Discover the science and history behind our love of chocolate and peanut butter candies!
There are a lot of flavor combinations people love – chocolate and mint, strawberry and lemon, and sea salt and caramel are just a few examples. However, chocolate and peanut butter are perhaps the most beloved of all. You can find this flavor combo most frequently in delicious peanut butter cups. At Wockenfuss Candies, you can enjoy our jumbo peanut butter cups that use milk or dark chocolate to encase creamy peanut butter. But how did these snacks become so popular among people with a sweet tooth? It all comes down to science and how these two flavors are made for each other.
A Timeline of Peanut Butter and Chocolate Inventions
The journey of chocolate and peanut butter candies starts as far back as 1847. That year, Joseph Fry discovered that melting cacao butter into Dutch cocoa could create a moldable chocolate paste, creating the first modern chocolate bar. In 1884, a Canadian chemist and pharmacist, Marcellus Gilmore Edson, invented and patented peanut paste, an early form of peanut butter.
In 1895, John Harvey Kellogg (the man behind Kellogg’s cereals!) patented a process for turning raw peanuts into peanut butter. In 1922, chemist Joseph Rosefield created a process that produces smooth peanut butter and keeps the oil from separating in the mix. Rosefield licensed his invention to the company that became Peter Pan, and later founded his company, Skippy. By the mid-1920s, the H.B. Reese Candy Company was making its peanut butter cup using chocolate from Hershey.
Why Is Peanut Butter and Chocolate Such a Good Pair?
Why is this flavor combination so enticing to people? Food scientist Gregory Ziegler explained that our love of these candies is partially due to “dynamic sensory contrast.” Our brains enjoy the sensory contrast between the two textures of smooth, mouth-watering chocolate and peanut butter’s nuttier, roasted taste. Because chocolate changes texture as it melts in your mouth, it can be incredibly irresistible to taste buds – even without peanut butter!
Science and Food: The Maillard Reaction
There’s even more to why our brains and taste buds react so positively to peanut butter and chocolate candies. The “Maillard reaction” is our bodies’ response to things like roasted nuts, grilled steak, or baked bread. We are primed to react to the browning that occurs when most foods are cooked, a sign of the chemical reactions that change how food tastes.
To sum it up, the taste, smell, and texture of chocolate and peanut butter make these treats a triple threat to our taste buds. We just can’t get enough! If you adore peanut butter and chocolate candies, visit your local Wockenfuss to try our jumbo peanut butter cups or our chocolate-covered peanuts for extra crunch!
A Wide Selection of Delicious Treats from Wockenfuss Candies
Head to WockenfussCandies.com and browse our wide selection of chocolates and candies; we promise you won’t be disappointed! Wockenfuss Candies is one of the oldest candy makers in Baltimore. We opened our doors in 1915 and have proudly served the people of Baltimore ever since. If you have any questions about our wide selection of chocolates, please contact Wockenfuss Candies by calling 1-800-296-4414 or email info@Wockenfusscandies.com. When you’re not savoring our sweets, stay satisfied by following us on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest!