History of Fudge (2024)

FAQs

What is the history of fudge? ›

Fudge creation is often attributed to a happy accident in a confectionery experiment. The story goes that a batch of caramels went awry — “fudged,” in the parlance of the time — leading to the birth of this new sweet treat. This error resulted in the soft, creamy confection we now know as fudge.

The Fudge Shoppe was founded in 1961 but was without a permanent home for the first few years. The first location, in which you could watch Allen handcraft fudge, was actually the building of our current neighbors, Thee Ice Cream Parlor. “We survived on dented cans. Literally.”

Hartridge wrote about a classmate's cousin who made fudge in Baltimore, Maryland. The exact origin and inventor of this delicious confection are hotly debated. However, many believe the first batch of fudge was created by accident when American bakers “fudged” a batch of caramels. Hence the name “fudge.”

Some entrepreneurial person started selling this novelty at a tourist spot. The swell of tourism after the Civil War, unfolding only a little before the birth of fudge, created a new market, one hungry for entertainment in all its forms.

The term fudge is said to have originated in the 17th century from the verb fadge and means "to fit together in a clumsy manner".

When fudge is a verb, it means to avoid straightforwardly answering a question or addressing a subject: "Just answer my question and don't fudge the issue!" Fudge is an American word from college slang meaning "a made-up story."

Whether you visit Mackinac Island on National Fudge Day in June or any other day – maybe during the Mackinac Island Fudge Festival in August – come find your favorite flavor and experience the fudge capital of the world!

While fudge was not invented on Mackinac Island, it most certainly – and most deliciously – was perfected here.

A chocolatier (/ˌtʃɒkələˈtɪər, ˈtʃɒkələtɪər/ CHOK-əl-ə-TEER, -⁠teer, UK also /ˌtʃɒkəˈlætɪər/ CHOK-ə-LAT-eer, French: [ʃɔkɔlatje]) is a person or company who makes confectioneries from chocolate.

Food historian Joyce White says fudge is based on a recipe for chocolate caramels, which was very similar. "What probably happened is that there was someone in Baltimore, messed it up, or 'fadged' it," she said. "Fadge is a word that means you messed up.

What do Americans call fudge? ›

fudge in American English

a soft candy made of butter, milk, sugar, and chocolate or other flavoring, etc.

Fudge is a dense, rich confection typically made with sugar, milk or cream, butter and chocolate or other flavorings. The base for fudge is boiled until it reaches the soft-ball stage (135 to 140 degrees F), then stirred or beaten as it cools to minimize the formation of sugar crystals.

The first recorded mention of fudge came from 1888. That year, a student at Vassar College named Emelyn Battersby Hartridge wrote a letter about the candy. She claimed to have received a recipe from a friend's cousin. That same year, Hartridge made a large batch of fudge to sell at a school fundraiser.

Never stir the mixture during cooking or sugar could crystallize again. The mixture may seize and become grainy. Use a candy thermometer or conduct a cold water test to check if the fudge is done.

Though it contains no saltwater, taffy—and fudge, its sister seaside treat—may benefit from being made in a beach climate. Perhaps the salty air simply gives people a hankering for something sweet; it's also possible that the candies' decelerated drying and oxidation in humid air give them a unique “coastal” flavor.

By most accounts, the first batch of fudge was concocted in Baltimore in the 1880s. By the turn of the century, fudge-making arrived on Mackinac Island in northern Michigan, which today has a legitimate claim as the modern day fudge capital.

English (of Norman origin): from the Middle English, Anglo-Norman French personal name Fulch or Fuche, usually a pet form of Old French Fulcher, Fucher (see Fulcher ). Voicing of 'ch' to soft 'g' gave rise to Fudge.

That appetite for fudge dates back more than a century. Food historian Joyce White says fudge is based on a recipe for chocolate caramels, which was very similar. "What probably happened is that there was someone in Baltimore, messed it up, or 'fadged' it," she said. "Fadge is a word that means you messed up.

In 1887, the Murdick family began the very first fudge store on Mackinac Island (now sold out of the family)– the same year that the Grand Hotel opened. Henry and Newton Jerome (Rome) Murdick opened the first fudge store in Michigan calling it Murdick's Candy Kitchen.