A Chronicle Of The Development Of Candy

Candy

Candy is a kind of candy cake, which refers to a snack with sugar as the main component. If fruits or nuts are coated with sugar, they are called sweets (such as sugar gourds).

What Is Candy?

In the United States, the term “candy” refers to any category of candy made primarily from sugar and other sweet ingredients, including bulk candy. The heat and duration of cooking and cooling the sugar water as well as the added sweetener and taste determine the type of candy. Chocolate is known as candy in the United States and is often added to other compatible food ingredients (e.g., nuts, and fruits) to form confectionery combinations.
This rather broad definition does not apply overseas. The word “candy” is almost never used in the UK, except for the word “marshmallow”. In Britain, a piece of candy is commonly said to be “sweet”. However, in Scotland, “candy” can refer to crystallized sugar. In Australian English, all sweets are called “lollies”.
In the broader sense of Asian culture, chocolate, and chewing gum are often considered to be a type of candy. In Europe and the United States, candy refers only to the use of white sugar or malted sugar to make products. In ancient times, Europe and the United States even used honey as a raw material to make candy, but it was not suitable for industrial production because of the excessive honey components.

The History

Honey – The Origin Of Sugar

From ancient times to the present, the pursuit of sweetness is a kind of instinct for people. “Sugar” is a realistic image of sweetness. What history does this interpretation have?

Honey is one of the earliest sources of sugar in human beings. The fossils that have been discovered today tell us that the earliest honey appeared 80 million years ago. Some scholars believe that modern honey appears in the Himalayas-Hengduan Mountains. Honey contains glucose, fructose, and various vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. It can be absorbed directly without digestive enzyme decomposition, so it has good health and nourishing effects. During the Shang Dynasty in 1600 BC, my country already had a record of eating honey.

Sugar From Cane

Other forms of candy are slowly appearing in other parts of the world. At the end of the 5th century, peasants in Spain began to grow licorice in China to meet public needs. At the same time, in Central America, the Mayans began to chew chisel from the Sapodilla tree to help digest food. In the next few centuries, the spread of sugarcane will have a significant impact on many Asian countries, especially Chinese candy habits. The Chinese have all their traditional favorite, including ginger, licorice roots, and nuts to make sugar to make new candy.

At the same time, in the Middle East, the Arabs are planting sugar cane and striving to find a new method of integrating sugar and candy into their lives. By 950 AD, they invented caramel, but was originally used to remove hair. Following slices and almond sugar. They began to use sugar paste to make trees and animal-shaped sculptures. Soon after, the Arabs established the world’s first sugar factory on an island they called “Kandia”. China is one of the birthplaces of sugarcane. Around 400 BC, there was a record of planting sugarcane in my country, but at that time, I didn’t know how to make sucrose. Not only is sucrose extracted from sugarcane, but also high in beet.

During the Crusaders’ East Expedition, the trade route from Europe expanded eastward. The aggressive knights and merchants brought sugar back to Europe. But sugar is still a rare and expensive luxury, and only the rich can enjoy it. In the 15th century, Europe began to find suitable places to plant and refine their own sugar cane. Initially, the Garna Islands, Sicily and other areas of warm areas. The increase in supply makes sugar more common and the price is slightly cheaper, but demand is growing. In the late 15th century, Europe quickly found a lot of warm weather to cultivate their love for candy. One of the important trading contents of the later triangle trade was sugar.

The Emergence Of Chocolate

During the Tang and Song dynasties around 900 AD, all kinds of ice desserts appeared in the people. This is the prototype of ice cream! Around 1300 AD, the development of ice cream was passed from China to Italy, and it was later passed to France and the United Kingdom.

Europeans discovered cocoa in the 16th century. It took 3 centuries until the 19th century when cocoa was made into chocolate. Chocolate contains raw materials such as cocoa powder, cocoa butter, sugar and cow milk. It belongs to high-calorie foods. It has different sugar content according to different types, and the fat content is very high. At this time, the sugar-making process has gradually matured. In Europe in the 16th century, the candy industry developed more in an orderly manner. People begin to add fruits and nuts to candy. By the 17th century, cooked sugar (“hard sugar“) suddenly appeared in the UK and became the favorite of the American colonies. Chocolate began to spread from Spain to other parts of the European continent. Around 1660, when the Spanish princess Maria Teresa married the French king Louis XIV, she used chocolate as an engagement gift. With the spread of such chocolate beverages in Europe, people have joined new flavors such as meat and cinnamon to season.

New Candies

After the 19th century, new candy appeared. Rock Sugar is an accident of a Scottish hard sugar manufacturer. A Dutch invented the first hard chocolate sugar in 1844. The chocolate stick was born. Soon after, the Swiss began to produce their chocolate and later known for its high-quality chocolate candy. Soon, milk chocolate was invented. And candy like mint and lemon sugar began to popularize in the early 20th century, and then the candy factory began to emerge everywhere. Almost every day, new flavors and new textures were invented. Lollipop, salt water, sugar, fudge and more candy appeared, and many sweet candies also stayed.

Chewing Gum

The gum originated in the 1860s, but only 150 years ago. Although it is a “rising star”, it is popular all over the world. The current output of global gum is about 560,000 tons. Gum can clean the teeth and oral cavity, promote chewing exercises, and prevent tooth decay. The healthy sugar-free cheating gum is most popular with consumers. Sugar-free gum is a sucrose with some sweeteners. In many developed countries, no-sugar gum occupies half of the gum market.