At this point, most of us think of PEZ dispensers as more of a decorative element to a shelf than we do actual candy holders, but you can't forget that those spring-loaded knickknacks do serve a purpose. Push that top back, and the pressed sugar candy comes right out the neck, ready to pop into your mouth on a moment's notice. The candy, in terms of modern confections, has always resembled pills to me, and that's not by coincidence.
It's because they're manufactured by a pharmaceutical-style tablet press. That nifty press applies 3,000 pounds of pressure on a mix of sugar, corn syrup, flavoring, and other ingredients to create each candy tablet. The dry cold-press method is how pharmaceutical tablets are made, as well, and the reason why PEZ was invented in the first place is actually closer to a medical purpose than you might have imagined: It was developed as a smoking cessation aid.
PEZ was invented in 1927 by Austrian confectioner Eduard Haas III, who was a staunch anti-smoking advocate. The three letters in its name are pulled from the German word "pfefferminze," which means "peppermint" and also happens to be the candy's original flavor. In addition to helping curb smoking, Haas hoped PEZ would mitigate habits such as overeating as well.
PEZ eventually shifted its marketing toward children PEZ's tablet format came about because any hard candy process involving boiling peppermint oil at the time would end up evaporating its flavor, and Eduard Haas III found that the cold.
