TikTok's Mouth Is Watering Up Over How Warheads Are Made

With an average pH level of 1.6, Warheads are known to be one of the most sour candies out there (via Foodbeast). To put this number into perspective, a serving of both Skittles and X-treme Airheads hit 2.5 pH, which are still alarmingly below the baseline at which teeth begin to decalcify at 4.0 pH (via Commerce Drive Dental). Nonetheless, there is something so compelling about the iconic, round sweet, which has caused many people to subject themselves to the infamous "Warheads Challenge," where participants have to keep as many pieces of the candy in their mouth as possible for a duration of time (via Challenges To Do).

Few know the exact process that gets these small, circular candies to the perfect level of face-puckering sourness. Food Network recently posted a video on social media, which showed precisely how these sour treats get reach their level of highly acidic magic.

Filmed inside the "Warhead Launching Pad," in Roswell, New Mexico, the video outlines how the candy is made from start to finish. The process begins with bags of sugar weighing one ton, which is one of the primary ingredients, according to Foods Co. That sugar is then mixed with water and corn syrup, and heated into a thick syrup-like paste. Then comes the part where the candy begins to get its memorable, tart taste. Citric acid is added in the next step on the candy's assembly line, along with food dye. Afterwards, the candy is sliced, cooled, and then finally, coasted in a mysterious pucker powder, which gives it its notorious kick.

It appears that users in the comment section of the video shared a universal moment where all their faces puckered while imagining the sour taste of the iconic candy. One person wrote, "Did anyone else mouth water up," which got nearly 1,500 likes in agreement. Another person didn't even need to specify an exact reaction when they commented, "my jaw did the thing," as many other Warhead eaters knew what they were talking about.

Despite the brief discomfort the candies can cause while being eaten, Warheads have become a core childhood memory –pleasant and not — for many.