'Conversation hearts' have been part of Valentine's Day celebrations since the 1800s. Here's how the popular candy got its start.

This Valentine's Day, there are endless ways to say, "I love you," but one tiny tradition has been a beloved favorite for decades. "Conversation hearts," sugary heart-shaped candies emblazoned with sayings like "be mine" and "u r cute," allow you to say exactly how you feel through silly messages depicted on sweet crunchy candy.

A fixture at candy company Brach's since the ’50s, conversation hearts have maintained a position on candy counters, adapting with ever-changing slang phrases and tapping into big name partnerships, like the brand's newest collaboration with pop culture television phenomenon Friends.

Where did conversation hearts get their start?

"The tradition started a long time ago and took shape and evolved over time, eventually becoming very recognizable as the heart shape we see popularly during the Valentine's Day season," shares Katie Duffy, vice president and general manager of seasonal at Ferrara Candy Company, which owns Brach's.

For many, the tradition became ingrained at a young age during highly-anticipated classroom exchanges. Today, says Duffy, there are many brands that make this type of candy, but Brach's sits at the top as the number one producer of conversation hearts.

Conversation candies became popularized in the U.S. as early as the 1860s, Duffy tells Yahoo Life. A Boston pharmacist named Oliver Chase patented a machine that pressed text onto wafer candies using red vegetable coloring. While he was longing to get into the lozenges business, he unknowingly created the first candy-making machine in America, which would lead to the start of candy company Necco. Now defunct, it served as a longtime competitor of Brach's in the conversation hearts business.

How have conversation hearts changed over the years?

Production methods have come a long way since Chase's invention as new technologies have become readily available. The food coloring process would eventually evolve into manufacturers physically pressing the candy and now, to the use of lasers.

"Today, for us to have a lot of flexibility to be able to update words and phrases that are on our hearts they actually are applied through a lasering technology that gives us a lot more opportunity to put our creativity into the product," Duffy explains, adding that this type of laser printing makes for much higher accuracy on the quality-controlled product.

Why simply say, "I love you," when you can catch your crush's attention by calling them "adorbz?" Along with the updated production process, the phrases depicted on the candies have evolved just as language has. In addition to what's trending and popularized by pop culture, social media plays a large role in determining what new words to add to the vernacular of conversation hearts.

"We have ventured into many different phrases," says Duffy. "We just keep an eye on what's in popular culture." Phrases are typically updated every few years to keep up with changing times and recent additions include phrases like "adorbz," "TTYL" and "BFF."

The conversation hearts tradition

"There's always going to be classic phrases that Brach's will keep on the hearts," says Duffy. "We just want to stay on the pulse of the way consumers are talking to each other without losing sight of the nostalgia and tradition so many people find in this type of candy that they keep coming back to year after year."

Duffy assures Yahoo Life that classic phrases like "love you" and "be mine" will remain on conversation heart candies.

"I think there's a lot of tradition sharing and the multiple different ways people use the product during the holiday season," she says, explaining the candies aren't limited to consumption but are also popularly used in baking and crafting. "I think people just find the short sweet messages that are on the conversation hearts a really nice way to connect with others and really put their own spin on Valentine's Day," says Duffy.

The future of conversation hearts

The candy's flavor is another component when it comes to staying on trend. Classic flavors, like cherry, grape and banana, are a staple of Brach's, but the company tests out inventive twists, like tropical and dessert-flavored hearts. The brand's cheeky Wisecracks! line uses snarky phrases and fun flavors, like mint and grape.

Decades after its start, the company is venturing into a new means to stay relevant with the tiny heart's first major pop culture collaboration with iconic sitcom Friends. The series may have ended in 2004, but thanks to syndication and streaming it remains as popular as ever, resonating with a multitude of generations.

"There's all kinds of interpretations of love in the world and we just think it's so fun to celebrate friends and friendship in this way," Duffy shares.

The iconic television series is a treasure trove of phrases now used in colloquial speech. The Brach's partnership uses 26 quotes and references from the show, including Ross's memorable "pivot" and the lovable Joey's "how you doin'" Even Chandler’s insufferable ex, Janice, is emblazoned on the tiny candy with her "oh my gawd."

Watermelon, strawberry, blueberry and pineapple flavors are introduced for the first time ever in this series alongside old favorites cherry and orange. The limited-edition Friends-themed conversation hearts are available now in grocery stores, convenience stores and at mass-market retailers nationwide.

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