What’s your favorite Halloween candy? If you live in Alabama, odds are good it’s candy corn, according to candystore.com.

The bulk candy dealer publishes a survey each year of the most popular candy in each state, based on its sales. Candy corn was ranked tops in Alabama in last year’s survey, too.

Last year, Hershey’s mini chocolate bars ranked second place but fell to third place this year. The No. 2 spot now belongs to Tootsie Pops.

“Candy corn is still the strong leader,” according to a press release. “If you live in this state, it might be wise to cut your candy corn offering with some Tootsie Pops this year.”

Tennessee, Alabama’s neighbor to the north, also prefers Tootsie Pops. It was the Volunteer State’s favorite candy, with 61,000 pounds sold. The suckers are followed in popularity by Skittles and salt water taffy.

Alabama’s neighbor to the east, Georgia, prefers Jolly Ranchers. Swedish Fish ranked second, followed by Hershey’s Kisses.

Methodology

In developing the data each year, candystore.com looks at 11 years of sales data, particularly looking at the months leading up to Halloween. This year, the retailer looked at the years 2007-2017. The sales were then broken down by individuals states.

“We also have relationships with major candy manufacturers and distributors, all of whom contributed and helped us verify our conclusions,” the release said.

This year, the National Retail Federation is estimating shoppers will spend $2.6 billion on Halloween candy. That is lower than their $2.7 billion estimate last year.

“With consumer confidence at its highest point in a September since 2004, fueled mostly by low unemployment and low inflation expectations, we feel like 2018 sales could be even bigger,” the release said.

Did you know?

The word “candy” is derived from the Arabic “quandi,” meaning “made of sugar.” Candy also often refers to chocolate bars and other treats that people find so delectable.

Ancient Mayans and Aztecs were the first to experiment with the cocoa bean, the cornerstone of chocolate confections, in the 1500s. However, their chocolate drinks were bitter and not the sweet delights we’ve come to associate with chocolate.

It wasn’t until the 19th century that innovators began mixing cocoa with sugar to create chocolate bars. Joseph Fry is credited with making the first chocolate bar in 1847, using bittersweet chocolate. Milk chocolate came later, in 1875, when it was introduced by Henry Nestlé and Daniel Peter. Milton Hershey began producing sweet chocolate in 1894.