In 1922, a German candy maker named Hans Riegel was looking for a new product to make in his small kitchen workshop in the town of Bonn. He had seen “dancing bear” performances at country fairs and decided to make a sweet shaped like a tiny bear. He used hardened fruit juice and gelatin, and called his creation the Tanzbar - “dancing bear.”
Riegel sold his bears door to door from a bicycle, with his wife as his only helper. The company he founded was named Haribo, which is a shortened version of “HAns RIegel of BOnn.” Today Haribo is one of the biggest candy companies in the world.
The original gummy bears were taller and thinner than the chubby ones we eat today, and they only came in a few flavors. Haribo now sells around 100 million gummy bears a day from its factories. They’ve inspired endless copycats and weird varieties, including a sour version that puckers your whole face.
