For more than 60 years the Dum Dum candy has been delighting children and adults alike. A “mystery flavor” in each bag may be the sweetest treat of all.
Check out this video program from The Food Network on the creation of the Dum Dum (skip to 3:15 for the good stuff):
That’s right, the “mystery flavor” isn’t an intentional creation at all! Instead, the Spangler Candy Company has to switch over between two different varieties during manufacturing. A “mystery” Dum Dum is just the mix between flavors during the transition. It’s not a set recipe, it’s just an easy way to avoid waste.
Failure is the secret to success. Instead of just tossing out the bad candy or stopping the line completely, someone ingeniously thought to label these as a “mystery” flavor. Sometimes a mistake can be the most popular phrase of all.