N is for Nerds Rope

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N is for Nerds Rope, next in the 90sNibbles series. You can’t talk about Nerds Rope without its classic foundation of Nerds. These were at the top of my all-time favorite candies list. There isn’t much to the formula because they are just sugar crystals with a candy coaching. I don’t know what I loved so much about this simple candy. It could have been their vibrant colors that won me over or the cool double compartment box that allowed you to pour the candy right into your mouth. Maybe I was lured by those cute characters that were a cross between Yoshi and the Smurfs? All I know is I loved them.

The candy has been extremely iconic since its inception in 1983. Wonka brand wanted to embrace the candy’s weirdness with the Nerds name. Some say the term comes from the (now infamous) 1950s Dr. Seuss book, "If I Ran the Zoo," in which the narrator would collect "a Nerkle, a Nerd, and a Seersucker too” for his imaginary zoo. That book is the first documented appearance of the word “Nerd.”

The concept of "Nerds Rope" didn’t start development until the late 90s. It is a gummy string covered in Nerds. Again, very simple, and very delicious! Legend has it that an employee in the Nerds factory poured some gummi mixture they had over a bowl of Nerds and then went to lunch. When they came back, they found that the gummi had hardened, and the Nerds had stuck to it. And Nerds Rope was born. 150 million nerds are made to be stuck to the ropes every day.