Uncle Joe's Mint Balls are traditional mints produced by Wm Santus & Co. Ltd. in Wigan

Wigan

Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...

, Greater Manchester

Greater Manchester

Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...

, England since 1898. Despite their name, the mints are not truly spherical but oblate spheroids. The ingredients of Uncle Joe's Mint Balls are: pure cane sugar, oil of peppermint

Peppermint

Peppermint is a hybrid mint, a cross between the watermint and spearmint . The plant, indigenous to Europe, is now widespread in cultivation throughout all regions of the world...

 and cream of tartar and are described on the tin as "suitable for vegans". The words "Gluten Free" are also on the tin lid.

The packaging, usually a sealed can, describes its contents as "pure and good", and "They keep you all aglow" and carries a picture of the mascot, a smiling man in a top hat.

British singer/songwriter and humorist Mike Harding

Mike Harding

Mike Harding is an English singer, songwriter, comedian, author, poet and broadcaster. He is known as 'The Rochdale Cowboy' after one of his hit records...

 has a song called "Uncle Joe's Mint Balls" on his 1975 album Mrs. 'Ardin's Kid.

On 16 February 2011, Wm Santus' Dorning Street factory produced the two-billionth Uncle Joe's Mint Ball, which was encased in resin and placed on display at the Museum of Wigan Life

Museum of Wigan Life

The Museum of Wigan Life is a public museum and local history resource centre in Wigan, Greater Manchester. Formerly Wigan Library and later the History Shop, it is most noted as the library where George Orwell researched his book The Road to Wigan Pier in 1936.-Wigan Public Library :The building...

until March 17.