“Saving enough soda bottles at two cents a bottle was not easy when every kid in the neighborhood was looking for those bottles. Not many people drank soda, so it was difficult to get 3 bottles to make up enough for a 5 cent candy bar. Baby Ruth was my favorite, so to look for dropped pennies or a soda bottle was like treasure hunting with a wonderful treasure to receive. In such small hands a candy bar seemed really large. What a treat is was and I still love them today.”
~Evelyn from Connecticut
Baby Ruth is a chocolate candy bar filled with gooey caramel, crunchy peanuts, and a chewy nougat. Originally at only five cents per bar, it was half the price of other candy bars at the time. Because of this and its deliciousness, Baby Ruth quickly became one of the best- selling candy bars available on the market. After just five years of production, five million Baby Ruth bars were being sold each and every day.
Introduced in 1921, Baby Ruth was first named Kandy Kake, but the product is said to be revamped and renamed after the daughter of President Grover Cleveland, Ruth Cleveland. However, there are some who believe it is questionable that the candy was actually named after Ruth Cleveland and not Babe Ruth, the baseball star.
Baby Ruth suspiciously first appeared on shelves at the same time Babe Ruth became one of the most famous people in the United States. Critics find it hard to believe that the Curtiss Candy Company would name a candy bar after the daughter of a former president. Not to mention, Ruth Cleveland died of diphtheria from tonsillitis complications at the age of twelve in 1904, over seventeen years before the production of the Baby Ruth bar.
The Curtiss Candy Company stands by the belief that Babe Ruth did not become a star until long after the introduction of Baby Ruth in 1921. However, there are some key facts that dispute this statement. Prior to the 1920 baseball season, Babe Ruth established himself as a star outfielder and hitter on the New York Yankees. By fall of 1921, Babe Ruth had more press than the president of the United States, Warren Harding. Ruth became so famous that his salary was greater than President Herbert Hoover’s in 1930.
No matter where the origins of the name come from, one things for sure- the Baby Ruth candy bar is a delicious treat to be enjoyed for generations.
Fun Fact: The candy, Baby Ruth, has made appearances in movies such as The Goonies and Caddyshack.
https://www.oldtimecandy.com/collections/walk-the-candy-aisle-baby-ruth
https://www.candywarehouse.com/baby-ruth/
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/baby-ruth/
https://www.history.com/news/babe-ruth-v-baby-ruth
http://www.historyspaces.com/u-s-history/was-there-ever-a-real-baby-ruth/
I never knew any of this about Baby Ruth. It’s really interesting to hear the theories of where the name came from.
Until now, I thought that Baby Ruth was named after the baseball player… but it is ironic with the timing.
Interesting topic choice. I like how you took such a small, common thing and expanded it into an informative piece of writing. While almost everyone indulges in the deliciousness of candy, few know the history or the background of how favorite candies came to be. I look forward to finding out more, and hope to read about some of my favorite, sweet-tooth cravings.
I love the quote you have at the beginning! It’s really a unique touch to your blog. Baby Ruths have never been my favorite for some reason. Maybe I’m weird but I’ve never really liked them. I love the use of history behind the candy as well!