Central Kentucky is a treasure trove of historic candy businesses

When it comes to storied candy stores, central Kentucky is a treasure trove.

It’s not clear why, but at 50 years old, Sharp’s Candies is not even the oldest establishment still using family recipes for our favorite sweets.

Here are more:

Rebecca Ruth Chocolates was started in 1919 by two teachers, Ruth Hanly (Booe) and Rebecca Gooch, who decided they’d rather make candy than teach. Ruth Booe is credited with being the inventor of the Rebecca Ruth “Bourbon Ball,” with a pecan on top in 1938.

The fourth generation of Booes is still running the business’s three locations in and outside of Frankfort.

Ruth Hunt started making candy at her home in Mount Sterling in 1921, and by 1930 had expanded to a factory there. Ruth Hunt Candies expanded into Lexington, where they became most famous for the Blue Monday Bar, a pulled cream candy center covered in dark chocolate.

Old Kentucky Chocolates was founded by Don and Pam Hurt in 1964. Still family-run, the company has four stores around Lexington. They also started with bourbon chocolates and pulled cream candy, a Kentucky specialty. But they’ve expanded to such favorites as gourmet truffles, sea salt caramels, and chocolate-covered strawberries and grapes.

Incidentally, the website Gastro Obscura credits Kentucky for inventing pulled cream candy some time in the 1800s. It was popularized by both Rebecca Ruth and Ruth Hunt, along with many home cooks.

It’s made with sugar, water and cream, boiled to a candy’s high temperature, then poured onto a cold surface such as marble. Then you literally form it in a rope and start pulling until it’s the right consistency. Then it’s cut into pieces. It’s crunchier than taffy, but melts in the mouth.

And it’s very, very sweet.