Snickers: A Cultural Icon in the Candy Bar World
Snickers, created by Frank Mars in 1930, is a beloved candy bar that combines nougat, caramel, peanuts, and milk chocolate. Over the years, it has become a cultural icon with various sizes and flavors, including fun size, KingSize, almond, and peanut butter. The massive factory in Waco, Texas, produces 65% of all Snickers bars sold in the US, making it a significant contributor to the brand’s success.
The Magic of Snickers: A Creamy Snack
The magic of a creamy snack begins with specially formulated milk chocolate containing higher amounts of cocoa butter and lecithin, giving it a higher melting point. This unique mixture is prepared by deshelling and roasting top-quality cocoa beans, grinding them into a paste, and combining it with sugar and milk powder. The paste is then refined, conveyed to a conch where additional cocoa butter and lecithin are added, and finally tempered through a unique heating and cooling procedure to create a uniform crystalization of the cocoa butter, resulting in a creamy and unforgettable Snickers experience.
Preparing Key Ingredients
The process of creating a Snickers bar involves preparing several key ingredients, including:
- Raw peanuts: 2,000 lb bags of raw peanuts are roasted in a 150 ft convection oven to unlock their rich nutty flavors.
- Caramel: made by mixing corn syrup, butter, condensed milk, sugar, and salt in an 800 lb vat, then heating and caramelizing it at 250° F for 20 minutes. Vanilla extract and emulsifiers are added to enrich the taste and texture.
- Nougat center: crafted by blending corn syrup, sugar, salt, and water, heating it to 250° F, then combining it with fluffy beaten egg whites to create a sweet and airy creamy delight.
Assembly and Coating
The nougat mixture is mechanically stirred and cooked at 270° F to achieve the perfect consistency, then transferred to a screw mixer where it’s combined with freshly ground peanut butter, and finally cooled and deposited into a large hopper where it’s dropped between chilled rollers. The nougat is then joined with creamy caramel and crunchy peanuts that have been toasted in an industrial tunnel oven and seasoned with salt in a spinning drum.
The molten caramel flows into a large vat, then is poured into a depositor and mixed with freshly roasted and salted peanuts in a screw augur, creating a sticky mixture that is pushed forward and cascades onto a cooling roller, where it is thinned and cooled to a manageable consistency, transforming into a uniform sheet.
A large blade scrapes a layer of caramel and peanuts from a cooling roller, which falls onto a conveyor belt with a new layer, and they are integrated into a single uniform slab by a pressing roller. The slab is then cooled in a refrigerated tunnel to 65° F, hardening the layers and harmonizing the flavors.
Final Coating and Packaging
After cooling, the slab is divided into manageable strips by a slitter machine and cut into individual 4.5in bars by sharp blades, preparing them for a final coating of milk chocolate. The milk chocolate completes its tempering process and is directed into enrobing machines to envelop bars in a rich, chocolatey goodness. The bars pass through two enrobing machines, one for the base and one for full coverage, resulting in a luxurious layer of silky smooth chocolate.
The chocolate is then evenly distributed and set, before passing under a decorative roller machine to give each Snickers its signature swirl. Finally, the bars enter a cooling tunnel to solidify the chocolate coating, preparing them for their final stage. The Snickers bars are then cooled, packaged in iconic wrappers with specially designed plastic that ensures freshness, using a wrapping machine with heat sealing technology that can seal up to 1,000 bars per minute, preparing them for global shipment.
Key Vocabulary
| Term | Definition | Example Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Nougat | A sweet, creamy, and airy confection made from sugar, corn syrup, and egg whites. | The Snickers bar features a nougat center, adding to its unique taste and texture. |
| Caramel | A sweet and sticky liquid made by heating sugar, corn syrup, and other ingredients to a high temperature. | The caramel in a Snickers bar is made by mixing corn syrup, butter, and condensed milk, then heating it to 250° F. |
| Tempering | A process of heating and cooling chocolate to create a stable crystal structure, giving it a smooth and glossy appearance. | The milk chocolate used in Snickers bars undergoes a unique tempering process to create a uniform crystalization of the cocoa butter. |
| Conch | A machine used to mix and refine chocolate, developing its flavor and texture. | The chocolate paste is conveyed to a conch where additional cocoa butter and lecithin are added to create a smooth and creamy mixture. |
| Enrobing | The process of coating a food product, such as a candy bar, in a layer of chocolate. | The Snickers bars pass through two enrobing machines, one for the base and one for full coverage, resulting in a luxurious layer of silky smooth chocolate. |
| Lecithin | A natural emulsifier used to improve the texture and stability of chocolate. | The milk chocolate used in Snickers bars contains higher amounts of lecithin, giving it a higher melting point and a smoother texture. |
| Cocoa Butter | A key ingredient in chocolate, responsible for its smooth and melt-in-your-mouth texture. | The milk chocolate used in Snickers bars contains higher amounts of cocoa butter, giving it a creamy and unforgettable taste. |
| Convection Oven | A type of oven that uses circulating hot air to cook food evenly and efficiently. | Raw peanuts are roasted in a 150 ft convection oven to unlock their rich nutty flavors. |
| Emulsifier | A substance used to stabilize mixtures of oil and water, improving their texture and consistency. | Vanilla extract and emulsifiers are added to the caramel mixture to enrich its taste and texture. |
| Heat Sealing | A process of sealing packaging using heat and pressure, creating a tight and secure seal. | The Snickers bars are packaged in iconic wrappers using a wrapping machine with heat sealing technology that can seal up to 1,000 bars per minute. |
Watch The Video
Vocabulary Quiz
1. Which word means ‘to give something a particular shape or form’ in the context of the Snickers bar production?
A) Tempering
B) Conveying
C) Refining
D) Tempering is not correct, the correct answer is Refining is not correct, the correct answer is Tempering is related but the correct term is Forming or Shaping, however the closest answer is Tempering
2. What does ‘tempering’ refer to in the chocolate-making process for Snickers bars?
A) Mixing sugar and milk powder
B) Heating and cooling procedure to create uniform crystalization
C) Grinding cocoa beans into a paste
D) Adding lecithin to the chocolate mixture
3. What is the purpose of ‘conching’ in the production of Snickers bars?
A) To roast the peanuts
B) To mix and aerate the chocolate mixture, adding additional cocoa butter and lecithin
C) To grind the cocoa beans into a paste
D) To cool the chocolate coating
4. What is ‘caramelizing’ in the context of making caramel for Snickers bars?
A) Mixing corn syrup, butter, and sugar
B) Heating the mixture to 250° F for 20 minutes to create a rich flavor
C) Adding vanilla extract to the caramel
D) Cooling the caramel to a manageable consistency
5. What is the term for the process of ‘heating and cooling’ the chocolate to create a uniform crystalization of the cocoa butter?
A) Tempering
B) Conching
C) Refining
D) Enrobing
Answer Key:
1. D) However the correct term is not listed, the correct term is ‘Forming’ or ‘Shaping’, but the closest answer is A) Tempering is related but not the correct term in this context, the correct answer is not listed, a better answer would be ‘Forming’ or ‘Shaping’
2. B
3. B
4. B
5. A
Grammar Focus
Grammar Focus: The Use of Passive Voice in Describing Processes
Grammar Quiz:
1. The passive voice is used to describe the doers of the actions in a sentence.
- a) True
- b) False, the passive voice focuses on the receiver of the action
- c) Sometimes, depending on the context
- d) Only in technical writing
2. Which of the following sentences is an example of the passive voice?
- a) The chef cooks the meal.
- b) The meal is cooked by the chef.
- c) The chef is cooking the meal.
- d) Cooking the meal is the chef’s job.
3. Why is the passive voice often used in technical and descriptive writing?
- a) To emphasize the doers of the actions
- b) To create a sense of subjectivity
- c) To focus on the actions and processes rather than the doers
- d) To make the text less formal
4. Identify the passive voice construction in the following sentence: “The Snickers bars are then cooled, packaged in iconic wrappers…”.
- a) The Snickers bars cool themselves.
- b) The Snickers bars are cooled and packaged by machines.
- c) The process of cooling and packaging the Snickers bars.
- d) The Snickers bars are cooled and packaged, emphasizing the action on the bars.
5. What effect does the use of the passive voice have on the tone of the writing?
- a) It makes the tone more subjective and personal
- b) It creates a sense of urgency and action
- c) It contributes to a more objective and formal tone
- d) It has no effect on the tone of the writing
Answer Key:
1. b) False, the passive voice focuses on the receiver of the action
2. b) The meal is cooked by the chef.
3. c) To focus on the actions and processes rather than the doers
4. d) The Snickers bars are cooled and packaged, emphasizing the action on the bars.
5. c) It contributes to a more objective and formal tone