Gummi candy

Gummy candy

Collection of gummy candies at a market
Alternative names	Gummies, jelly sweets
Type	Confectionery
Place of origin	Germany
Creator	Hans Riegel Sr.
Main ingredients	Gelatin
Variations	Gummi bear, gummi worms

Gummi, gummy, gummies, or jelly candies are a broad category of gelatin-based, chewable sweets, mainly manufactured in the United States and Germany. Gummi bears are widely popular and are a well-known part of the sweets industry. Gummies are available in a wide variety of shapes including bears, bottles, worms, frogs, hamburgers, sharks, toy soldiers, full-size rats, large human body parts (such as hearts and feet), Ampelmännchen (the little figures on pedestrian traffic lights in Eastern Germany) and even the Smurfs. Various brands such as Haribo, Betty Crocker, Disney and Kellogg's manufacture various forms of Gummi snacks, often targeted at young children. The candy and the name "gummi" originated in Germany.

The gummi bear originated in Germany, where it is popular under the name Gummibär (rubber bear) or Gummibärchen (little rubber bear). Hans Riegel Sr., a candy maker from Bonn, produced these sweets under the Haribo company, which he started in 1920.

Cola bottles are sweets in the shape of classic Coca-Cola-style bottles with a cola flavor. They are produced by numerous companies. "Fizzy Blue Bottles", made by Lutti (formerly part of the French division of the Leaf Candy Company, now controlled by a private investment group), are sweets typically found in a pick and mix selection. These are very similar to cola bottle gummies in shape, but they are usually sour and coloured blue and pink. "Blue Bottles", a variation from another company, are identifiable by the small rims around the sides, and are chewier and thicker, with a sweeter taste.