Mmmmm M and M's

One of the most classic American candies is M&M's. These little multicolored gems are just good on their own or in a variety of different dishes and treats.What is even more interesting is their history and their impact on the American culinary landscape.

M&M's made their debut in 1941 during the beginning of World War II. Forrest Mars Senior based them on the British candy Smarties when he saw soldiers eat them as a snack during the Spanish Civil War. The British version had only debuted a few years before in 1937. and were possibly based on the Moravian version first made in Holesov Czech Republic as early as 1907.Mars was the father of the famed Milky  Ways and Mars Bars  introduced in 1923 and 1932. The candy is nothing more than a chocolate pellet coated with hard panning, basically hardened sugar syrup. Those iconic M's? One  is for Mars - of course and and Bruce Murrie, son of Hershey's chocolate president  William F.R. Murrie. They candy was made with Hershey's chocolate which had control of all the rationed chocolate at the time.After receiving a patent for it ,Mars had the candy made in the posh neighborhood of Clinton Hill, in Newark, New Jersey. Their first customer was the US Army who saw the candy as the perfect foodstuff that wouldn't melt in the pockets of soldiers stationed in tropical climates. It was strictly  army food until the end of the war when it was finally sold to civilians. The iconic brown package came about in 1950 while the Ms came about in 1949.It was black at first and then changed to white in 1954.

Most of us grew up with the classic milk chocolate or peanut ones that came about in 1954. The eighties saw the candies go global with being introduced all over the world, from Australia to Malaysia. They even hit the UK where they 've been competing with Smarties.Holiday M&M's were introduced then too, with pastel candies imprinted with bunny, chick and egg symbols. The Christmas ones were colored with  red, white and green coatings, with the last one  being mint flavored. The M's were replaced with fir trees, bells and candles. The Nineties saw the ushering in of M&M Minis sold in plastic cylinders . The new century welcomed such new flavors as dulce de leche, caramel, and peanut butter.Also entering the candy scene was dark chocolate - a nice break from the milk along with white chocolate.There's also chocolate crispy and pumpkin spice that comes out in the fall. Fruit flavors have also crept into the M&M flavor mill as  well. There are coconut, orange,cherry cordial raspberry and even candy apple.! Newer flavors are birthday cake and pretzel - the last a nice mix of sweet and salty.Mars  also makes pecan pie and caramel which is sooooo addictive.

Everyone has a favorite M&M. What's yours? Mine are caramel and almond for now. That may change when I taste the dark chocolate ones again.