Smarties

Smarties History

Smarties are a type of fruit-flavored tablet candy produced by Smarties Candy Company, since 1949. So why are they called Smarties? The verb "to smart" means to have one's face involuntarily pucker which is exactly what happens when you eat a Smartie.

Tour the Smarties candy factory.

Smarties Memories

When I was a kid in the 60s and 70s, I always wished for Smarties in my Halloween bag - and it was very rare that anyone handed them out (those were the days when people could still give you homemade TollHouse cookies and you felt safe eating them!). But when I did get a roll, I remember taking off the wrapping and carefully sorting them by color (I may be one of the few people who can claim that each Smartie color is a different flavor!) The best ones were the ones that were a little powdery - sort of like eating flavored chalk dust. Purple (grape) was my favorite, followed closely by pink and white - naturally most rolls didn't have but one purple one, so I always saved that for last.

Now that you can buy Smarties in the grocery store, I have to confess that I have (more than once) eaten an entire bag at one sitting - and have never ever regretted the huge sore on the end of my tongue from eating so many at once! I don't know exactly why they're my favorite - their flavor and their texture and their tininess all have something to do with it - but they are the BEST! ~ Martha from Pennsylvania

I had no idea Smarties date back to the 1940s! I loved them when I was a child (in the '50s) and I still love them today. The roll of sweet and tangy colorful candy bits always made me feel as if I were getting more candy bang for my penny! As a college teacher, I now bring Smarties to class on exam days. Why? You guessed it. To help my students feel smarter as they take their tests. I am sure the magic still works. My students love Smarties. ~Madeline from Virginia