Jelly BeansDo you have a favorite jelly bean flavor? There are so many different flavors of jelly beans, in fact, there are over 100 different flavors of Jelly Belly jelly beans. Studies show that most children prefer red candies. Did you know that manufacturers produce more than 16 billion candies for Easter alone? Jelly Beans are such a popular candy that we celebrate National Jelly Beans Day on April 22. Additionally, on October 15, 1999, the world's largest jar of candy canes was made. It weighed 6,050 pounds, more than the average car. Jelly Belly even donated 288,000 jelly beans in 47 different flavors for the world's first stop-motion animated jelly bean music video "In Your Arms" by Kina Grannis; released in November 2011. Are you now ready to hear more interesting facts about jelly beans?The Early Years of Jelly BeansThe first jelly bean was created in the 1800s by an unknown American candy maker. An 1861 advertisement recommended sending candy to soldiers fighting in the Civil War. The original eight flavors or Jelly Belly beans introduced in 1976 were Root Beer, Very Cherry, Cream Soda, Green Apple, Grape, Lemon, Licorice and Tangerine. Very Cherry was the most popular flavor of Jelly Belly beans for 20 years until 1998, when Buttered Popcorn shot to the top of the charts. But in 2003, Very Cherry returned to number one with only 8 million beans. Last year, there were enough Jelly Belly beans consumed to circle the earth more than 5 times. President Ronald Reagan's Uses for Jelly Beans and Jelly Bean Art President Ronald Reagan used jelly beans for many things, he even had a flavor made for him. There is a portrait of President Ronald Reagan made from 10,000 Jelly Belly beans that hangs in President Ronald Reagan...... middle of paper ...... it was first invented in the 17th century, to France to make Jordan Almonds. Today the panning process is done by a machine, but it has remained essentially the same for the last 300 years. The French would start by tossing the almonds in a bowl of sugar and syrup until they were completely coated in a candy shell, which they basically do to make jelly beans. Today, however, large rotating pans do the hard work, while master pastry chefs apply their true art by adding the right ingredients to create the perfect, smooth shell for the beans. One way or another, both processes have made their way to America. Works CitedJelly Belly https://jellybelly.com/ Grossman, SamanthaTime.com. 01/21/2013, p1-1. 1p. 1 color photograph. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=voh&AN=93976313&site= http://www.candyusa.com/FunStuff/CandyType.cfm?ItemNumber=929