Gumdrops are a type of gummy

candy Candy, also called sweets (British English) or lollies (Australian English Australian English (AusE, AusEng, AuE, AuEng, en-AU) is the set of varieties of the English language native to Australia. It is the country's common language an ...

. They are brightly colored

pectin Pectin ( grc, πηκτικός ': "congealed" and "curdled") is a heteropolysaccharide, a structural acid contained in the primary lamella, in the middle lamella, and in the cell walls of terrestrial plants. The principal, chemical component of ...

-based pieces, shaped like a narrow

dome A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...

(sometimes with a flattened top), often coated in granulated

sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or double ...

and having fruit and spice flavors; the latter are also known as spice drops.

History

Gumdrops first appeared in the 19th century United States, purportedly as early as 1801, although at that time they likely referred to small, hard sweets also derived from fruit gelatin. The name "gumdrop" is not found in print until 1859, appearing in an advertisement published by the Decatur, IL ''Illinois State Chronicle'' for a candy shop owned by a George Julier. By that time, a

gelatin Gelatin or gelatine (from la, gelatus meaning "stiff" or "frozen") is a translucent, colorless, flavorless food ingredient, commonly derived from collagen taken from animal body parts. It is brittle when dry and rubbery when moist. It may also ...

-based, rubbery candy akin to modern gummies went by the ''gumdrop'' name, but also a pastier candy with a potato starch base. One of the oldest types of gumdrops still produced are "spice" gumdrops, using traditional spices including clove, anise, allspice, spearmint, cinnamon, and wintergreen for flavoring.

Usage

Gumdrops, spice drops, and their variations are used in baking for decorating cakes. Around Christmas, they are sometimes used to decorate gingerbread houses and other confections.

In popular culture

The Apollo 9 Command module was nicknamed "Gumdrop". The board game '' Candy Land'' includes a "Gumdrop Pass" and "Gumdrop Mountain". The use of the expression "goody gumdrops" as an alliterative exclamation of joy was first recorded in the 1959 novel ''

Strike Out Where Not Applicable Strike may refer to: People *Strike (surname) Physical confrontation or removal *Strike (attack), attack with an inanimate object or a part of the human body intended to cause harm *Airstrike, military strike by air forces on either a suspected ...

'' by British crime author

Nicolas Freeling Nicolas Freeling (born Nicolas Davidson; 3 March 1927 – 20 July 2003), was a British crime novelist, best known as the author of the "Van der Valk" series of detective novels. A television series based on the character was produced for the Brit ...

: "Buttered toast, and cherry cake, as well as Marmite. Goody, goody gumdrops."

References

External links

Cooks.com Gumdrop recipes
Gummi candies es:Pastilla de goma {{Candy

History

Usage

In popular culture

See also

References

External links