Halloween candy: why do sweet treats go with a spooky day?

young girl and dog in costumes, inspecting their Halloween candy

Halloween is a big holiday, one that we’re willing to spend billions of dollars each year to celebrate with costumes and Halloween candy.

It’s also an old holiday, dating back thousands of years to the Celts, people who lived in what is now Ireland and the UK. Many of the things were now associate with Halloween have their roots in Celtic traditions. For example:

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80 years of sweetness: our 80th anniversary!

It was 1938 – 80 years ago. MGM studios began shooting The Wizard of Oz. DuPont unveiled the first product that used nylon. Natalie Wood, Jon Voight and Etta James were born.

And in Pennsylvania, a little-family owned candy business moved out of their garage and opened their first store. That candy business was us. This year, we’re marking 80 years of making quality candy, chocolates and gifts.

Stutz is beyond proud to have reached this milestone and beyond grateful to the generations of customers who have enjoyed our chocolates, treats, and sweets, turning a small home business to a recognized candy brand with three robust stores.

But how did we get here?

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Chocolate history: the evolution of this sweet treat

chocolate history: cocoa powder, cacao pods, chocolate bars

We may never know who discovered cocoa in the Amazon 4,000 years ago, but we owe them a debt.

Without that person, we might not be here writing this post. The Stutz company might have made shoes or sold insurance.

But how did we get from the cocoa prized by the Aztecs and Mayans to the boxed chocolates we all enjoy today? It’s the start of the school year, so here’s a history lesson on the evolution of chocolate.

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How Salt Water Taffy Got Its Name

wrapped green and blue salt water taffy

Summer is in full swing, and countless people are heading to the Jersey shore, where they’ll seek out the best salt water taffy the boardwalks have to offer.

It got us thinking again about the history of this classic seaside treat, and its unique history. Read on to find out how salt water taffy got its name.

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5 Reasons Why Your Business Should Send Candy This Holiday Season

gt-1It’s usually pretty easy to shop for the people in our lives. We know what they like and dislike, and when all else fails, there’s the Amazon wish list.

But when you run a business, holiday shopping can be somewhat trickier. Are you struggling with what to put in your corporate gift baskets, Bucks County business owners? Why not go with candy and handmade chocolate from Stutz?

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Why Salt and Sweet Are a Perfect Pair

Salt and sweet are an amazing pairing.

That’s apparent to anyone who’s ever enjoyed a box of chocolate covered pretzels or secretly – or not so secretly – dunked their French fries into a milkshake.

And maybe after you were done that pretzel or that ice-cream-coated fry, you asked yourself the eternal question of the satisfied diner:

“Why does this taste so good?”

As a long-time supplier of candy in Bucks County, it’s a question that interests us, so we did some digging. Here’s what science tells us.

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Chocolate & Peanut Butter: A Classic Combo

Stutz Peanut Butter Cups

Remember those peanut butter cup ads from the 1980s?

Two people walking down the street, one munching a chocolate bar, the other – improbably – just eating peanut butter straight from the jar.

They bump into each other and then:

“Hey! Your peanut butter’s in my chocolate!”

“Your chocolate is in my peanut butter.”

Then they taste this new combination – one apparently unheard of in the universe of this commercial – and learn something we’ve known for years here at our chocolate shop in Bucks County: When peanut butter and chocolate come together, it’s glorious.

So glorious that Reese’s peanut butter egg is the largest-selling Easter candy in America, accounting for nearly 10 percent of the $1.2 billion in Easter candy sold each year.

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Origins of Iconic Boardwalk Treats: Saltwater Taffy & Fudge

New Jersey Fudge

There are certain foods that are forever linked to certain places: Cheesesteaks and Philadelphia. Maple syrup and Vermont. Deep dish pizza and Chicago.

And at towns along the New Jersey shore, it’s two types of candy: salt water taffy and fudge. You may have your favorite boardwalk treat, but its these two that stand out among the list of Jersey shore icons.

In this blog post, we’ll look at the history of salt water taffy and fudge in New Jersey.

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