This Crunchy Sweet Treat That Originated In Nashville Is Still A Tennessee Favorite

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Nashville, Tennessee, is known for many things such as its fiery hot chicken and swinging country music. But the southern metropolis is also famous for Goo Goo Clusters. The very old candy is made with milk chocolate, peanuts, caramel, and marshmallow nougat. Each piece weighs about 1.5 oz and the pack comes with three nutty clusters. While the chocolate is still mixed with the exact same ingredients as over a century ago, two flavors have come about: pecan and peanut butter.

The confectionery was established over 100 years ago and is still a widely popular snack in the region today. Nashville natives still adore the taste of the treat due to its sweet and nutty nougat flavor. The city even still houses a Goo Goo Cluster factory, inviting locals and tourists alike to stop by and make their own versions of the candy. It's one of Nashville's top-rated excursions and perfect for a party activity or a family fun day. While the nostalgia-filled bon bon's roots are stemmed deep into Tennessee, others chocoholics around the U.S. can still get their fill of a box on Amazon.

The story behind the Goo Goo Clusters goes back to the year the Titanic sank: 1912. The cluster was apparently the nation's first candy bar that was mass produced with more than one ingredient. While most chocolate confections were shaped like a cube during the pre-World War I era, the Goo Goos were unique with their circular mounds.

Shipping clerk Howell Campbell was just 19 when he launched the candy company in 1903 and had a staff of just 12 people. He had just two copper kettles that he used to mold and create his delectables. Campbell and his foreman, Porter Moore, worked together to construct the confectionery and had even hand-dipped the sugary clumps in the chocolate. The moniker "Goo Goo" allegedly came from a lady that Howell knew who drove in the same car with him every morning to the office. While the clusters were sold without wrappings at first, they later were neatly swaddled in foil by hand, marketed as "Nourishing Lunch for a Nickel."