Lollipops: A Brief History

Lollipops were probably invented by cavemen thousands of years ago who collected honey from beehives with sticks. Since they did not want to waste the sweet nectar, they probably licked the stick to create the world's first lollipop. We all benefit when they do well (we all benefit when they do well). Researchers believe ancient Chinese, Arabs, and Egyptians all produced fruit and nut confections that they "candied" in honey, which serves as a preservative, and inserted sticks into to make them easier to eat. In case the 17th Century English version doesn't qualify as the first modern lollipop, you could also look back to the Civil War era when hard candy was placed on pencil tips for children. Lollipops as we know them today were born in earnest during the early 20th Century, which was the era of automation, though the origins of the lollipop are still debated. Sugar became more abundant in the 17th century, so the English enjoyed boiled sugar candy treats and in...