Coal candy or Candy coal is a confectionery in the United States, Canada, Spain and Italy associated with the

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...

holiday and the tradition of giving lumps of coal instead of presents in the

Christmas stocking A Christmas stocking is an empty sock or sock-shaped bag that is hung on Saint Nicholas Day or Christmas Eve so that Saint Nicholas (or the related figures of Santa Claus and Father Christmas) can fill it with small toys, candy, fruit, coins or ot ...

s of naughty children. In Japan it is known as "kaitan'ame" (塊炭飴). Coal executives were treated to candy coal in the 19th century at lavish dinners. In the 1970s it was reported that lobbyists for the coal industry passed out coal candy to Congressmen. Kranz's Candies sold coal candy made out of

licorice Liquorice (British English) or licorice (American English) ( ; also ) is the common name of ''Glycyrrhiza glabra'', a flowering plant of the bean family Fabaceae, from the root of which a sweet, aromatic flavouring can be extracted. The liq ...

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

during the early 20th century. A version of coal candy once known as Black Diamonds is produced in the mining town of

Pottsville, Pennsylvania Pottsville is the county seat of Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 13,346 at the 2020 census, and is the principal city of the Pottsville, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area. The city lies along the west bank of th ...

Mootz Candies Mootz Candies is a historic candy maker in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. ...

. The candy was invented by Catherine Mootz in the 1950s and is

anise Anise (; '), also called aniseed or rarely anix is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae native to Eurasia. The flavor and aroma of its seeds have similarities with some other spices and herbs, such as star anise, fennel, licorice, and ta ...

flavored. Black in color and oily, they are made in irregular chunks and packaged in miniature buckets with a small hammer.500 Things to Eat Before It's Too Late
and the Very Best Places to Eat Them by Jane Stern and Michael Stern Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, June 4, 2009 448 pages page 101 They can be made of licorice.The Famous Dutch Kitchen Restaurant Cookbook
Family-Style Diner Delights from the Heart of Pennsylvania Tom Levkulic. Thomas Nelson Inc, Mar 17, 2004 232 pages

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coal candy Candy

See also

References