**History and Spread of Sugar Candy:**
– Oldest sugar candies believed to have originated where sugar cane was domesticated.
– Sugar cane likely originated in Papua New Guinea and spread to Southeast Asia, Pacific Islands, India, China, Arab states, and Europe.
**Traditional Uses of Sugar Candy:**
– Commonly used to sweeten tea in various cultures.
– Examples include placing sugar candy crystals in tea cups in Northern Germany, consuming ‘nabat’ with tea in Iran, and using it in Chinese cooking and medicinal purposes.
**Classification and Types of Sugar Candies:**
– Classified as crystalline or amorphous, with organized or disorganized sugar structures.
– Divided commercially based on sugar content into three groups, each containing crystalline and amorphous candies.
– Types include hard candies, pulled candies, fondants, caramels, toffees, fudges, nougats, and marshmallows.
**Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Uses of Sugar Candy:**
– Historically used in pharmaceutical preparations.
– Utilized in cough drops and some drugs for taste masking.
– Licorice plants flavor candies, and lozenge pastes have been made for centuries.
**Storage, Shelf Life, and Cultural References:**
– Shelf life determined by water content and storage conditions.
– High-sugar candies can last for years in dry environments.
– Impermeable packaging reduces spoilage, and water variance or high-moisture environments can speed up spoilage.
– Cultural references include George Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’ and the concept of Sugarcandy Mountain, critiquing established religion.
Sugar candy is any candy whose primary ingredient is sugar. The main types of sugar candies are hard candies, fondants, caramels, jellies, and nougats. In British English, this broad category of sugar candies is called sweets, and the name candy or sugar-candy is used only for hard candies that are nearly solid sugar.
Sugar candy is a sub-type of candy, which includes sugar candies as well as chocolates, chewing gum and other sweet foods. Candy, in turn, is a sub-type of confectionery, which also includes sweet pastries and sometimes ice cream.