#NationalSourCandyDay

In the world of candy, sour candy is the young, energetic, and fun member of the candy family. It awakens the taste buds and adds a punch of youthful energy. Every flavor combination out there creates a dazzling taste sensation. Surprisingly, sometimes a sweet candy delivers a walloping tear-jerking zap in a bite-sized lozenge or sucker that lasts for several minutes. Other times, it delivers the punch in a chewy form. These fun sour candies come in a variety of entertaining shapes and sizes. From chewy twists and ropes to sweet bite-sized pieces and straws, each one creates a unique juicy tang.

The Science of the Sour

It’s All About the Acid
The intense tartness in sour candy comes from organic acids. The most common culprit is citric acid (found naturally in citrus fruits), but manufacturers also use malic acid (the extreme sour kick found in granny smith apples) and tartaric acid (found in grapes).

The "Brain Glitch"
Humans are biologically wired to reject sour tastes because wild primates associated sourness with unripe, toxic, or spoiling food. Eating sour candy essentially tricks your brain into a mini-alarm state before your taste buds realize it's just sugar!

On this sweet holiday, instead of trying regular old candy, celebrate by trying sour candy. It's like having a birthday and not getting any older! If you've tasted sour candy before, try a new flavor and discover which one makes your mouth pucker the most! Will it be Cherry or Watermelon or maybe a combination of Tangerine-Lemonade? Without a doubt, July 18th is the perfect day to share any of the variety of flavors the American Licorice Company has to offer.

Did you know?

Sour candy isn't a modern invention. In the late 1800s, candy makers sold cheap, acid-flavored drop candies to children, though they weren't nearly as intense as today's treats.

5 NATIONAL SOUR CANDY DAY CELEBRATIONS

Brighten up your day with some sour candy. As a matter of fact, we want to see your best pucker!

Host a "Blind Taste Test" with friends or family to see if they can guess the fruit flavor based purely on the tartness, or rate candies on a "Pucker Scale" from 1 to 10.
Try to incorporate sour candy into your treats. Add some citric acid or crushed sour candy to baked goods or popcorn. You might freeze some worms inside ice cubes and then add the ice cubes to lemonade.
Visit a a local, independent candy store or boutique sweet shop in your area to discover unique, artisanal, or nostalgic sour treats they’ve never tried before.
Take the #SourFaceChallenge! Film your reaction to eating an entire strip of sour candy without blinking or changing your expression.
Post your sour candy adventures on social media using the hashtag #NationalSourCandyDay.

NATIONAL SOUR CANDY DAY HISTORY

American Licorice Company founded National Sour Candy Day in 2015 to celebrate all the tasty varieties of sour candies and to encourage everyone to give them a try.

The Registrar at National Day Calendar proclaimed National Sour Candy Day to be observed on July 18th annually.

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