Who needs dental tooth enamel ? Today is Sour Patch Kids Day ! The sour , sweet , vaguely human form candy is receive an unprecedented surge in popularity , with well-nigh 4 million Facebook “ like ” for its rooter pageboy and steadilyincreasingsales .
To lionise the faux - vacation , 7 - Eleven is offeringfreeSPK - flavored Slurpees ; we ’re proffer 9 facts about the candy , its origins , and whether there ’s an ideal serving temperature .
1. They Started Out as Martians.
When Canadian candy pudding stone Jaret InternationalcreatedSour Patch Kids in the later 1970s , they originally intended to capitalize on the popularity of flying saucer . The candy was called Mars Men and sold reasonably well . When Jaret exported the product to the United States in 1985 , they decided Americans were A ) . not as enthused about aliens , and B ) . preoccupied with the Cabbage Patch Kids , promptingthe name variety . surprisingly , no noetic property lawsuit was filed , and the Sour Patch Kids were bear .
2. The Blonde Kid on the Package Was a Real, Live Boy.
Collecting Candy
Though he finally disappeared from SPK promotional textile , the Sour Patch Kid mascot of the packaging wasbasedon Jaret collaborator Frank Galatolie ’s son , Scott . He remained with the brand name for some time , unremarkably with his glossa sticking out , and after sported a baseball game cap . As part of abrand faceliftin 1992 , Scott ’s alter ego was redesigned and joined by a female companion . Both disappeared circa 2011 when the candy fix a gingerbread - look gummy as its new spokes … thing .
3. There Might Be an Ideal Temperature for Consumption.
If you ’ve ever observe that Sour Patch Kids purchased at a movie theater tasted better than ones bought at a memory , you ’re not alone : J. Kenji Lopez - Alt of SeriousEats.comtheorizesthat SPKs are soft and fresh in multiplexes due to eminent turnover rate . SPKs buy from bulk binful — which are exposed to air as well as grubby little hands — or from confect gangway might stand a higher chance of being stale .
4. They Provide Housing for Indie Bands.
The Rolling Stones sleep wherever they desire , but lowly banding demand accommodations when they travel ; Mondelez International , the current possessor of SPK , has rent dwelling in East Austin , Texas andBrooklyn , New York for musicians hap through town for gigs . In exchange for free lodgment , the talent is expected tomentionthe “ Patch ” ( the slang name for the property ) on societal media . To help adulterate the ignominy of corporate Kenyan shilling , bowls of the candy are offer .
5. Bootleg SPKs Are Being Laced with Drugs.
YouTube
“ Flakka , ” which is close to the synthetical drug ethylone , is a street substance that cause frenetic behaviour typically affiliate with bath salts or Richard Simmons . Prevalent in the Miami , Florida area , it ’s allegedly being dust over candy that looks alarmingly like Sour Patch Kids . The Miami Sun Timesreportedin July that a drug flop produce batches of spiked gummies . According to local news affiliate WFLA , Miami - Dade policeissueda public warning about the trend .
6. They’re Tongue-Activated.
Sour Patch Kidscontaintartaric and citric acids , which are chock full of proton that our natural language record as sour . The protons in reality increase when the acids are meld with a liquid state like saliva . glum Patch Kids Extreme make it one further , addinglactic acid for an excess flake of tongue - sizzle good .
7. They Turned Method Man a Little Sour.
Rapper Method Man got some heat in 2011 for perform a birdcall , “ World Gone Sour , ” that was created at the behest of Mondelez . The gummies are big in both the birdsong and accompanying medicine video , leading tochargesMethod may have trade out . “ I think it is for the advance of the medicine , ” he said . “ At least [ Sour Patch Kids ] start a real knocker to do a video . They get a jolty rapper and they should get extolment for that and I should get kudos for broadening our horizons . "
8. They Can Be Little Jerks.
Sour Patch has attend a boost in cut-rate sale in late geezerhood thanks to an aggressive social media presence , including a game app and a serial of commercial intended for viral consumption . In one spot , a gang of gummiessaw offthe high bounder of a adult female about to approach a prospective engagement ; in another , theyreleasea sens into a hapless humans ’s bedroom . The sentient creatures express some measure of remorse when they sprain “ sweet”—like setting out a mattress for a man they’vetrippedwith a string of vacation lighting — but they still appear to ravish in pervert others . You might be pleased to experience that :
9. You Can Buy Their Tiny Severed Heads.
Brands often experiment with newfangled approaches in strange markets . Perhaps one day Americans will be able to enjoy Sour Patch Kids Heads and Bodies , a Halloween - themed promotionavailablein the UK that have their little beheaded heads and matching body . Who ’s responsible for this confectionary butchery ? Probably the cat they pushed down a flight of concrete stair .
