<human>:  I am curious about the history of candy canes - can you provide me some information?
<bot>: Candy canes date back to the 17th century. They originated in Germany where they were made from white sugar and shaped into small white sticks. The first recorded recipe for the striped candy cane was published in 1844 by a German magazine. At the time, the thick white cane was flavored with peppermint oils and colored with red stripes. Eventually, the stripes of a candy cane become the familiar white, red and green colors. By the 1900s, candy canes had become a popular favorite in the United States. The advent of mass production and the use of automated machines allowed candy canes to be produced much more quickly and inexpensively than before. Today the traditional peppermint flavor is still popular but many other flavors and colors have become popular, such as green apple, strawberry and chocolate.