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What is "Dog Shit Candy"?
What is "Dog Shit Candy"?
"Dog Shit Candy", also known as "Bean Fragrant Candy", is a local specialty in Sichuan and Chongqing regions, made mainly from ingredients like soybeans, peanuts, and maltose. Because its color resembles dog shit, it is named "Dog Shit Candy". There are also humorous ad slogans printed on the candy paper: "Eating Dog Shit Candy brings Dog Shit Luck".
"Dog Shit Candy" comes in two flavors, original and spicy. One has to admire the Sichuanese pursuit of spiciness, daring to add local characteristics even to sweet snacks. If you are tired of sweet food, you might want to try the wonderful collision of spicy and sweet. The spicy flavor is lightly sweet and slightly spicy, full of Sichuan flavor elements.
How did it get its name?
There are two popular theories among the common people about the origin of the name "Dog Shit Candy".
One theory is that the shape and color of this candy is very similar to dog feces, hence the name "Dog Shit Candy". The other theory is that during difficult times, peddlers would carry goods to the countryside to exchange for junk, among which was maltose candy. Poor families did not even have the junk that could be exchanged for maltose candy to coax their children, so they would coax their children by saying: "That's Dog Shit Candy, you can't eat it." When enough people said it, the candy really got the name "Dog Shit Candy".
The History of "Dog Shit Candy"
"Dog Shit Candy" is not a traditional Chinese snack, it originated in the early 21st century.
In 2001, the Food Factory in Ya'an City was reformed, and an employee named Li Lan became unemployed. In order to make a living, she established "Jin Lanlan Bakery" with the support of her family.
What was prescient was that in February 2002, she successfully registered the trademark "Jin Lanlan", mainly dealing in bean-flavored candy, traditional pastries, and Western pastries.
One day, during the production of bean-flavored candy, Li Lan accidentally overcooked the syrup, and it turned a deep yellow color, like dog shit. This reminded Li Lan of her nickname from her childhood, "Lan Dog Shit", so she named this unattractive but delicious bean-flavored candy "Dog Shit Candy".
Later, "Dog Shit Candy" became a household name due to its unique flavor and diligent operation, quickly gaining market recognition and becoming well-known.
The success of "Dog Shit Candy" in the market was not smooth sailing. The road to registering the trademark of "Dog Shit Candy" was not as lucky as its slogan.
In 2011, Li Lan decided to print the three words "Dog Shit Candy" on the packaging, and in 2012, she submitted the trademark application for "Dog Shit Candy". However, in 2014, the trademark application for "Dog Shit Candy" was rejected. The National Trademark Office believed that "Dog Shit Candy" is a local specialty name of Ya'an, and when used on designated goods, it merely indicates its generic name and cannot be registered.
The "Dog Shit Candy", which she named at the beginning, has become a common name after becoming a local specialty, losing its distinctive features. Li Lan disagreed with this decision and submitted an application for review to the National Trademark Office.
In April 2015, the trademark of "Dog Shit Candy" was successfully reviewed and entered the announcement period. However, during the three-month announcement period, three individuals who did not know Li Lan objected to the trademark and provided relevant proof and evidence. After review, the Trademark Office agreed with the objections and the trademark was not registered.
Subsequently, Li Lan hired a lawyer to file a lawsuit, and a hearing was held in the Beijing Intellectual Property Court in May 2019. As of now, the trademarks related to "Dog Shit Candy" found on the Trademark Network are either invalid or still under dispute.