King Tut, the edible version

It was on this day in history — February 16, 1923, to be exact — that archaeologist Howard Carter made his way into the long-sealed tomb of Egyptian boy king Tut-ank-Amen to find the chambers filled with treasures, including a generous bundle of dried licorice.

The wild craze that followed the discovery of Tut’s tomb may not have increased licorice sales in the United States, but it did inspire a Kansas City candy maker named Harry Sifers — the creator of the legendary Valomilk bar — to introduce a nut roll called the Old King Tut Bar. Unlike the more successful Valomilk candies, the Old King Tut Bar didn’t survive the Great Depression. 

But do-it-yourself candy makers can still buy King Tut chocolate molds to make sweet replicas of the boy king to honor this great day in history.