FOOD NEWS
True Treats Candy Store In West Virginia Is Like A Walk Through Confectionery History
BY ANNIE JOHNSTON
Founded in 2010, West Virginia's True Treats Historical Candy is the only historical candy store in the U.S. that provides customers with a research-based educational experience.
Owner Susan Benjamin explains that their "web and brick-and-mortar stores are in chronological order" and that "the story of each selection is on the label."
Equal parts history museum and candy store, True Treats offers everything from mastic resin — the first chewing gum — to snacks eaten by Biblical figures and Native American barks.
You'll find 17th and 18th-century treats like candied peels and petals and early versions of chocolate bars from the 19th century. The shop has over 600 products in total.
When it comes to researching each product, Benjamin explained that she uses a combination of original sourcing, old cookbooks, historic context, and first-hand travel.