These Beloved Snack Brands All Hail From Pennsylvania — How Many Do You Recognize?

Pennsylvania may be known as the birthplace of the Constitution, but it's also the birthplace of many of the country's favorite snacks. Among the state's claims to fame, it's largely considered to be the Potato Chip Capital of the World, the Pretzel Capital of the World, and, not surprisingly, the Snack Capital of the World. Of course, one name probably comes to mind when you think of Pennsylvania-made snacks — Hershey's (did we mention Pennsylvania is also considered the Chocolate Capital of the U.S.?) The brand has melted into the very identity of the state — the town of Hershey is named for the company, not the other way around, for goodness' sake — and now houses over 70 brands under its umbrella.

Just like chocolate, pretzels are also deeply intertwined with Pennsylvania, going back to its German roots. It is also home to more potato chip companies than anywhere else in the country. What's more, the lion's share of these snack producers are neighbors, located in the adjacent counties of Lancaster, York, Berks, and Dauphin in the southeast corner of the state.

It's staggering how many snack foods have ties to Pennsylvania. And while many may be more connected by association than origin, dozens of brands were born from its fertile soil, booming food production industry, and entrepreneurial families. If you love to snack, chances are you have some of the following Pennsylvania-original treats in your pantry — and you may recognize even more.

Hershey's may be why dozens of other brands are now in Pennsylvania's snack food orbit, but it was born and bred in the Keystone State. The company dates back to 1894, when Milton Hershey established Hershey Chocolate Company as a subsidiary of Lancaster Caramel Company. The town of Hershey has massive manufacturing plants that make its milk chocolate bars (with and without almonds), syrups, and more than 70 million Hershey's Kisses Milk Chocolates every day (per The Hershey Company).

When James Herr bought a small potato chip company in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1946, he was looking to get out of his family's chicken farming business. Herr quickly improved the company's cooking processes and grew the chip business, despite losing its entire factory in a fire in 1951. Today, the business is still owned by the Herr family and remains in Pennsylvania. The Herr's Snack Factory serves as a fun tourist attraction in Nottingham, Pennsylvania.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups is owned by Hershey's, but the H.B. Reese Candy Company began as a separate Pennsylvania venture inspired by Hershey's success. By the mid-1930s, the peanut butter cups were the company's most popular item. Following decades of success, Hershey's purchased the H.B. Reese Candy Company in 1963.

Musselman's is a household name across the country when it comes to all things apples, and the family farmer-owned business started in the orchards of Adams County, Pennsylvania, back in 1907. Today, more than 100 farming families supply apples for Musselman's line of applesauces, juice, cider, pie filling, vinegars, and butter. Now owned by Knouse Foods Co-op, Musselman's is headquartered in Peach Glen, Pennsylvania.

The Utz family began making Hanover Home Brand Potato Chips back in 1921 in Hanover, Pennsylvania. The first Utz plant was built in 1930, adjoining the back of the Utz home, and Hanover Home Brand became Utz Potato Chip Company in 1947. Over the years, Utz has expanded to make pretzels, popcorn, cheese puffs, and more. Today, Utz has plants across the U.S., as well as a portfolio of brands under its umbrella, and remains headquartered in Hanover.

Another Hanover original is Snyder's of Hanover pretzels, beginning with the Hanover Pretzel Company, founded by Harry Warehime, in 1909. Several members of the Snyder family were selling their homemade goods, including pretzels, potato chips, and angel food cakes, to local stores and door-to-door, so they decided to band together and found Snyder's Bakery in 1924. While Snyder's of Hanover is now one of many food brands owned by Campbell Soup Company, it maintains its primary manufacturing presence in its Pennsylvania hometown.

The idea for individually wrapped snack cakes delivered fresh daily was born from the son of a Pittsburgh baker. Philip Baur joined forces with Herbert Morris, an egg salesman, in 1914 to found Tasty Baking Company in Philadelphia, which later became Tastykake. Right around the time Reese's was taking off, Tastykake introduced the Tandy Take, a white cake topped with peanut butter and coated in milk chocolate. Now known as Kandy Kakes, the vintage cake became a Philadelphia snack food icon.

In 1921, Earl Wise decided to make potato chips to use up the excess potatoes at his grocery store. Four years later, he opened his first plant in Berwick, Pennsylvania. Over the past century, Wise Foods Inc. has expanded its snack food portfolio to include Cheez Doodles, Onion Rings, Dipsy Doodles, and more, while also acquiring other snack brands. The company is still located in Berwick.

The idea for confectionery chicks hatched in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, around the 1940s, though the exact birthdate of the marshmallow birds is unclear. The Rodda Candy Company came out with limited-edition marshmallow products that required a painstaking, 27-hour process just to yield a single batch. When Just Born, a candy manufacturer based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, bought the Rodda Candy Company in 1953, it saw an opportunity in the cute marshmallow chicks. Now, Just Born offers seasonal Peeps varieties throughout the year.

If you're a fan of soft baked pretzels, you have Pennsylvania to thank for an Auntie Anne's in just about every mall across America. The Pennsylvania Dutch delicacy was brought to the national stage by company founder Anne Beiler, who started the business in 1988 to fund her husband's free counseling services offered in their community. Auntie Anne's is now headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, but its Pennsylvania roots run deep.

York Peppermint Patties got their name from their hometown of York, Pennsylvania. The York Cone Company got its start making ice cream cones back in the 1920s. But its owner, Henry C. Kessler, couldn't shake his obsession with creating a perfectly crisp chocolate-and-peppermint candy. York Cone Company was acquired by Peter Paul in 1972, which merged with Cadbury Schweppes in 1978, which was then acquired by Hershey's in 1988.

Also under the Hershey's umbrella, Lily's Sweets has roots going back to 1978, when owner Cynthia Tice opened Center Foods in Philadelphia, a natural grocery store offering better-for-you foods. Tice developed her own no-sugar-added chocolates in an effort to cut sugar from her diet, which became the Lily's brand in 2011. Lily's now offers a variety of chocolate bars, baking chocolate, gummies, and peanut butter cups made with non-GMO, Fair Trade, and gluten-free ingredients whenever possible.

Goobers also originated in Philadelphia, as the brainchild of the Blumenthal Brothers Chocolate Company. With many prominent chocolate competitors in the state, the business saw an opportunity to gain an edge when Jacob Beresin approached the owners with an idea. Beresin was well known for introducing popcorn and candy in theaters, and wanted to develop a line of chocolates made specifically for the movies, and Goobers (along with Raisinets and Sno-Caps) were born.

The most famous chocolate-covered raisins — Raisinets — also have roots in Pennsylvania and the Blumenthal Brothers Chocolate Company. The classic movie theater candy is quite old, having made its debut in 1925. For the last century, moviegoers everywhere have enjoyed the creamy, chewy, chocolatey fruit snacks thanks to the Pennsylvania chocolate boom.

Like its sister products, Sno-Caps were designed specifically to be easy to enjoy during a show. The chocolate drops are covered with nonpareils to prevent the chocolate from melting in your hands. The white seeds make the chocolates look like tiny snow-capped mountains, hence the name. Today, all three of the Blumenthal Brothers' movie theater specialties are owned by Ferrero, and are no longer produced in Pennsylvania.