HOW SWEET IT IS Connecticut has many nicknames—The Constitution State, The Nutmeg State, The Land of Steady Habits, The Provision State—but maybe what it should be called is Candy Land! Since William Thompson opened his Meriden chocolate shop in 1879, Connecticut has seen a steady—and delicious— stream of confections produced here, from fine gourmet chocolates to PEZ. For 84 years, Almond Joy and Mounds bars were produced exclusively in Naugatuck by Peter Paul; the company eventually moved operations out of state, but there’s been no shortage of sweet substitutes remaining. The Connecticut Chocolate Trail offers more than a dozen chocolatiers and chocolate artisans who are more than happy to satisfy any sweet tooth! 13 stops on the Connecticut Chocolate Trail 250,000-300,000: Pounds of boxed chocolates and other treats produced annually by Munson’s Chocolates. Key Dates in Connecticut Candy History 1879: William H. Thompson opens Thompson Chocolates in Meriden, becoming one of the nation’s first chocolatiers. Today, 130 years later, the company is still churning out foilwrapped chocolate specialties. 1919: Peter Paul Halijian founds Peter Paul Candy Co. in New Haven; in 1922, Peter Paul moves production to Naugatuck, where Almond Joy and Mounds bars are produced until November 2007 when operations are moved to Virginia. 1974: PEZ moves its U.S. headquarters to Orange. Dec. 1, 2011: PEZ Visitor Center opens. PEZ By the Numbers 14: flavors of PEZ. 44: PEZ candies in the PEZ logo. 70,000: pounds of sugar used by the Orange PEZ factory each week. 12,000,000: pieces of PEZ produced daily.