Get to know the classic pate de fruit

What is the origin of the pate de fruit?

The story goes that these fruit treats were a happy mistake first made by a French mother in the 1500’s. She was stirring a pot of jam over her stove when her children pulled at her apron and drew her away.

After attending to their needs, she came back to her pot to find her jam was overcooked and turned into a thick gummy block. Refusing to waste anything, she cut the block into bite-sized squares and dusted them with sugar so that they were easy for her children to eat.

Voila. The first pectin-based gummy was born.

These treats were called Pate de Fruit (fruit paste) as they made their way into French society. In the 1700’s, they were made from noble fruits like apricots and quince because the fruits had high levels of pectin and a pleasant taste when cooked.

Up until 1915, production of Pate de Fruit remained the same until a candy manufacturer named Percy Truesdell reconfigured the sugary treats into a drop shape. Thus, the birth of the modern gum drop.

How did cannabis find its way into these delectable treats?

Across the globe, people have consumed cannabis in various forms for centuries. It wasn’t until Alice B. Toklas, the girlfriend of Gertrude Stein, published her recipe for hash brownies in the early 1900’s that true culinary cannabis creativity took off.

It didn’t take long to evolve from the bakery to the candy shop and in the 60’s, infused gummies arrived on the scene. Convenient, discreet and delicious, gummies have been a staple of cannabis culture ever since.

Buyer beware…. some cannabis infused gummies have steered away from their origins and have replaced pectin with gelatin. Gelatin is an animal derived collagen ingredient, and thus not a vegan product.

So what is a Fruit Note?

Fruit Notes are Coda Signature’s take on the classic French pate de fruit. We call them Fruit Notes because each square has the intensity of flavor to stand alone but can also be paired with other foods, sweet or savory, to harmonize as part of a larger composition.

Our Chef, Lauren Gockley has created some exciting pairing ideas that will delight consumer palettes at the beginning, middle or end of a meal.