According to CBC, the original prototype for Smarties (or Rockets) wasn’t invented in the U.S. The candy was first developed in England but was flavored using imported spices like cinnamon and clove. And they were developed utilizing old gunpowder pellet machines, repurposed for candy making after World War I. As it turns out, it was possible to make candy by compressing the Smarties ingredients the same way gunpowder was compressed.