When I was growing up in the 60s and 70s, jelly beans showed up once a year. I was always certain of finding jelly beans in my Easter basket. And as far as I knew, there were only two kinds of jelly beans ones made by Brachs that were always in my Easter basket, and some off-brand that my Aunt had at her house and that I hated. Like many people my favorite color of jelly bean was red, or cherry flavored, and it still is. My second favorite flavor when I was little was the black or licorice flavored jelly beans. I still like the black ones a lot, and since nobody else in my house likes the black ones I get those all to myself!
Today, there are numerous types and brands of jelly beans available to tuck into Easter baskets for a sweet treat. The brand most recognizable today, besides the ever popular Brachs jelly beans is probably Jelly Belly jelly beans. In my opinion, Jelly Belly jelly beans first gained widespread national recognition when Ronald Reagan was elected president in 1980. He was a jelly bean lover and always kept a jar of Jelly Belly jelly beans on his desk and on Air Force One for a sweet treat and quick energy boost. He was quick to offer handfuls of his...