History of Fudge

A brief history of fudge

Fudge was first made in the United States more than 100 years ago. The exact origin isn't really known, but most stories claim that the first batch of fudge was the result of an accident from a botched batch of caramels. (Both caramel and fudge are cooked at a very high temperature and need lots of stirring.)

A written account for the first documented history of fudge is found in a letter written by Emelyn Hartridge, a student at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York. She wrote in a letter, "Fudge, as I first knew it, was first made in Baltimore by a cousin of a schoolmate, Nannie Hagner...I secured the recipe and in my first year at Vassar, I made it there - and in 1888 I made 30 pounds for the Senior Auction, its real introduction to the college, I think."

Word spread of this delicious concoction to other women's colleges.

Wellesley College and Smith College have their own versions of a chocolate fudge recipe which you can find in our easy fudge recipe section.

Today, fudge is enjoyed all over the United States, and in some other countries as well.

And that is a history of fudge!