The world's most famous gummy candy was invented by Hans Riegel, the founder of the company HARIBO (an acronym for **HA**ns **RI**egel **BO**nn). Inspired by the trained 'dancing bears' common at European street festivals, Riegel created a fruit-flavored gelatin treat shaped like a bear. The 'everyday' gummy texture comes from gelatin, a protein derived from collagen. When heated and then cooled, gelatin forms a thermo-reversible gel—a structure that is solid at room temperature but melts at body temperature ($37^{\circ}C$), which is why gummies melt in your mouth. Haribo's original 'Goldbears' were introduced in 1922 and remain the global standard for gummy candies.