Jelly baby

Encyclopedia : J : JE : JEL : Jelly baby

Jelly babies are a type of soft confectionery that look like little babies in a variety of colours. They are very popular in the United Kingdom. There are currently several companies that make jelly babies, most predominantly Trebor Bassett (famous for their liquorice allsorts) and also Rowntree (Nestlé).

Jelly Babies were launched by Bassett's in 1918 as "Peace Babies" to mark the end of World War I. Production was suspended during World War II due to wartime shortages. In 1953 the product was relaunched as "Jelly Babies". In March 1989 Bassett's were taken over by Cadbury Schweppes who had earlier acquired the Trebor brand.

Like many sweets, they contain gelatin and are thus not suitable for many vegetarians.

A school experiment (see screaming jelly babies) is to put them in a strong oxidising agent, and see the resulting spectacular reaction.

In Popular culture

In the science-fiction television series Doctor Who, the Fourth Doctor was particular fond of Jelly Babies, often offering them to people. In one story (The Face of Evil), a cultural mixup on a planet he visits causes him to pass into mythology as an evil god who eats babies.
Another famous British icon, Basil Brush, also has a penchant for Jelly Babies
In the 1960s, George Harrison of The Beatles stated in an interview that they were his favourite sweet. This caused their British fans to begin throwing packets or handfuls at the band while they played. American fans, not familiar with Jelly Babies, substituted the much harder and projectile-like jelly bean, much to the band's dismay.
In The Goon Show jelly babies were often used to bribe the character Bluebottle, as were dolly mixtures.
Dylan Thomas refers to jelly babies in his poem ["A Child's Christmas in Wales."]
In the "Intermission" episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus a doctor asks a woman found squatting in a man's stomach, "Are you rolling your own jelly babies in there?"
To mark Jelly Babies' 80th birthday, "Jellyatrics" were released by Age Concern featuring older jelly people.[link]
The Jelly Babies were a DIY/post punk band that were a part of the Cassette Culture scene during the early 1980s.
The band World Of Twist included a song about Jelly Babies on their album Quality Street.

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