Sweet As Sin ─ The Unwrapped Story of How Candy Became America's Favorite Pleasure

There’s more to candy than its sugary taste. As this delightful book shows, candy has a remarkable history, most of it sweet, some of it bitter. The author, a food historian and candy expert, tells the whole story, from the harvesting of the marshmallow plant in ancient Egypt to the mass-produced candy innovations of the twentieth century. Along the way, the reader is treated to an assortment of entertaining facts and colorful characters. These include a deposed Mexican president who ignited the modern chewing gum industry, the little-known son of a slave woman who invented the sugar-processing machine still in use today, and the Native Americans who created an important food by mixing fruit with dried meat. The name of the product was pemmican.

The author traces humanity’s changing palette over the centuries as roots, barks, and even bugs were savored. She surveys the many uses of chocolate from the cacao bean enjoyed by Olmec Indians to candy bars carried by GIs in World War II. As she notes, many candies are associated with world’s fairs and other major historical events.

Fun and informative, this book will make you appreciate the candy you love even more and help you discover new treats.

Susan Benjamin is a candy historian and owner of the nation’s only historic candy stores located in Historic Harpers Ferry, WV, and Fredrick, Maryland. Ms. Benjamin receives thousands of customers a year: for many her shop is a destination. She has been featured on numerous television stations, such as Fox News and Voice of America, newspapers and blogs from theSacramento Bee to the Pittsburgh Press, and radio programs. She is currently being considered to host her own television program on historic candy with a major network and she is working with a PBS veteran producer of 23 years to create a series of YouTube videos on candy on her own channel. As a speaker, Ms. Benjamin regularly appears at museums, business meetings, historical societies, and tourist events. An accomplished author of nine books, a journalist, former college professor and radio show host, Ms. Benjamin is also a member of the Press Club in Washington D.C. and the Culinary Historians of Washington.