Gobstopper

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Gobstoppers or jawbreakers are a type of hard candy. They are usually round, and normally range from about 1 - 3 cm across; though gobstoppers can be up to 8 cm in diameter.

The term gobstopper derives from 'gob', which is slang in United Kingdom and Ireland for mouth. The sweet was a favourite amongst British schoolboys between World War I and World War II. In his children's book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, British author Roald Dahl described "Everlasting Gobstoppers", a fictional type of gobstopper that could never get smaller or be finished.

Gobstoppers usually consist of a number of layers, each layer dissolving to reveal a different colour (and sometimes differently flavoured) layer, before dissolving completely. Gobstoppers are too hard to bite without risking dental damage (hence the name jawbreaker).

Gobstoppers have been sold in traditional sweet shops for at least a century, often sold by weight from jars. As gobstoppers dissolve very slowly, they last a very long time in the mouth, which is a major factor in their enduring popularity with children. Larger ones can take days or even weeks to fully dissolve.

Video Gobstopper

Manufacture

Gobstoppers are made by slowly depositing layers onto a core (such as a pressed ball of sugar or a gumball). Gobstoppers are made in large, rotating, heated pans. This is called "hot panning". The candies take several weeks to manufacture, as the process of adding liquid sugar is repeated multiple times. Natural and artificial colors and flavors are also added during the panning process.

Maps Gobstopper

Everlasting Gobstoppers

The Everlasting Gobstoppers, sold under Nestlé's Willy Wonka Candy Company brand, were first introduced in 1976 by Breaker Confections, and are named after the Everlasting Gobstoppers in Roald Dahl's children's book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. In Dahl's story, Everlasting Gobstoppers are purported to last forever. Dahl named the sweet after Gobstoppers, which were a favourite among British schoolboys between the two World Wars.

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Exploding gobstoppers

In 2003, Taquandra Diggs, a nine-year-old girl in Starke, Florida, suffered severe burns, allegedly from biting on a Wonka Everlasting Gobstopper that had been left out in the sun. Diggs and several other alleged victims' families filed lawsuits against Nestlé for medical bills resulting from plastic surgery as well as pain and suffering; the matters were later settled outside of court for an undisclosed amount.

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See also

• Aniseed ball
• Atomic Fireball
• Ed, Edd n Eddy
• Humbug
• Lemonheads

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References

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External links

• Police report on Taquandra Diggs' exploding gobstopper (thesmokinggun.com)

Source of article : Wikipedia