by Laurnie Wilson
Are You a Nerd Nerd?
Letโs face it; being called a nerd was never really cool. Sure, maybe it meant that deep down inside, whoever referred to you in such a way had perhaps an ounce of respect for your dedication to your studies. But letโs be real, being a nerd? Never fun. But, eating a nerd? Now thatโs a whole lot sweeter! Think youโre the nerdiest of all nerd lovers? Well, read on to see if you really know the hard facts about one of Americaโs favorite sweets.
Birth of a Nerd
Invented in 1983 by Angelo Fraggos,ย Nerdsย found a niche in what was a culture already familiar with the term. But was the candy actually named after the bookish folk you made fun of, or the bookish person you were, during your schooldays? The verdict is still out.
Some say that the candy was named after a reference in the Dr. Seuss Book,ย If I Ran the Zoo, where a โnerdโ is mentioned as one of the creatures the narrator would collect for his zoo. However, most people today assume the candy has something to do with those of us who devoted our lives to our homework. (Yep, Iโm looking at you! But relax, it takes one to know one, right?) Regardless of where the candyโs name actually originated, itโs safe to say that it struck a chord with someone and has been around ever since!
A Nerd A Day
Originally, these sweet and sour little treats came in two flavors, Cherry/Orange and Strawberry/Grape. The fun two-toned packaging and separated flavor compartments are all a part of the Nerds charm, and one of the best reasons to eat them! After all, who wants to pick one flavor, when you can have two?
Nowadays, there are plenty of flavors to choose from. Maybe you want Sour-Lightning Lemon/ Amped Apple, Wildberry/ Peach or Wild Cherry/ Watermelon. The list goes on! With all of theย Nerdsย innovation, thereโs bound to be a flavor (or two!) you can call your own.
Nerds For All!
So although you can no longer munch on Nerds Breakfast Cerealโit was discontinued a while backโyou can eat Nerds pretty much any other time of the day. We wonโt judge! After all, it was voted Candy of the Year in 1985, so you know you canโt go wrong with that!
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nerds_(candy)
https://wonkacandyhistorymuhh.wordpress.com
https://www.wonka.com
https://www.candyblog.net/blog/item/wonka_sour_nerds
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nerd
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20060822141154AAyTnxA
