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Here are today’s five things to know about Candy:

The first chocolate eggs were made in Europe in the early 19th century and remain among the most popular treats associated with Easter.

The winter holidays represent the biggest boxed chocolate selling season.

How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie-pop? According to student researchers at Purdue, it’s 364 licks.

Until the 1930s, the Sugar Daddy candy pop was called the “Papa Sucker.”

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The name “Pez” comes from the German word “pfeffErminZ,” meaning “peppermint.”

Today’s Food History

  • 1873 Anthony Iske was issued a patent for a meat slicing machine. It worked much like a mandoline, with a frame to hold the meat while sliding it against the blade.
  • 1879 James and John Ritty invented the first cash register. They came up with the idea to prevent bartenders from stealing at the Pony House Restaurant in Dayton, Ohio.
  • 1879 African-American inventor, Thomas Elkins received a patent for a refrigerating machine, which could be used to cool food (or even human corpses according to the patent application).
  • 1923 Alfred Heineken was born. Grandson of Gerard Adriaan Heineken, the founder of Heineken Brewery. He was president of the company from 1964 to 1989.

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