Who invented candy?

This log made of sugar weighs almost 100 pounds (45 kg)! What do you think it will look like when the candy makers are done?

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The log is stretched and twisted and bent to make a familiar treat. But that seems strange. If you try to stretch or bend a candy cane, it will just break. So how do the candy makers do it?

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In this factory, where workers are making candy by hand, you can see the answer. See those flames? When the candy is hot, you can stretch and bend it. When it cools, you can’t!

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There’s a sweet message on each of these candies. How did it get there? Do you think someone writes on each candy?

Like candy cane makers, these workers start with a log of heated sugar. Watch them arrange the colors inside. What happens as they stretch the log? How could you put a picture in a candy log?

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There are so many possibilities! Try to figure out what will be on these candies before the candy makers finish!

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In this factory, sugar is beaten to make a fluffy batter and shaped into Peeps. Like marshmallows, Peeps are soft and spongy because they’re full of air bubbles. Here’s a weird experiment to try...

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You could put a Peep on a plate, and put it in a microwave for 30 seconds. (If you have an adult to help you, you could try this yourself.) Watch what happens! Any idea why that happened?

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Here’s why: The microwave heats up the Peep. The sugar melts and gets gooey. As the air bubbles that make the Peep so soft and spongy get hot, they get bigger. And so does the Peep!

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This hot, sweet liquid gets squeezed into containers shaped like bears! Watch what candy you get when it cools off! What container could you put the liquid in to get gummy WORMS instead?

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You need a container that’s long and skinny...like a straw! When the liquid is cool, you can just squeeze out the gummy worm and have a snack. Yum!

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For hundreds of years, Japanese candy artists have been shaping warm, sugary blobs of candy into animal shapes. Can you tell what animals these artists are making before the video ends?

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Here’s another surprise: some of these candies end up looking a lot like tiny glass sculptures. Can you tell which of these photos are of candy animals and which are glass animals?

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Only one of the clear animals was made of candy! Watch this artist make it.

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We pulled three questions from our jar. Which question do you want to explore?

What’s the hottest temperature any animal could survive?

-Addie, 2nd Grade
Could you drive all the way around the world?

-Shayne, 5th Grade
What is the oldest sport in the world?

-Charlie, 3rd Grade

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Who invented candy?

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