As we prepare to honor the men and women of the military this Veterans Day, we're chewing it old school with a toast to Peanut Chews, a treat that was born and raised in Philly specifically as a way to cheer up our men and women serving overseas during the first World War.
"It was born in 1917, back with the Goldenberg's when they decided they wanted to manufacture what was called a walnut chew," says Gayl Downs of Just Born candies.
The chewy, chocolately nut clusters were originally created as a military ration during WWI, and sent overseas as a treat for our troops."
"It would hold up during the heat and it was a nutritious protein bar."
Once they came home from war, our soldiers rallied to make the snacks a mainstay launching the production of the original dark chocolate peanut chew. And it starts with the chewy center
At their Northeast Philadelphia plant, Just Born makes about a million chews a day using roughly 8,000 roasted peanuts shipped in from down south; grown in Georgia and Alabama, roasted in North Carolina .
The next time you bite into a chew, take a peek at the local nod on the bar code.
"We even have the Philadephia skyline right on the back of the package.
So cheers to Peanut Chews, a Philadelphia tradition.
