SUGAR LAND, TX— From its storied history, sweets have always been a part of human culture, thus their beginnings did not come from any machine but from natural, native plants that make up the farm-to-fork side of candy’s story. Candy continues to be an important industry worldwide. Just like smiles are the universal language, everyone loves a little something sweet, no matter what country you are in. Sweet! A Tasty Journey, now open at the Houston Museum of Natural Science at Sugar land, is as educational as it is entertaining with interactive opportunities to touch, feel, smell and taste what makes up our obsession with sweets.
Sweet! visitors begin their journey through the farm-to-fork element of society’s obsession with anything sweet, from its birth as a raw material such as: cacao, sugar, dairy, nuts and fruit. Candy’s roots often begin in the dirt; the narrow latitudinal regions where cacao plants and sugar cane grow, or the farms and orchards right here in America that provide sugar beets, nuts, fruits and more. According to Candy Industry’s report, Global State of the Industry: Beyond Borders, chocolate makes up 56% of global sales, and sugar candy another 31%. Both chocolate and sugar candy sales are expected to grow 3-4% over the next five years.
Candy has a storied history, especially at the turn of the 20th century with the Industrial Revolution making production simpler and more cost-effective. Even the Depression gave way to candy success stories by companies like Wrigley and Mars, which offered beleaguered Americans an affordable treat, despite the economy.
Sweet! is comprised of four main areas along the journey: Ingredients, Factory, Delivery and Celebration. Visitors are initially greeted by a 22-foot tall Rock Candy Mountain, which includes several interactive elements where visitors can put candy on a conveyor belt or roast cacao seeds. This colorful centerpiece ties all of the various “lands” within the exhibit together in stunning rich visuals of oversized rock candy, gum drops and other candies.
“Ingredients” is the area where the farm-to-fork story is visually illustrated through interactive exhibits where you can touch an international map of where cacao is sourced for different chocolate. Fifteen primary ingredients are highlighted. Blommer Chocolate, a major supplier of chocolate to candy chocolatiers worldwide, is the featured sponsor in this area with a display that shows how chocolate is developed from a nondescript seed that could easily be mistaken for a coffee bean.
Next the journey moves into the “Factory” where visitors learn about how these natural ingredients are transformed into the final, tasty product. This area has numerous interactive elements including demonstrations about how different types of candy are made: mold candies, pan candies (like Jelly Belly® jelly beans), tempering of chocolate into various treats and how different sugar candies are made by heating to different temperatures. International candies are also highlighted.
Candy “Delivery” earns its own section of the Sweet! exhibit given the culture of candy packaging and advertising over the years. Jelly Belly Candy Company is a key sponsor in this area with two original Jelly Belly jelly bean portraits original art pieces on display, large scale reproductions of “The Starry Night” and “Mona Lisa.” An interactive game based on Jelly Belly’s BeanBoozled® jelly beans is a chance for visitors to enjoy some sweet treats on their journey. Interactive games highlight the history of candy advertising and slogans where visitors can test their childhood memories.
The cultural journey gives way to the “Celebration” and the way we enjoy our favorite treats. In descending order, Americans spend the most on holidays including: Easter, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and Halloween. Sweet! provides yet another sampling opportunity and a peek inside the tremendous cultural significance of sweets both in the U.S. and beyond. Hasbro is featured with a life-size interactive Candyland game display. Additionally, artist Shelly Hedges’ custom-made couture dress made exclusively from candy wrappers, and Willy Wonka memorabilia is on display.
Sweet! A Tasty Journey is on display now through Aug. 6, 2017. For ticket prices or more information visit our website at www.hmns.org or call (281) 313-2277.
The Houston Museum of Natural Science—one of the nation’s most heavily attended museums—is a centerpiece of the Houston Museum District. With four floors of permanent exhibit halls, and the Wortham IMAX® Theatre, Cockrell Butterfly Center, Burke Baker Planetarium and George Observatory and as host to world-class and ever-changing touring exhibitions, the Museum has something to delight every age group. With such diverse and extraordinary offerings, a trip to the Houston Museum of Natural Science, located at One Hermann Circle Drive in the heart of the Museum District, is always an adventure.
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