M&M's

6/10/2014

I don't know anybody, except perhaps Jeff, who doesn't enjoy eating these little candies.  I'm a chocolate freak, so popping M&M's into my mouth was, and continues to be, a treat.

Some history:  M&M's originated in the United States in 1941, and are now sold in as many as 100 countries. They are produced in different colors, some of which have changed over the years. The candy-coated chocolate concept was inspired by a method used to allow soldiers to carry chocolate without having it melt. The company's longest-lasting slogan reflects this: "Melts in your mouth, not in your hand."  And for the most part that's true, but if it's hot outside and you're holding candy - trust me - they melt.

Peanut M&M's were introduced in 1954, but first appeared only in the color tan.  In 1960, M&M's added the yellow, red, and green colors. In 1986, Mars Company started making M&M's with almonds.  Also that year, they introduced "holiday" candy for Easter and Christmas.

In 1991, Mars came out with one of my all-time favorites, peanut M&M's.  Yummy best describes it. 

M&M's varieties have included the following fillings: milk, dark and white chocolate, crisped rice, mint chocolate, birthday cake, pumpkin spice, candy corn and plenty of other fillings that I've never seen on the shelves at the grocery store.

1995 the company ran the M&M's Color Campaign, a contest in which participants were given the choice of selecting purple, blue, or pink as the color of a new variety of M&M's. The announcement of the winning color (blue) was carried on most of the television network's news programs. As part of the contest results, the company had the Empire State Building lighted in blue. 

 In 2002, Mars solicited votes in their first ever "M&M's Global Color Vote" to add a new color from three choices aqua, pink and purple, with purple being the winner.

Red was discontinued in 1976 and was replaced by orange.  The color of the M&M doesn't get in my way of enjoying them!  How about you?  

I once worked with a fellow who, at lunchtime, would empty all of his M&M's on the table and then sort them by color.  He didn't like the green ones, for no particular reason. Since I was sitting at the table, he gave all the green ones to me!