Candy History: Valomilk

The first Valomilk candy cup was created in Kansas by the Sifers company in 1931. The Sifers company had gotten its start by making hard penny candy and then moved on to boxed chocolates and 5-cent candy bars. Like most great inventions, the first Valomilk was the product of a happy accident (serendipity, you might say).

Making a Marshmallow Mess

At that time, the vanilla used to make marshmallows had a lot more alcohol in it than it does today. When a candy maker added too much vanilla, it would prevent the marshmallow from setting properly. Fortunately, when life handed Sifers a batch of runny marshmallow and some chocolate, they made Valomilk! By containing the gooey marshmallow goodness inside a milk chocolate cup, the candy makers combined incredible flavors and prevented a big mess -- at least until someone bit into a candy cup. Valomilks were first sold in the Midwest and were made up of 2 ounces of marshmallow in one chocolate cup. Now the same amount of candy is split up into 2 smaller cups, making the treat easier (and cleaner) to eat.

Fighting the Good Fight

Valomilks have now been on shelves for 5 generations, but it wasn't without a fight. In 1981 the Valomilk factory shut down and this classic candy was nowhere to be found. Thankfully the great grandson of the company's founder combined the original copper kettles and the traditional family recipe to begin making Valomilks again in Kansas. They only disappeared for 6 years! To get Valomilks right, they have to be made by hand, so that's how they're still made today -- one by one, right here in America.