A 3 Musketeers candy bar is a favorite for many people. Its creamy, chocolate nougat center, coated in milk chocolate, is every chocolate-lovers dream come true. But where did this famous candy bar come from and how did it get its name?
3 Musketeers Introduced
The 3 Musketeers candy bar was invented in 1932 in the United States by M&M/MARS. It was the third candy bar produced by the company. It was originally packaged as three, individual mini bars of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry nougat; hence the name, 3 Musketeers.
What Is It?
The 3 Musketeers candy bar is made of two important things: chocolate and nougat. Nougat is made of egg whites that are whipped until light and frothy, with sugared syrup added to it to control the foam, creating what is called a frappé. As other flavoring ingredients are added to the frappé the nougat is born. It is then shaped and dipped in milk chocolate.
Price
In 1932, the original 3 Musketeers cost 5 cents and had three pieces, two of which you could share with friends. As of 2009, the average cost of a 3 Musketeer candy bar was 65 cents.
When it Became One
The 3 Musketeers became a single candy bar with a creamy chocolate nougat, which was the most popular flavor, when World War II made its way to the forefront and money became tight. Strawberry and vanilla had to take a backseat, since the U.S. government ordered rationing of all sugars in spring 1942. It was too expensive to produce all three flavors.
3 Musketeers Today
Today, 3 Musketeers candy bar is still sold with the creamy chocolate nougat. But to celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2007, the company introduced an additional flavor: mint. The mint flavor was a big hit, and is still being sold.
Other Flavors
The 3 Musketeers candy bar has also featured limited-edition flavors, such as French vanilla, mocha cappuccino and strawberry in fall 2007; cherry for Valentine's Day 2008; and orange and raspberry for spring/Easter in 2008. These flavors were only available for a short time.
Trivia and Nutritional Information
Outside of Canada and the U.S., the 3 Musketeers is known as Milky Way. The regular size of the 3 Musketeers candy bar has 257 calories, 5 grams of saturated fat and 40 grams of sugar.
Writer Bio
Kelly Nuttall is a student at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. She is set to graduate in the spring of 2011 with her bachelor's degree in technical communications. She has been writing for various websites since March of 2009.