Today’s Spotlight is on Candy.

Perhaps there is still some candy left over from Halloween. If so, today is the day to celebrate.

Candy, also called sweets or lollies, is a confection that features sugar as a principal ingredient. The category, called sugar confectionery, encompasses any sweet confection, including chocolate, chewing gum, and sugar candy. Candy can be made with:

Sugar, Syrup, Chocolate, Fruit, Nuts, Flavoring, Filling.

Candy can be made in a variety of textures, including:

• Soft and chewy
• Hard and brittle
• Smooth and creamy
• Easily chewed

Some types of candy include:

• Hard candies, Caramels, Toffees, Nougats, Fondant, Fudge, Rock candy, Candied fruit.

Candy is made by dissolving sugar in water or milk to form a syrup. The syrup is then boiled until it reaches the desired concentration or starts to caramelize.

Candy is also called confectionery.  Confectionery is a broad category of food items that are rich in sugar and carbohydrates. Confectionery can be divided into two categories: bakers’ confections and sugar confections.  Sugar confections include candies, chewing gums, and jellies.

Other synonyms for candy include:

• Confection, Bonbon, Sweet, Sweetmeat, Chocolate, Bar, Brittle, Caramel, Comfit, Congeal, Crystallize, Flatter.

 

History

Candy’s origins can be traced back to ancient Egypt, where it was used in religious ceremonies. The Egyptians used honey to make candy by adding figs, nuts, dates, and spices. The first modern candies were made in the 16th century. Candy manufacturing became an industry in the early 19th century.

Candy was used medicinally in other cultures, including:

• China, Greece, Rome.

In the Middle Ages, candy was used as an aid to digestive problems. It was only available to the wealthy.

The first candy came to America in the early 18th century from Britain and France. Only a few of the early colonists were proficient in sugar work. Even the simplest form of candy, rock candy, was considered a luxury.

The word “candy” comes from the Old French “çucre candi” which means “sugar candy”. The French term probably has earlier roots in the Arabic “qandi”, Persian “qand”, and Sanskrit “khanda”, all words for sugar.

The word “candy” comes from the Arabic word “qandi”, which means “made of sugar”. It came into use in the 13th century.

The word “candy” also comes from the Persian word for “cane sugar”. It probably also comes from the Sanskrit word “khanda” which means “piece (of sugar)”.

In the United States, candy refers to both chocolate products and sugar-based confections. In other places, “chocolate confectionery” refers to chocolates, “sugar confectionery” refers to the various sugar-based products, and “flour confectionery” refers to products such as cakes and pastries.

The first modern candies were made in the 16th century.

In the 1600s, there were candies like:

• Stain glass, Sorghum drops, Cream filberts, Fennel comfit, Sugar plum blend.

In the 17th century, boiled sugar candies were being made in America and England. Other candies from this time include:

• Boiled sugar plums
• Maple-syrup candy
• Benne-seed confections

Candy manufacturing became an industry in the early 19th century. Hard candies like peppermints and lemon drops became popular in the 19th century. The first chocolate candy bars were made in 1847 by Joseph Fry.

 

Here are some fun facts about candy:

• The average American eats about 24 pounds of candy per year.
• The world’s oldest candy company is still in operation today. NECCO (New England Confectionery Company) was founded in 1847.
• The first lollipop machine was invented in 1908 by George Smith.
• The first machine-spun cotton candy was invented in 1897 by William James Morrison, a dentist.
• Three Musketeers candy bars got their name because each bar originally came as three pieces, each with a different flavor.
• Sixty million chocolate Easter bunnies are produced each year.
• The people of Denmark eat more 36 pounds of candy per person, per year.

 

Here are some interesting candies:

• Squid candy: This candy is made from fish paste and artificial squid flavoring.
• Garbage candy: These fruity-flavored candies come in shapes like pop cans, glass bottles, and fish bones.
• Pop Rocks: These sweet, fizzy, fruity candies pop in your mouth.
• Shokolad Para Pitzputzim: This milk chocolate bar from Israel is filled with popping candy.

Other interesting candies include:

• Mango chili bears
• Chocolate toffee peanuts
• Tropical drops
• Sour gummy octopus
• Real crickets flavored with bacon and cheese.
• Jelly belly flavors like Krispy Kreme, pancakes and maple syrup, and cocktail classics

 

Consumption

The average American eats 22 pounds of candy per year. This is split almost equally between candy and chocolate. Americans consume 2.8 billion pounds of chocolate each year, or over 11 pounds per person.

Nearly all Americans (97%) report eating candy at least once per year. However, on a given day, only approximately one-fourth of the US population aged ≥2 y consumes candy.

The average American consumes 1483 pounds of candy in a lifetime.

Here are some countries that make good candy:

• Belgium – Has over 2,000 chocolate shops, including the original Godiva Chocolatier.
• Switzerland – Known as a chocolate Mecca, with popular brands like Lindt and Toblerone.
• Japan – Has a large variety of candy, including creative and pretty options.
• Germany – Home to Haribo and close to many chocolate sources.
• Sweden – Has candy that’s generally healthier than American candy, because it doesn’t contain corn syrup, gluten, or trans fats.

Other countries that make good chocolate include Ecuador, United Kingdom, Ivory Coast, Italy, United States.

 

Celebrating Candy

National Candy is celebrated on November4th each year. But our obsession with candy doesn’t stop there. There are a lot of holidays dedicated to celebrating candy. These holidays include:

• April 22: National Jellybean Day
• May 23: National Taffy Day
• July 20: National Lollipop Day
• October 12: National M&M Day
• November 4: National Candy Day
• December 7: National Cotton Candy Day
• December 19: National Hard Candy Day
• December 26: National Candy Cane Day
• December 28: National Chocolate Candy Day

 

So, what we’d like to know is what candy holiday(s) do you celebrate? Let us know in the comments.