Turtles are a candy made with pecans and caramel dipped in chocolate, with a shape resembling a turtle.
Naming history
According to Goddard (2012), the first naming of a "Turtle candy" was at
DeMet's Candies, a Chicago-area retailer that opened in 1923. George
DeMet recalls that a chocolate dipper working at his shop saw a new
candy from New York and exclaimed "it looks like a turtle." While the
candy was not unique, DeMet's acquired a patent on the name and by the
1950s, were advertising nationally.
When the patent expired the word "turtle" for a caramel and pecan confection entered the public domain.
After Nestlé acquired DeMet's in 1988, the brand went into disuse. The Brynwood Partners investment group purchased the DeMet brand from Nestlé in 2007, and reintroduced the DeMet's Turtles brand in the United States. In 2013, the parent company of the Godiva chocolate brand purchased DeMet's.