Nibs: a candy with an allegedly racist beginning

[ParaDiddle]

This was posted by a FB friend but quite frankly set off a BS alert.



My first attempts at googling mostly produced C&P of the same text. Here's the thing, slaves are many things including a business asset - a fixture if you will. If I apply the same logic to a rancher ot clothier, I would expect to hear stories of calves or clothing racks being consumed to acquire other saleable goods. It just doesn't make sense to me.

I suspect that for lack of a better term that this is a "spook" story. Something told by a parent or older sibling just to "F" with the minds of the younger more gullible ones.

- P

[ganzfeld]

The part about candies being called by that name is true. To quote a 1945 candy magazine, they were "caramel-chocolate miniature dolls affectionately called 'nigger babies'". Sometimes it's said that they were licorice or licorice flavored with chocolate. (I don't know what that has to do with Nibs. Probably just coincidence. The word nib is an ordinary word meaning the ends and they were probably just the ends cut off the Twizzler stick.)

The alligator story? Sounds like pure urban legend. (But it's no surprise that such stories are around. It's a little weird -- not to mention incredibly racist -- that there were such candies and a frightening story explaining that would catch on easily.)

[ParaDiddle]

Same guy just posted another screed on the "Picnic" myth. I'm sure the "Lynch" story can't be far behind.

- P

[Thera]

Then you have your nigger-toes, nigger-rigging (afro-engineering these days) and nigger-lipping.

And nibs - nigger babies should clear that up for you.

[Darth Credence]

Originally Posted by ganzfeld

To quote a 1945 candy magazine, they were "caramel-chocolate miniature dolls affectionately called 'nigger babies'". Sometimes it's said that they were licorice or licorice flavored with chocolate.

Do you happen to have a link to that candy magazine for that quote? And was that in the marketing, or was that what some people called them?
The Nibs I know are licorice, not caramel-chocolate. Is this about something different?

[ganzfeld]

No, I don't. It's in Confectionery and Ice Cream World, 1945, Vol 33 p 34. There's a snippet view available on Google. I don't know if that was ever in the marketing. The article is more like, "Oh how wonderful those days were when we could be as ignorantly racist as possible! And what delicious candies!" So maybe it was never an official name. But, really, little black dolls that kids ate? It's beyond weird.

Yes, I did point out that it's something different and that the Nibs name is probably just a coincidence.

[Sandgroper]

The edible part of a cocoa bean is refered to as the nib. They look like small pieces of black candy, perhaps that's where the name came from.

[tagurit]

Nigger Babies of my acquaintance were not licorice. They were like a cross between a Tootsie Roll and Sugar Daddy. So, caramel-chocolate would be a good descriptor.

[tagurit]

Realizing I should have said Sugar Babies instead of Sugar Daddy, I looked them up to see if I was remembering correctly. I see there's also chocolate Sugar Babies, which would probably be closer to what Nigger Babies were. Maybe Nigger Babies were a bit more chocolate.

At any rate, we have Sugar Babies and Chocolate Sugar Babies to invent stories about. Any takers?

ETA: I decided to search for the Nigger Babies I remember and they're shown here about the 19th row down, on the right. The alt text reads "Chocolate babies - in the 60s and 70s these were called nigger babies."

[RealityChuck]

Originally Posted by ganzfeld

No, I don't. It's in Confectionery and Ice Cream World, 1945, Vol 33 p 34. There's a snippet view available on Google. I don't know if that was ever in the marketing. The article is more like, "Oh how wonderful those days were when we could be as ignorantly racist as possible! And what delicious candies!" So maybe it was never an official name. But, really, little black dolls that kids ate? It's beyond weird.

Much better if they're multicolored.

[mags]

I would think suggesting the candy "Crows" has a racist background would have more traction than "Nibs." As was mentioned, there are coffee nibs and cocoa nibs. It also is just a general term for a little bit.

[Assilem Brandywine]

I heard a similar story about alligator (possibly crocodile?) baiting only it was Australians using a Kiwi. And I don't mean the bird or the fruit!