From cute animal-shaped candies to functional, good-for-you treats, there’s a lot that we’ve gummified over the years. You can even see the inspirations of the humble gummy bear in jewelry and pop culture.

But where did our obsession with gummy treats start? Who was the first to turn gelatin and fruit extracts into bite-sized candies?

Read on to learn more about the history of gummies in different countries and how they entered the US market!

Who Invented Gummies?

The answer depends on what you consider the first-ever gummy.

Most people see the Haribo gummy bears as the original gummy candy. For them, the inventor is a German guy called Hans Riegel.

While Riegel did fill a gap in the market, other jelly-like treats existed. For one, gumdrop confectioneries were around since at least the 1850s, as they were sold by George Julier in Illinois.

In the UK, Charles Maynard came up with wine gums (not alcoholic, despite the name) over a decade before Riegel’s invention. Jelly Babies were also mass-produced by the Bassett factory at least a few years before Riegel’s prototype hit the markets.

And if you’re willing to stretch the definition of a gummy a bit, you can trace it back to Turkish Delights.

Fun Fact: Haci Bekir is a shop in Istanbul that’s been selling Turkish Delights for 200+ years!

Where Were Gummies Invented?

The answer depends on what you consider the first-ever gummy. 

If we consider Hans Reigel to be the inventor of the modern gummy, then the candy was first made in the German city of Bonn.

The location actually inspired the company’s name. Just put together the first two letters of the guy’s first and last names, along with the city’s name (Hans Riegel of Bonn), and you’ll get “Haribo.”

Riegel started making gummies in a small kitchen using nothing more than a copper pot, a rolling pin, and a stove. Later, he expanded the family business to a medium-sized enterprise.

But if we consider gummy candy to be much older than Haribo, then finding a solid answer would be much trickier. Wine gums come from the UK, while Turkish Delights are Ottoman.

When Were Gummies Invented?

Hans Riegel launched his candy-making enterprise in 1920, and his Dancing Bear gummies first saw the light of day in 1922. Haribo’s Goldbears came nearly four decades later.

Gumdrops, however, have been around since the 1800s. Wine gums were invented in 1909. Some believe that Jelly Babies’ direct predecessor was the ghoulishly named “Unclaimed Babies,” a 1864 invention.

As for Turkish Delights, they’re an Ottoman-era treat that was likely first made in the 14th or 15th century.

How Were Gummies Made?

Hans Riegel’s gummies were made by boiling sugar and gelatin together before adding the flavors. The blend was poured into bear-shaped molds and left to cool. Similarly, wine gums’ main ingredients were gelatin, sugar, citric acid, and non-alcoholic fruit flavoring.

Not all gummy prototypes were made with gelatin, though. The first jelly candies were starch-based. Different starches were used to give fruit juices the bouncy form we all know and love.

Turkish Delights, for instance, were made by heating a mixture of corn starch, sugar, fruits, and/or nuts for 1–2 hours. The hot mixture was then dripped onto a starched tray and covered with powdered sugar and even more starch.

Jujyfruits are also a popular starch-based gummy candy available to this day.

What Was the Original Name of Gummies?

Haribo’s first gummy was the Tanzbär, which meant “Dancing Bear.” These didn’t look exactly like the gummy bears we know now. Instead, they were taller, slimmer, and a bit more realistic than the adorable gummy bears on the market today.

Unfortunately, the story behind the name is dark.

The Tanzbären were actual bears used for entertainment in street festivals. The cubs were captured and made to stand on hot plates while music played. As they got uncomfortable, they hopped. Soon, they associated the heat with the music and would start “dancing” to the tune.

What Was the First Gummy Flavor?

Hans Riegel’s first candies were colorless and hard. But as he shifted to soft gummy bears, he opted for fruit-based mixtures. Think lemon, strawberry, and raspberry.

The Tanzbären’s successors, the Goldbären, came in even more flavors that changed slightly based on location.

In the US, the Goldbears come in raspberry, orange, lemon, pineapple, and strawberry. Meanwhile, a pack of the version released in the German market has one extra flavor: apple.

When Did Gummies Enter the US Market?

Haribo officially entered the US market in the 1980s with a sales office in Baltimore.

However, it’s worth noting that some American students did get a taste of the Goldbears before that. German-language teachers would hand the gummies out in class. Servicemen would bring packs as souvenirs as well.

Plus, the US did have its versions of the candy before Haribo’s arrival.

For instance, the family-owned Herman Goelitz company (now Jelly Belly) released both jelly beans and pectin-based spice drops in the 1960s. Jujyfruits (firm, gumdrop-style candy) were also a popular movie-time treat in the 1940s.

How Popular Are Gummies Today?

It’s not hard to see why the gummy category is quite popular today. Gummies are shareable, and it’s easy to fill a bag with several flavors to cater to all tastes. They also come in lots of fun shapes.

In the US, Sour Patch Kids is considered the third most popular Halloween treat. It ranked even higher than Skittles and Hershey Kisses!

Sour Patch Kids also happens to be the top statewide pick in Montana. California, Arizona, and Texas, however, favor the Sour Punch candy.

The gummy candy market in the US was valued at over $500 million in 2024 and is only expected to grow. After all, gummies are no longer just sweet treats—there are lots of “functional” options on the market now, like vitamin and protein-infused gummies.

Meanwhile, in the UK, Haribo has a 72% popularity score and is only disliked by 6%!

How Many Gummies Are Produced Today?

Haribo makes around 100 million Goldbears every day. If you were to add up the whole annual production and lay it down side by side, you’d have enough Goldbears to circle the earth 10 times!

Keep in mind that we’re only talking about one product from one manufacturer. The company has 1,000+ products in its portfolio, and there are competitors on the market. So, it’s safe to say that insane amounts of gummies are pumped out each day.

What Are Gelatin Alternatives?

Gelatin does a great job of giving candies their sticky, chewy, and slightly firm texture. However, it happens to be extracted from animal collagen (skin and bones).

That’s why some manufacturers opt for vegan alternatives sourced from plant polysaccharides or varieties of edible seaweed. Pectin, agar-agar, and carrageenans can all be used to replace gelatin. There are starch-based, no-gelatin DIY recipes out there, as well.

You just need a thickening agent that can hold the ingredients together and create the classic gel-like texture.

Summary

To recap, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly when and where gummies were first invented because there’s no one, solid definition of the first gummy candy.

Some people believe that the first “true” gummy has to be gelatin-based, fruit-flavored, and bear-shaped. In this case, Haribo’s 1922 Tanzbär would be the prototype you’re looking for.

Other folks tend to have a broader definition. They consider jam/jelly treats that were cooked with starches (as a way to preserve fruit) to be the gummy’s predecessor. This would mean that Haribo wasn’t the first to make gummies at all, not when we have Turkish Delight confections.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of the brands mentioned.