Like many great inventions, Turkish Taffy was originally a mistake. Its creator, Herman Herer, was making marshmallow candy at a Newark, NJ plant when he one day added too many egg whites to the mixture. At this point he had two options: throw out the batch or see how it turned out. He chose the latter, and after playing with the recipe he finally had his candy, Turkish Chewing Taffy. In 1939 the Bonomo family bought Herer's candy and started distributing it on Coney Island, calling it simply Turkish Taffy. While it was a hit on Coney Island, Turkish Taffy got its big break when Woolworth's stores started selling it in special displays. Turkish Taffy nearly disappeared after 1972, when Tootsie Roll Company bought it and changed the recipe. The product was eventually shelved until 2010 when a pair of Turkish Taffy fans, who bought the outfit from Tootsie in 2002, resurrected the brand at the National Confectionary Association Sweets and Snacks Show. Everything is now original, from recipe to packaging.
