Wiggly, Creepy, Crawling Edible Worms

There's nothing lower than an earth worm. Okay, there are plenty of creatures lower than an earth worm, but none are as creepy and crawly as the earth worm. There are some places in the world where an earth worm is good food. Fish must think an earth worm is a delicacy. Personally, I wouldn't want to eat one.

However, at Halloween everyone wants to be grossed out with creepy food and the creepiest, crawliest, wiggliest food is the gummy worm! Although bright in color, the transparent, slimey-looking candy can still creep people out, but they do taste good. Gummy worms are lots of fun to eat as they are or in different recipes.

Keep reading to find out more about this wiggly candy worm.

This creepy, crawly, wiggly image is from the Morrison Photo Bucket.

The first gummy candy was produced in 1922 as the Dancing Bear, a fruit-flavored gelatin formed in the shape of a bear. It was the creation of German candy maker Hans Riegel, Sr., who formed the Haribo Candy Company in 1920. Eventually the Dancing Bear evolved into the small gummy bears; Haribo's famous Gold Bears, in 1967.

Another German candy company, Trolli, produced the first gummy worms in 1981 and have been making gummy candy variations ever since.

Gummy candies come in all shapes and sizes, from sharks, rings, fish, stars, and dolphins, to penquins and lips.

Gummy fish imagae by sodahead.

Gummy worms make great Halloween treats because they are so creepy. Hand them out to trick-or-treaters, put them in a recipe, freeze them, or use them for decorations. Regardless of what you do with them, they are wiggly fun.

Kids love edible decorations and gummy worms are perfect for Halloween parties. Drop them in a clear jar for a witch's potion ingredient. Have them crawling out of the mouth and eyes of a jack-o-lantern. Hang them on fish hooks from high light fixtures or drape them over the edge of punch bowls.

Make creepy, crawly recipes. Bake chocolate cupcakes and while they are still warm, break open the top enough to stick a few gummy worms in them. Mix peanuts, pretzels, M&M's, Teddy Grahams, and gummy worms together for a wiggly trail mix treat. Make chocolate pudding and mix in crumbled chocolate cookies then add the gummy worms so they look like they are crawling out of the "dirt." Drop them in a vodka slushie for a grown-up party.

Use your imagination and come up with some cool ways to decorate or serve gummy worms for your Halloween party.

This is one of my witch's potion ingredient jars filled with gummy worms.

Did you know that gummy worms can be nutritious? Manufacturers are adding extra ingredients to make gummy worms a little healthier and to encourage kids to get their vitamins. They come with Omega-3, Vitamin C, and fiber! There is also a sugar-free variety.

Even the cows are eating gummy worms. The drought of 2012 has resulted in soaring corn prices and farmers are scrambling to find food for their cattle. Gummy worms are being mixed into feed as an alternative to the starchy sugar contents of corn.