An integral part of the American scene for approximately 50 years, PEZ Candy has been enjoyed by generations of Americans. PEZ was first marketed as a compressed peppermint candy over 70 years ago in Vienna, Austria. The name PEZ was derived from the German word for peppermint...PfeffErminZ. Today, over 3 billion PEZ Candies are consumed annually in the U.S.A. alone.