We Finally Know What Smarties Candies Actually Taste Like

It's one of the most controversial Halloween candies in existence, but you can't argue with the fact that Smarties are a classic sweet with impressive staying power. The candy (not to be confused with Nestlé Smarties, which feature chocolate coated in a candy shell like an M&M) is known for its tiny size and for coming wrapped up in a thin roll, perfect for placing in pockets and purses. The pastel-colored, tablet-shaped candies also have a reputation for their enigmatic flavors, with some arguing that all of the colors taste the same. However, there are truthfully up to six fruity flavors in every pack of Smarties.

The white Smarties are orange-cream flavored, the yellow color is pineapple, the pink tablets are cherry-flavored, green is strawberry, purple is grape, and orange is orange flavored. Smarties do not rank high on Americans' list of favorite candies. According to a recent survey conducted by Shiny Smile Veneers, Smarties was voted one of the worst candies to receive on Halloween. Despite this, plenty of people enjoy the sweet and tart treats. The candy company has produced billions of Smarties every year for the better part of a century.

In 1949, Edward Dee moved his family from England to New Jersey where he opened Ce De Candy, Inc. in Bloomfield. The company began making Smarties and packaging the candies with a random assortment of the six flavors in each roll, just like they do today. In addition, Dee opened a factory in Canada in 1963 which also made Smarties but released them there under the name Rockets instead. To create each flavor, the company combines a surprisingly short list of ingredients including dextrose, citric acid, calcium stearate, natural and artificial flavors, and artificial colors.

Today, Ce De Candy, Inc. is now Smarties Candy Company and is owned and run by Edward Dee's three granddaughters. The current co-owners have taken huge measures to modernize the candy-making equipment for maximum volume and efficiency, which has helped to both preserve their grandfather's legacy and grow the company in the modern age. In addition to Smarties candies (which now come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and flavors like sour and tropical), the company also makes lollipops which each combine two of the original flavors onto one stick at random.