 19^th century called "panning," where a candy core is slowly rolled in a giant basin of sugar syrup until layers are formed and hardened. It can take several days or even weeks to craft the many colorful layers that make up the iconic candy. When the Ferrara Pan candy company got in the jawbreaker game, the company's ability to mass produce soon meant jawbreakers could be found in almost every candy shop. Today, the company still makes name brand jawbreakers, which it calls Jaw Busters, and is the company behind other nostalgic favorites like Red Hots and Lemonheads. It eventually acquired confectionary giants Trolli, Brach's, Nestle, and more.

Beyond "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," jawbreakers and gobstoppers make lots of appearances in popular culture. The classic children's animated series "Ed, Edd n Eddy" frequently follows the titular characters as they go on adventures to earn money to buy precious jawbreakers. There was also a 1999 movie called "Jawbreaker," about a teenage clique that accidentally kills one of their own with a jawbreaker. One thing about a jawbreaker, it's got some staying power. From taking days to make, even longer to eat, and a fittingly long-lasting impact on popular culture, it doesn't appear that this vintage candy will be going anywhere anytime soon.