Cherry Mash is an American
candy bar
A candy bar is a type of portable candy that is in the shape of a bar. The most common type of candy bar is the chocolate bar, including both bars made of solid chocolate and combination candy bars, which are candy bars that combine chocolate wi ...
consisting of a soft, cherry-flavored center containing
maraschino cherries
A maraschino cherry ( ) is a preserved, sweetened cherry, typically made from light-colored sweet cherries such as the Royal Ann, Rainier, or Gold varieties. In their modern form, the cherries are first preserved in a brine solution usually ...
, covered in a mixture of chopped roasted peanuts and chocolate.
The Cherry Mash was formulated in 1918 by Ernest Chase, son of Dr. George Washington Chase, who went into the candy business in
St. Joseph, Missouri
St. Joseph is a city in and county seat of Buchanan County, Missouri, Buchanan County, Missouri, United States. A small portion of the city extends north into Andrew County, Missouri, Andrew County. Located on the Missouri River, it is the princ ...
, in 1876.
The original candy consisted of a quarter-pound mound of chopped roasted peanuts, blended with a chocolate coating over a smooth cherry
fondant
Fondant is a mixture of sugar and water used as a confection, filling, or icing. Sometimes gelatin and glycerine are used as softeners or stabilizers.
There are numerous varieties of fondant, with the most basic being poured fondant. Others inc ...
center. It was originally called Cherry Chase, and then Cherry Chaser before becoming known as Cherry Mash.
In 1944, the Chicago-based F.S. Yantis and Company purchased Chase Candy for more than $1 million. In 1954, Chase Candy acquired the Bunte Brothers Candy Company, makers of the fruit-filled hard candy known as Diana Stuft Confections. Bunte is also credited with making the first chocolate-covered candy bar, the Tangos, around 1914.
Today, Cherry Mash remains the Chase Candy Company's best-selling product. It is still produced in a factory in
Saint Joseph, Missouri
St. Joseph is a city in and county seat of Buchanan County, Missouri, Buchanan County, Missouri, United States. A small portion of the city extends north into Andrew County, Missouri, Andrew County. Located on the Missouri River, it is the princ ...
, and can be found throughout the
Midwest
The Midwestern United States (also referred to as the Midwest, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern central part of the United States. It ...
in most grocery and convenience stores and mass-merchandise outlets. To this day, Cherry Mash continues to be the best-selling cherry candy bar in the United States according to the Chase Candy website.
See also
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Twin Bing
The Twin Bing is a candy bar made by the Palmer Candy Company of Sioux City, Iowa. It consists of two round, chewy, cherry-flavored nougats coated with a mixture of chopped peanuts and chocolate. The company also produces individual Bings, as w ...
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List of chocolate bar brands
This is a list of chocolate bar brands, in alphabetical order, including discontinued brands. A chocolate bar, also known as a candy bar in American English, is a confection in an oblong or rectangular form containing chocolate, dark chocol ...
References
External links
Cyberpunks.org review
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Brand name confectionery
Products introduced in 1918