PEZ: From Austrian Invention to American Icon

The world’s one-and-only PEZ historian dispenses fun facts on the
candy’s evolution from smoking substitute to childhood treat to pop
culture collectible. PEZ is an American classic and a staple of many
childhood memories. Yet it originated in Austria, where PEZ began in
1927 as compressed peppermint tablets marketed as an alternative to
smoking. Upon arrival in the United States in 1952, PEZ quickly took a
new direction, adding fruit flavors and three-dimensional character
heads to top the dispensers. Now produced in Orange, Connecticut, the
iconic PEZ brand is available in over eighty countries, selling more
than sixty-five million dispensers annually and inspiring collectors and
fans worldwide. Join the world’s first and only official PEZ historian,
Shawn Peterson, on a journey of sweet proportions for an inside look at
the world’s most cherished interactive candy. Includes photos