Food - Drink
There's A Strange Name For Individual M&M's
By CLARICE KNELLY
You may think that a single M&M would be referred to as “an M&M,” but M&M manufacturer Mars Inc. uses a more generic and more unconventional name to refer to these candies.
According to a representative of Mars, “Individual M&M's are referred to either as lentils or candies.” It turns out that M&Ms are just a specific brand of a broader type of candy.
“Lentil” is a candy industry term that refers to small, usually round chocolates with a candy coating. Calling a single M&M a lentil is the most descriptive noun for the candy.
Lentil is also a useful term when you're trying an off-brand version of M&Ms. You can ask for or look for chocolate lentils and know that you'll be getting the same type of candy.