To celebrate Darling Sweet’s 10th anniversary and the recent launch of its latest confectionery, here are five fun facts about everyone’s favourite – FUDGE!
In the late 17th century the word fudge meant to fit together or adjust. By 1800 it meant a “hoax or cheat” and by the mid-century the use of the term “Oh, fudge!” was used as a child-friendly expletive, especially when something had been messed up. It’s believed the first batch of fudge was created when someone was trying to make caramel didn’t get it right and exclaimed “Oh fudge!” The name stuck.
While the Americans claim fudge as their invention, it’s an offshoot of a confectionery from Scotland called “tablet”. Made with sugar, condensed milk and butter, tablet was first noted in The Household Book of Lady Grisell Baillie in the early 18th century. And while the two treats use similar ingredients, fudge is richer, softer and slightly less grainy than tablet.
The largest slab of fudge in the world weighed more than 2 600kg and was made at the Northwest Fudge Factory in Canada in 2010.
A tiny island in the US considers itself the fudge capital of the world. There are more than a dozen fudge shops on Mackinac Island, which is just 7km² in size, with a population of around 500. Every August, the island hosts the Mackinac Island Fudge Festival, complete with events such as Fudge on the Rocks, where local bartenders craft fudge cocktails, and festivalgoers are referred to as “fudgies.” During peak season it churns out over 4 535kg of fudge daily.
Fudge has even made its way to the moon! In 1965 Astronaut John Young smuggled some fudge on board during the Gemini 3 mission, making it one of the first confections in space.
For all those fudge lovers out there, Darling Sweet Fudge, along with its Toffee and Soft Caramel range, are available in select shops, deli’s and farmstalls countrywide and also from their online store.
