🤔 Today's Trivia Question:

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Features Which Kind of Gobstopper?

Correct Answer: B) Everlasting Gobstoppers

🍭 Gobstoppers: A Century-Old Candy Still Popular Today

Gobstoppers, also known as jawbreakers in the United States and Canada, are a type of hard candy. These round candies typically range from 1 to 3 cm in diameter, although some have been marketed as large as 3.25 inches. The name "gobstopper" comes from "gob," which is slang for mouth in the UK and Ireland. Gobstoppers were particularly popular among British schoolboys in the early 20th century, a fact highlighted by author Roald Dahl. He mentioned them in his autobiography and his famous book "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," where he introduced the fictional "Everlasting Gobstopper."

Gobstoppers are known for their multiple layers, each dissolving to reveal a new color and sometimes a new flavor. They are extremely hard and attempting to bite them can risk dental damage. These candies have been sold in sweet shops by weight for over a century, appreciated for their long-lasting nature.

The manufacturing process involves slowly adding layers to a core, such as a sugar ball, anise seed, or gumball, in large rotating, heated pans. This "hot panning" method takes several weeks as multiple layers of liquid sugar are applied, with colors and flavors added throughout the process.

The Everlasting Gobstoppers, sold by Nestlé's Willy Wonka Candy Company, debuted in 1976. Inspired by Dahl's story, these candies are named after the fictional gobstoppers that never diminish.

In popular culture, gobstoppers have been featured in various media. In the animated series "Ed, Edd n Eddy," jawbreakers are a central plot element, often depicted as comically oversized. The 1999 film "Jawbreaker" revolves around a group of teens who accidentally kill their friend with a jawbreaker.

A notable incident in 2003 involved a nine-year-old girl in Florida who suffered severe burns from an allegedly exploding Everlasting Gobstopper that had been alternately refrigerated and left in the sun. The resulting lawsuits were settled out of court by Nestlé.