They hop. They’re adorable. And a national study shows 76
percent of Americans like to eat the ears off bunnies first
– the chocolate kind that is.
They hop. They’re adorable. And a national study shows 76 percent of Americans like to eat the ears off bunnies first – the chocolate kind that is.
This Easter Sunday, the sweet tastes of chocolate, jelly beans, marshmallow and other sugary confections will fill the baskets and bellies of children and adults everywhere. From chicks and bunnies, to crosses and other religious symbols, the candy industry has gone to extremes to make sure they tantalize everyone’s taste buds this year.
Many of the mouth-watering morsels found in baskets throughout the country have been made and shipped from right here in Hollister.
Alene DeBrito, owner of DeBrito Chocolate Factory, loves the Easter season, and said there is good reason why this holiday has such a wide variety of treats.
“Easter is a big time for us because we use more molds to make the chocolates,” she said. “We’ve been mainly doing molding this week to make sure we keep everything in stock.”
DeBrito has good reason to be working overtime to keep her store shelves full. Easter is the second largest top-selling candy holiday behind Halloween, according to the National Confectioners Association.
DeBrito’s top seller right now is “biker bunnies.” This chocolate rabbit duo riding on a Harley Davidson has been grabbing the attention of the motorcycle mavens in the area. She aims her chocolate characters to attract others in the community also. DeBrito’s tractor bunny have been complementing farmer’s baskets for years.
Another bonafied basket favorite is caramel apples, she said.
“People just love them and we have 35 different varieties,” DeBrito said.
Dr. Calvin Clarke, a dentist who keeps smiles bright in Hollister, said Easter candy doesn’t pose a real threat to dental care, unless candy consumers get themselves into a sticky situation.
“It’s OK for kids to have sweets on Easter,” Clarke said. “But the worst for the teeth are sticky candies like caramel because the saliva doesn’t wash it away as well.”
Jelly beans are another gooey, delicious Easter basket tradition. In fact, Americans will consume 16 billion jelly beans this Sunday, and if the beans were all lined up, they would circle the globe three times, according to a study done by Infoplease.
Marich Confectionery in Hollister produces 70,000 pounds of jelly beans a day, and has a special spring colored mix for Easter.
“It takes seven days to make a jelly bean so the next time you’re eating one think of that,” Marich Tour Guide Tracy Martin said.
While jelly beans and chocolate – though not in bunny form – can be found in stores year-round, there is one Easter candy that sugar fanatics anticipate the arrival of all year, and are sad to see go. Every spring, American’s buy more than 700 million Marshmallow Peeps, making them the most popular non-chocolate Easter candy on the market.
Carlos Gastelum, manager of Rite Aid, said it must be the sugar that makes these Peeps fly off the shelves.
“Peeps are very popular,” he said. “I’ll probably sell out of them by today.”
Kati Schmidt enjoys Peeps, but not because she likes the taste.
“I like to do what is called Peep Jousting,” she said. “Every year on Easter my cousins and I take two Peeps, give them toothpick swords, face them toward each other and let them go at in the microwave. It’s just something fun we’re done since we were kids.”
