Ever since I can remember, I have been a confirmed gummy bear addict. I love gummy bears, particularly Haribo’s Gold Bears and Happy Cola (it does make me happy), but I’ll even deal in Trolli in a pinch. Of course, that the little, fruit-flavored gelatin bears are addictive shouldn’t be surprising—after all, in 1997, tobacco exec James Morgan, head of Philip Morris Co., claimed that tobacco is no more addictive than gummy bears.
But what do we really know about these tasty denizens of a gummy candy world? Here’s a quick and dirty on gummy bears:
In the Beginning…
In 1920, a poor confectionery factory worker in Bonn, Germany, decided that it was high time he struck out on his own. Armed with nothing but a bag of sugar, a marble slab, a kettle, an oven and a rolling pin, Hans Riegel began whipping up hard candies in his kitchen, which his wife would then deliver from the basket of her bike. The new company was called Haribo—a smash up of Hans Riegel of Bonn.
After two years of middling profits, the Riegels realized that they’d need a gimmick and fast to keep competitive. Noticing the popularity of the soft gelatin-based candies of their competitors and thinking, well, children like bears, the Riegels decided to make their next product a soft, fruit-flavored chew in the shape of a dancing bear (Tanzbär). The original bear was a bit taller and more svelte than the gummy bear (or, in German, gummibär) we all know and love, but it was an instant hit with children in Bonn.
By 1930, the two-man family operation had evolved into factory of 160. By the beginning of World War II, Haribo had more than 400 employees churning out 10 tons of candy each day. World War II was a disaster for the company—Hans Riegel, Sr. died, his two sons were prisoners of war, and Haribo was down to 30 employees—but the company limped on. When the two sons returned, they brought the company back from the edge and revived it such that by 1950, they employed more than 1,000 workers. From there, the world: Haribo consumed its confectionery competitors and built more factories in markets across Europe, changed its bear shape to the now classic, smushy Gold Bear shape, and entered the US in 1982.
The Secret Recipe
The exact recipe and method of production of the Haribo bears remains a closely guarded secret. And although there are many pretenders to the throne who’ve tried to usurp the gummy crown (Trolli, German inventors of the gummy worm, are a notable example), Haribo remains one of the largest manufacturers of gummy in the world, if not the biggest, producing more than 80 million bears a day for distribution the globe over.
The Bears Go Big Time
The bears had been popular in Germany and Europe for generations, but it wasn’t until the 1980s that American markets caught on the gummy craze. Soon, everything from dinosaurs to Dungeons & Dragons figures was being cast in gummy, although the bears remained the heart of the industry.
In 1985, even Disney stepped in to capitalize on the popularity of the little bears, with a cartoon featuring a family of bouncy anthropomorphized bears called The Adventures of the Gummi Bears.
The Gummi Bears, bouncing here, there, and everywhere, were a family of six bears, the sole survivors of the once great Gummi race decimated and forced into exile by humans jealous of their magical gummi powers. Living beneath a medieval human kingdom, the bears are discovered by a kind human boy who promises to keep their secret, but are constantly troubled by an evil Duke who knows of their existence and wants to steal their Gummiberry Juice, which was the secret to their bounce and was like PCP for humans. The show premiered on NBC in 1985, paving the way for the animation boom that was the Disney Afternoon, and lasted until 1991.
The Bears Go Even Bigger Time
This September, the world’s largest gummy bear went on sale online at VAT19.com. Weighing in at 5 pounds and standing 9-and-a-half inches tall, one single bear is the equivalent of 1,400 regular-sized bears. A diabetic nightmare, the bear offers five times your daily caloric intake in one go, with 12,600 calories. It comes in three flavors, blue raspberry, red cherry, and green apple, and is handcrafted in the USA. Should you be unable to consume the entire gummy animal in one sitting, it can last up to a year in plastic wrap in the fridge. For $30, that’s almost worth it.
The Bears Go Boob Time
Ever squished a gummy bear between your fingers and though, “Hmm… feels like boobies?” No? Well, me either, but evidently someone has—“gummy bear” breast implants have actually been on the market since 2005, FDA-approved since 2006. They’re not actual gummy bears, but they are made of a silicone gel material that mimics the firm but soft texture of the gummy bears.
Bear as Meme
In 2007, a green, squishy bear that danced in its orange underwear and sneakers to over-synthed techno muzak took YouTube by storm. Despite its twee bizarreness, the bear’s first song, “I Am Your Gummy Bear,” actually cracked the singles charts of Australia, Germany, Sweden, and a few others before its cuteness finally wore itself out. Of course, that didn’t stop the makers of the Gummy Bear from making more songs featuring the jiggly creature, hawking ringtones, and splashing his ditzy mug on t-shirts (available in adult and infant sizes).
Gummi Light image courtesy of Jellio.com.
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Ahh Gummy Bears I loved to eat gummy bears still do at times. That 5 pounds and 9 1/2 inch tall gummy who in their right mind would want to eat that thing there a sugar coma waiting to happen.
posted by Kari on 10-13-2009 at 4:11 pm
I don’t remember Gummy Bears, as a kid. I do, though, remember eating gummy fish back in the 70′s.
reCAPTCHA: raids excitement
Yes, one certainly does invoke the other…
posted by Bubba on 10-13-2009 at 4:15 pm
Damnit. Its 10:30pm here and now I REALLY want some gummy bears. Thanks a lot…
posted by Kate on 10-13-2009 at 4:17 pm
Haribo macht Kinder froh…und Erwachsene ebenso!
posted by Rachel on 10-13-2009 at 4:18 pm
Best. Post. EVER. Gummi bears are my drug of choice! (Red ones are the best.)
posted by Danita on 10-13-2009 at 4:23 pm
for shame, you failed to mention the recent rage, Vitamin Gummy Bears.
http://www.gummybearvitamins.com
posted by cb on 10-13-2009 at 4:28 pm
Why. WHY did I click on that gummy bear song?
posted by Caitlin on 10-13-2009 at 4:35 pm
Just couldn’t bear it Caitlin?
Sorry it had to be said.
posted by dbus on 10-13-2009 at 4:41 pm
Cool post! (For the record, I love the red, green, and white ones – and Gummi Cola rocks!)
posted by Steve from San Diego on 10-13-2009 at 4:45 pm
I’m a German teacher…and my kids beg and beg and beg to hear the “Ich bin dein Gummibär” song as often as I will play it for them. And then it’s stuck in my head for weeks afterward.
posted by Fruppi on 10-13-2009 at 5:01 pm
loves me some Coke Bottles, but my favorite Haribo confection is the Roulette.
posted by Seth on 10-13-2009 at 5:12 pm
Seth — I love, love, love the Roulette. A shop near my old offices stocked it for awhile and then, abruptly and seemingly without reason, stopped. I nearly cried. Ok, it wasn’t that bad, but I still felt pretty betrayed.
posted by Linda on 10-13-2009 at 5:14 pm
always been a favorite. so angry when they changed the packaging. And can I get a what-what for chocolate covered gummi bears! ?
posted by ac on 10-13-2009 at 6:29 pm
i have put the giant gummy bear on my xmas wish list and sent the link in hopes that someone buys it for me :)
posted by kat on 10-13-2009 at 6:29 pm
Ugh. Never did like these things. When I was a little girl in the 60′s, my German neighbor would bring these back for the neighborhood kids when she went home to Germany visit family. She always pronounced it GOO-me and not GUH-me. I still pronounce it GOO-me even though I don’t like the things. Swedish fish are better!
posted by Liz on 10-13-2009 at 9:43 pm
I LOVE the Haribo Happy Colas!
posted by Steven on 10-13-2009 at 9:46 pm
How could you describe a history of the gummy bear without mentioning Hedwig and the Angry Inch? :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0ZMR74qno4
(ff to 2:50)
posted by Stacia on 10-13-2009 at 10:06 pm
I remember in the late 80′s we would lick the back of the gummy bear and stick it on our shirt
posted by Stacy on 10-13-2009 at 10:26 pm
I became a gummy bear snob after eating what my brother claimed were the best gummy bears EVER. There is a candy store outside of Chicago in Merrillville, IN (spelling?) I had a tummy ache from eating too many, but it was worth it!
posted by Maggy on 10-13-2009 at 10:46 pm
My dad LOVES Gummy Bears! Every time we go to Ryan’s Steakhouse he has gummy bears with his ice cream. One time he did an entire show for the restaurant we called it the “great gummy bear rescue”, and yes, he did mouth to mouth (my mom was horribly embaressed!). Another time he took two gummy bears home and put them in a fish bowl with water, the next morning they were dissolved.
posted by dee on 10-13-2009 at 10:52 pm
mmmm gummy Venus de Milo….
posted by Mare on 10-14-2009 at 1:20 am
No offense to all of the Gummi Bear lovers but I think they’re gross. Although the Gummi Boobies sound very interesting… I’ve been thinking about getting mine done and I might look into those as an option. :)
ReCaptcha: beloved killjoy
Talk about two words that just don’t mix!
posted by KillerQueen11 on 10-14-2009 at 5:47 am
So, I plugged the German Haribo catchphrase (“Haribo macht Kinder froh… und Erwachsene ebenso!”) into my handy-dandy dashboard translator and got: “Haribo makes children gladly… and adults likewise!”
Now, I know that it actually says, “Haribo makes children happy and adults too.” But I love the idea of Haribo merrily making children and adults all day. Need a child? Gladly! Adults too!
posted by Linda on 10-14-2009 at 8:43 am
I LOVE gummy bears! I’ve also discovered the grown-up joy of vodka gummy bears. Same concept as vodka watermelon: just fill a container with gummy bears, pour in enough vodka to just about cover them, and leave it in the fridge overnight. The next day all of the gummy bears are bloated and gooey with vodka and you’re somewhere in between Candyland and Pleasuretown.
posted by Jessica on 10-14-2009 at 8:52 am
Afew years ago I saw the world’s biggest Gummi Bear in Hagenow, Germany. It was about five feet long and weighed hundreds of pounds. I think it was in the lobby of a the Gummi Bear factory
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_world_record_for_the_biggest_gummy_bear_ever_made
posted by Dennis M on 10-14-2009 at 9:12 am
My German college textbook Impulse had a whole chapter dedicated to Gummi Bears. This was certainly a lot more readable!
posted by Martin on 10-14-2009 at 10:18 am
Love, love. love gummy bears and all things gummy.
On a separate note, how about a post about real, black licorice. Haribo has those black wheels- yuck! I remember studying on Copenhagen, all the kids loved them… and yet they couldn’t stand peanut butter, hun.
Also, I now completely have the theme song for the show in my head. Can’t remember a thing about the actual show but…
” Gummy Beeeaaarrrrssss, bouncing here and there and everywhere, high adventure that’s beyond compare, they are the Gummy Bears!”
posted by ashcolette on 10-14-2009 at 11:33 am
@Mare – thanks for pointing out my whole reason for reading this post…
mmmm gummy Venus de Milo… :)
I *loved* the tv show when I was a kid, but in hindsight does it bother anyone else that there are only two female characters and one’s a child? Kind of disturbing if they need to repopulate…kind of like smurfs, I guess.
recaptcha: “and dumps”
and dumps, too, I guess…
posted by OkieMelissa on 10-14-2009 at 12:16 pm
All I can think about is Ferris Buellers Day Off, when Ed Rooney gets on the bus at the end. They were warm from being in her pocket. =P
posted by Christina on 10-14-2009 at 2:02 pm
I live in Ramstein, Germany, and our new AAFES mall has a Haribo-only candy shop. You can go in and get the normal bags like you could in the store OR go through all the varieties they have in the giant apothecary jars, and fill up bags of random gumminess to your heart’s delight. You can also take a picture with the Haribo bear statue in the store. We just ran out of the Geldbaar, so I get to go tomorrow and restock! Hurray!
ReCaptcha: “Winnipeg which”
Reminds me of Winnie-the-Pooh, who would also make a delicious gummy bear, perhaps honey-filled? Mmmm…..
posted by Tamsyn on 10-14-2009 at 3:32 pm
“Hans Reigel began whipping up hard candies in his kitchen, which his wife would then deliver from the basket of her bike. The new company was called Haribo—a smash up of Hans Riegel of Bonn.”
In 2 sentences you manage to spell the protagonist’s name 2 seperate ways, the second one with an explanation negating the first one. Sloppy.
posted by Pendatic Pete on 10-18-2009 at 11:18 pm
Hey, KillerQueen11: Be advised that gummy bear breast implants are actually still under study by the FDA. You can get them if you really want but the few plastic surgeons who offer them in the U.S. do so for the ongoing trials. If you do for it, remember not to bite into your gummy bear breast implants! They just don’t taste as good as the candy. (I know, I’ve tried!)
posted by ChasCaliforniaSurgicalInstitute on 10-21-2009 at 12:25 pm
Pendatic Pete: if I were you, I would not criticize until you master the spelling of “separate.”
posted by ChasCaliforniaSurgicalInstitute on 10-21-2009 at 12:28 pm
Anyone a fan of chocolate-covered gummy bears? LOVE ‘EM.
posted by KT on 10-22-2009 at 8:12 pm
That was a GOOD show. I am only mildly ashamed to admit this.
posted by Christine (: on 10-23-2009 at 1:21 pm