Beyond the Milky Way Quiz | Confectionery, Chocolates & Candy

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. In which country was the Milky Way chocolate bar first sold to the public?

Answer: The United States

The Milky Way chocolate bar was first developed and sold in the US in the early 1920s. The US version of the Milky Way chocolate bar is made with a nougat centre that is topped with caramel and milk chocolate. Despite having different versions sold over the years, the original Milky Way bar is still being sold well into the 21st century.

2. The nougat in the original Milky Way bar contained malted flavouring. Where does malted flavouring come from?

Answer: Processing grain

Malt is an ingredient that is produced by processing grains in a unique way. Partially germinated grain is created by adding moisture to grain seeds. When they sprout, the seeds are gently agitated to prevent the new roots from becoming matted together.

After a certain amount of time, the seeds are heated to evaporate the moisture. The malt flavouring is then created by mashing the seeds, removing the solids, and further evaporating the resulting substance. The malt flavouring tastes toasted and caramel-like with a slightly fruity flavour.

3. The man who invented the Milky Way bar shares his surname with a planet.

Answer: True

Frank C. Mars tried very hard to break into the candy business. In the early 1900s he was married to a young school teacher while he attempted to sell candies for a living. Unfortunately, both his business and the marriage failed. He married again, and this time, both his marriage and his ventures in candy-making succeeded.

4. The building where the original Milky Way was made soon became too small for the needs of the company. From where to where did the company move in the late 1920s?

Answer: Minneapolis to Chicago

Frank Mars started his third attempt at a candy company in Minneapolis, MN in 1920. It was a very small operation until the Milky Way bar was released in 1923. The new chocolate bars was so popular that Mars had to hire full-time staff to keep up with demand. Soon, the facilities were no longer large enough to create all of the Milky Way bars that were needed. So, Mars, Inc. moved its facilities to a new candy factory in Chicago, Illinois in 1929.

The move put them on the rail line for ease of distribution of their products. Business boomed, so relocating it was a good decision.

5. What is the difference between Milky Way bars that are sold in the US and those sold outside the US?

Answer: The global bars lack the caramel

The global Milky Way bar is made of a fluffy malted nougat centre that is surrounded by milk chocolate. In fact, it is so fluffy, it has a density that allows the bar to float in milk. This fact has been used in several European marketing campaigns over the years.

6. What is the global Milky Way bar marketed as, in the US?

Answer: Three Musketeers

Given that the global Milky Way bar is different from the US bar (in that the global bar lacks the caramel that appears in the US bar), the company needed a different way to market it in the US. So, the Three Musketeers bar is sold in the US. It is essentially a traditional US Milky Way bar that doesn't have the caramel. The Three Musketeers bar was first sold in the US in 1932.

7. After the Milky Way bar was so successful, what was the second candy bar that was produced by the company?

Answer: Snickers

Upon the success of the Milky Way, Mars, Inc. decided to expand its offerings. The Snickers bar is about the same as a Milky Way bar, but the nougat is topped with both caramel and peanuts. The Snickers bar was named after a horse that was a favourite in the Mars family at the time.

8. Is the Milky Way bar directly named after our galaxy?

Answer: No

According to Frank Mars' son Forrest as reported on the Mars, Inc. website, he suggested the name to his father. They would meet at a local soda fountain where malted milkshakes - Milky Ways - were popular, to discuss business and their personal lives. Given that the milkshakes contained malt, and so did the chocolate bars, Forrest thought that the name "Milky Way" fit.

He described the chocolate bar as a "double malted milk in a candy bar".

9. The Milky Way has undergone a few incarnations with different flavours over the years. What flavour was offered for Halloween in 2012?

Answer: Caramel apple

Over the years, the Milky Way bar has had flavours including chocolate nougat and vanilla nougat, dark chocolate coating, salted caramel, simply caramel with no nougat, and a chocolate fudge nougats. In 2024, Milky Way pudding and pie filling was even introduced! The Milky Way Caramel Apple bars were produced in a mini bar in 2012 for handing out at the door during trick-or-treat visits from children.

10. In 1935, Mars, Inc., the company that makes the Milky Way bar, branched out to include what other products in their manufacturing system?

Answer: Pet food

The Mars, Inc. company has branched out in their products over the years. In 1935, they acquired the UK company Chappel Brothers, Ltd., and began making CHAPPIE brand canned dog food. Over the years, they have produced Wrigley's Doublemint, Juicy Fruit, and Spearmint gums, the cat food called KITEKAT, Uncle Ben's rice, WHISKAS cat food, among many others.

The company has also been involved in various non-food projects, including bar codes (the first product with a bar code was a pack of Wrigley's Juicy Fruit gum), research (a pet research centre was opened in 1965; a cocoa research institute opened in 1985), oral health programs, and leading the movement towards sustainable cocoa.

Source: Author Trivia_Fan54

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor agony before going online.
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Beyond the Milky Way Trivia Quiz

The Milky Way chocolate bar is one of my favourites! This quiz will take you through some history and some interesting tidbits about this delicious confectionery. Enjoy!

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