My first encounter with gummy bears occurred in junior high when a widespread gambling craze swept the school. My friends Rob and Steve and I would save our lunch money by eating only Haribo Gummi Gold Bears that we bought at the nearby convenience store so we could gamble away our quarters. Ah, youth is wasted on the young. I only lasted a few weeks on this Vegas-inspired program as I began to feel weak from lack of nutritious food. I would soon resume the scheduled spaghetti and mystery meat regimen of public school dining options. Does anyone remember Potato Turbate?
As usual, I digress.
Gummy bears originated in 1920 by confectionery producer Hans Rigel of Bonn, Germany, and he named his company HARIBO, a creative acronym using the first two letters of Hans, Rigel, and Bonn. To me, Haribo always sounded vaguely Asian, but through the magic of “Internet Research” I’ve been schooled.
