Lemonhead (candy) facts for kids
Lemonhead candy
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| Type | Candy |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | United States |
| Created by | Ferrara Candy Company |
| Invented | 1962 |
| Variations | Grapeheads, Cherryheads, Appleheads, Orangeheads |
Lemonhead is an American brand of candy that was first introduced in 1962, produced by the Ferrara Candy Company. Lemonheads are a round, lemon-flavored candy consisting of a sweet coating, soft sour shell, and a hard candy core. Other popular flavors are Grapeheads, Cherryheads and Appleheads.
Inspiration for the Lemonhead name came from Salvatore Ferrara seeing his grandson, Salvatore II, the third generation, after delivery. Salvatore II was a forceps baby and he noted that his new grandson's head was lemon-shaped. The candy was born out of the same cold panned process as the company's Red Hots in 1962. In this process, layer after layer of sugar and flavors are added until the candy reaches the desired shape and size. They are most commonly sold in their standard 1 centimeter size, but they are also produced in a single-sale 3 cm version. Lemonhead candies are gluten and fat-free. Ferrara now makes 500 million Lemonheads per year.
Some time between the 1980s and late 1990s, Ferrara Pan brought all of their fruit-flavored candies under a consistent naming convention: Lemonheads, Grapeheads (formerly Alexander the Grape), Cherryheads (formerly Cherry Chan/Cherry Clan) and Appleheads (formerly Johnny Apple Treats).
Other candies under the brand
- Grapeheads
- Cherryheads
- Appleheads
- Orangeheads
- Chewy Lemonheads and Friends (including Lemonheads, Grapeheads, Cherryheads, Appleheads, and Orangeheads)
- Chewy Lemonheads Tropical
- Chewy Lemonheads Fruit Mix
- Chewy Lemonheads Flavor Fusers
- Chewy Lemonheads Pink Lemonade
- Lemonhead Gummies
- JuicyHeads
- BlueRaspberryheads (Discontinued)
- Raspberryheads
- BlackRaspberryheads (Discontinued)
- LoveHeads (Discontinued)
Commercial success
Lemonhead candies have been commercially successful since their inception. Lemonheads and other sour candy can also be attributed an increase in growth in non-chocolate confectioners’ sales as opposed to chocolate companies’ sales in the 2015 fiscal year. CEO of Ferrara Candy, Todd Siwak, said, “We are seeing a desire in Millennials for cherry gummy candy, especially with sour, sweet, and intense flavors”.
Health uses
Lemonheads are sometimes recommended by pregnant women and parenting bloggers for the relief of nausea commonly caused by morning sickness during pregnancy. Those undergoing chemotherapy are also sometimes advised to suck on Lemonheads or other sour lemon candies, as these promote salivation.
See also
