Origin of candy starts with the ancient Egyptians

"What was the first popular candy and what is the most eaten candy today?" asked Alex Bahena, 17, a junior at Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire.

Candy has a simple recipe -- dissolve sugar in hot water. The hotter the water temperature, the harder the candy becomes.

Before candy was invented, honeycomb and sugar cane satisfied the sweet tooth. Honey was a key ingredient used in marshmallow candies enjoyed by the ancient Egyptians.

Sugar cane, when processed, becomes the sugar granules used to make cookies, candies, cakes, custards, pies and other sweet treats.

Originally grown in Asia and India, its trek across the globe began in the 800s when Arabs took it on their travels to Europe. In the Middle Ages, sugary sweets were made with dissolved sugar and spices, but sugar was so expensive that only the very wealthy could sample the confection

In the mid-1500s, Spanish explorer Hernando Cortez brought Aztec cocoa beans back to Europe from Mexico. Cane sugar was added to make a thick, delicious sweet chocolate drink.

By the 1800s, sugar from processed cane and beets was added to coffee, tea, jam, cocoa and used to make hard candy.

Soft, sugary, melt-in-your mouth peppermint and lemon, "Salem Gibralters," were the first candy made in the U.S. starting in 1806. The candy is still available and sold by the Ye Olde Pepper Companie in Salem, Mass.

In 1847, J.S. Fry and Sons from England produced the first chocolate bar. The company later merged with Cadbury. The company, now called Cadbury Schweppes, is the world's largest confectioner. Some of their U.S. brands are Cadbury chocolates, Sour Patch, Dentyne and Trident

The taste for chocolate candy in the U.S. expanded after World War I. Chocolate chunks were packed in rations and sent with soldiers to Europe, who then spread their passion for the sweet when they returned from overseas.

In 1930, Snickers, named for a horse, was created by Virginia-based Mars, Incorporated, the same company that makes M&Ms, Starburst and Skittles.

Americans eat about 26 pounds of candy each year. Candy making is a big business, with California leading in candy production. Chocolate companies outnumber non-chocolate candy producers by about 3 to 1.

The most popular candy in the U.S. is Snickers. Its top-selling version, the fun size, is manufactured in Chicago and has been since the candy was introduced.