In 1920, German citizen Hans Riegel of Bonn founded his own confectionery business. He was tired of his unfulfilling job as a confectionery worker. He initially made hard, colourless sweets, and his wife delivered them for him. When his hard candies stopped selling at street fairs, he had the idea to make fruit snacks out of gelatin. The recipe wasn't entirely his own invention, but he did perfect it. They draw influence from Japanese rice candies and Turkish delight.