View source for Confectionery

{{Redirect|Sweetmeat|the racehorse|Sweetmeat (horse)}} 
{{distinguish|Sweetbread}}
{{Short description|Art of making confections or sweet foods}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2018}}
<!-- This article is written in American English. The subject of this article is confectionery, as that term is used in American English. Therefore, the subject is approximately "sweet foods". The subject of this article is NOT the more restrictive category of "sweet foods that match the use of this word in British English". -->
[[File:Krokan.jpg|thumb|This [[krokan]] is a traditional Swedish baker's confection.]]

'''Confectionery''' is the <!-- Do not remove the word "art" without getting clear agreement on the talk page beforehand. -->[[Art (skill)|art]]<ref name="MerriamWebsterConfectionery">{{Cite Merriam-Webster|confectionery|access-date=2 March 2021}}</ref><ref name="OED2023Confectionery"/> of making '''confections''', or sweet foods.<ref name="MerriamWebsterConfectionery"/><ref name="OED2023Confectionery"/> Confections are items that are rich in sugar and [[carbohydrate]]s, although exact definitions are difficult.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RL6LAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA213|title=The Oxford Companion to Food|last=Davidson|first=Alan|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2014|isbn=9780199677337|page=213}}</ref> In general, however, confections are divided into two broad and somewhat overlapping categories: '''bakers' confections''' and '''sugar confections'''.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=akYLOTMdCSEC&pg=PA106|title=Dictionary of Food Science and Technology|date=2009|publisher=Wiley–Blackwell|isbn=9781405187404|editor=International Food Information Service|edition=2nd|location=Chichester, U.K.|page=106}}</ref>

Bakers' confectionery, also called '''flour confections''', includes principally sweet pastries, cakes, and similar [[Baking|baked goods]]. Baker's confectionery excludes everyday [[Bread|breads]], and thus is a subset of products produced by a [[baker]].

Sugar confectionery includes candies (also called ''sweets'', short for ''sweetmeats'',<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Goldstein|first=Darra|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jbi6BwAAQBAJ|title=The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets|date=2015|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-931339-6|pages=171|language=en}}</ref> in many English-speaking countries), candied nuts, chocolates, chewing gum, bubble gum, [[pastillage]], and other confections that are made primarily of sugar. In some cases, '''chocolate confections''' (confections made of chocolate) are treated as a separate category, as are sugar-free versions of sugar confections.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Science of Sugar Confectionery|url=https://archive.org/details/sciencesugarconf00edwa|url-access=limited|last=Edwards|first=W.P.|date=2000|publisher=Royal Society of Chemistry|isbn=9780854045938|location=Cambridge|page=[https://archive.org/details/sciencesugarconf00edwa/page/n12 1]}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Mark |first=J. |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Food_Industries/2xEIEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA461&printsec=frontcover |title=Food Industries |last2=Strange |first2=R. |last3=Burns |first3=J. |date=2020-11-25 |publisher=CRC Press |isbn=978-1-000-10997-9 |pages=461–464 |language=en}}</ref> The words ''[[candy]]'' (Canada and US), ''sweets'' (UK, Ireland, and others), and ''lollies'' (Australia and New Zealand) are common words for some of the most popular [[List of candies|varieties of sugar confectionery]].

The occupation of '''confectioner''' encompasses the categories of cooking performed by both the French ''[[Pâtissier|patissier]]'' (pastry chef) and the ''confiseur'' (sugar worker).<ref name=":0" />  The confectionery industry also includes specialized training schools and extensive historical records.<ref name="The Art of Confectionery">{{Cite web |last=Day |first=Ivan |title=The Art of Confectionery |url=http://www.historicfood.com/The%20Art%20of%20Confectionery.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171118051214/http://www.historicfood.com/The%20Art%20of%20Confectionery.pdf |archive-date=2017-11-18 |website=historicfood.com}}</ref> Traditional confectionery goes back to ancient times and continued to be eaten through the [[Medieval cuisine#Sweets and desserts|Middle Ages]] and into the modern era.

==Etymology==
[[File:Yasnaya_Polyana_Confectionery_Factory_01.jpg|thumb|Confectionery can be mass-produced in a factory.]]
The oldest recorded use of the word ''confectionery'' discovered so far by the ''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]'' is by Richard Jonas in 1540, who spelled or misspelled it as "confection nere" in a passage "''[[amber|Ambre]], [[musk|muske]], [[frankincense|frankencense]], {{ill|gallia muscata|fr|Galle musquée}} and '''confection nere'''''", thus in the sense of "things made or sold by a confectioner". 

Also according to the [[Oxford English Dictionary|OED]], the sense of "the art and business of a confectioner" is first recorded in 1743, and the earliest use in the sense of a "confectioner's shop" dates to 1803.<ref name="OED2023Confectionery">{{cite web|title=Oxford English Dictionary|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2023|url=https://www.oed.com/dictionary/confectionery_n?tab=meaning_and_use|access-date=27 May 2024}}</ref>

==History==
<!-- "penidia" and "penids" redirect here  -->
[[File:Chum chums.jpg|thumb|left|Some [[Sweets from the Indian subcontinent|Indian confectionery desserts]] from hundreds of varieties. In certain parts of India, these are called ''mithai'' or sweets. Sugar and desserts have a long history in India: by about 500 BCE, people in India had developed the technology to produce sugar crystals. In the local language, these crystals were called ''khanda'' (खण्ड), which is the source of the word ''candy''.<ref>{{cite book|title=Sugar: A Bitterweet History|publisher=Penguin|year=2010|author=Elizabeth Abbot|isbn=978-1-590-20297-5|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/sugarbittersweet0000abbo}}</ref>]]
Before sugar was readily available in the ancient western world, confectionery was based on [[honey]].<ref>{{cite book |title = Confectionery Products Handbook (Chocolate, Toffees, Chewing Gum & Sugar Free Confectionery)|publisher=Asia Pacific Business Press |date=2013|isbn=9788178331539 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a989AQAAQBAJ |location=India |author=NPCS |page=1}}</ref> Honey was used in [[Ancient China]], [[Ancient India]], [[Ancient Egypt]], [[Ancient Greece]] and [[Ancient Rome]] to coat fruits and flowers to preserve them or to create sweetmeats.<ref name="History of Food">{{cite book|last=Toussaint-Samat|first=Maguelonne|title=A History of Food|year=2009|publisher=Wiley-Blackwell|location=New Jersey|isbn = 9781444305142}}</ref> Between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE, the [[Persian people|Persians]], followed by the [[Greeks]], made contact with the Indian subcontinent and its "reeds that produce honey without bees". They adopted and then spread sugar and [[sugarcane]] agriculture.<ref name="agrisugar1">{{cite web|title=Agribusiness Handbook: Sugar beet white sugar|publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations|year=2009|url=http://www.eastagri.org/publications/pub_docs/4_Sugar_web.pdf|access-date=3 February 2018|archive-date=5 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905234431/http://www.eastagri.org/publications/pub_docs/4_Sugar_web.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> Sugarcane is indigenous to tropical [[Indian subcontinent]] and [[Southeast Asia]].<ref>J.A. Hill (1902), The Anglo-American Encyclopedia, Volume 7, page 725</ref><ref>Thomas E. Furia (1973), CRC Handbook of Food Additives, Second Edition, Volume 1, {{ISBN|978-0849305429}}, page 7 (Chapter 1, by Thomas D. Luckey)</ref><ref>Mary Ellen Snodgrass (2004), Encyclopedia of Kitchen History, {{ISBN|978-1579583804}}, Routledge, pages 145–146</ref>

In the early history of sugar usage in Europe, it was initially the apothecary who had the most important role in the production of sugar-based preparations. Medieval European physicians learned the medicinal uses of the material from the Arabs and Byzantine Greeks. One Middle Eastern remedy for rheums and fevers were little, twisted sticks of [[#Types|pulled sugar]] called in Arabic {{Transliteration|ar|al fänäd}} or ''{{Transliteration|ar|al pänäd}}''. These became known in England as alphenics, or more commonly as penidia, penids, pennet or pan sugar. They were the precursors of [[barley sugar]] and modern [[Throat lozenge|cough drops]]. In 1390, the Earl of Derby paid "two shillings for two pounds of penydes.{{Citation needed|date=January 2024}}"

[[File:La-Pone-Jordan-Almonds.jpg|thumb|[[Dragée|Jordan almonds]]. Sugar-coated nuts or spices for non-medicinal purposes marked the beginning of confectionery in late medieval England.]]As the non-medicinal applications of sugar developed, the comfitmaker, or confectioner gradually came into being as a separate trade. In the late medieval period the words confyt, comfect or cumfitt were generic terms for all kinds of sweetmeats made from fruits, roots, or flowers preserved with sugar. By the 16th century, a cumfit was more specifically a seed, nut or small piece of spice enclosed in a round or ovoid mass of sugar. The production of [[comfits]] was a core skill of the [[Confectionery in the English Renaissance|early confectioner]], who was known more commonly in 16th and 17th century England as a comfitmaker. Reflecting their original medicinal purpose, however, comfits were also produced by apothecaries and directions on how to make them appear in dispensatories as well as cookery texts. An early medieval Latin name for an apothecary was {{Lang|la|confectionarius}}, and it was in this sort of sugar work that the activities of the two trades overlapped and that the word "confectionery" originated.<ref name="The Art of Confectionery"/>

In the [[Ottoman cuisine|cuisine of the Late Ottoman Empire]] diverse cosmopolitan cultural influences were reflected in published recipes such as European-style molded jellies flavored with cordials. In Europe, Ottoman confections (especially "lumps of delight" ([[Turkish delight]]) became very fashionable among European and British high society.<ref>{{Cite book| last1=Roufs| first1=Timothy G.| last2=Roufs| first2=Kathleen Smyth| title=Sweet treats around the world: an encyclopedia of food and culture| date=2014 |page=343}}</ref> An important study of Ottoman confectionery called ''[[Conditorei des Orients]]'' was published by the royal confectioner Friedrich Unger in 1838.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets |date=April 2015 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-931362-4 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XPNgBwAAQBAJ}}</ref>

The first confectionery in [[Manchester, England]] was opened by [[Elizabeth Raffald]] who had worked six years in [[domestic service]] as a housekeeper.<ref>Snodgrass, M. E. ''Encyclopedia of Kitchen History'', Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers (2004)</ref>

==Sweetening agents==
Confections are defined by the presence of sweeteners. These are usually sugars, but it is possible to buy sugar-free candies, such as sugar-free [[peppermints]]. The most common sweetener for home cooking is [[table sugar]], which is chemically a [[disaccharide]] containing both [[glucose]] and [[fructose]]. Hydrolysis of [[sucrose]] gives a mixture called [[invert sugar]], which is sweeter and is also a common commercial ingredient. Finally, confections, especially commercial ones, are sweetened by a variety of syrups obtained by [[hydrolysis]] of [[starch]]. These sweeteners include all types of [[corn syrup]].<ref name="Ullmann">Terry Richardson, Geert Andersen, "Confectionery" in Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry 2005 Wiley-VCH, Weinheim.  {{doi|10.1002/14356007.a07_411}}</ref>

==Bakers' confectionery==
[[File:Pink and white Easter petits fours.jpg|alt=Small, square cakes frosted with pink or white icing|thumb|upright|[[Petits fours]] are baker's confections.]]
Bakers' confectionery includes sweet baked goods, especially those that are served for the [[dessert]] course. Bakers' confections are sweet foods that feature [[flour]] as a main ingredient and are [[baking|baked]]. Major categories include [[cake]]s, sweet [[Pastry|pastries]], [[doughnut]]s, [[scone]]s, and [[cookie]]s.<ref>{{cite book|editor = International Food Information Service|title = Dictionary of Food Science and Technology|date = 2009|publisher = Wiley–Blackwell|location = Chichester, U.K.|isbn = 9781405187404|page = 39|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=akYLOTMdCSEC&pg=PA106|edition = 2nd}}</ref> In the Middle East and Asia, flour-based confections predominate.

The definition of which foods are "confectionery" vs "bread" can vary based on cultures and laws. In Ireland, the definition of "bread" as a "staple food" for tax purposes requires that the sugar or fat content be no more than 2% of the weight of the flour, so some products sold as bread in the US would be treated as confectionery there.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Oxner |first1=Reese |title=For Subway, A Ruling Not So Sweet. Irish Court Says Its Bread Isn't Bread |url=https://www.npr.org/2020/10/01/919189045/for-subway-a-ruling-not-so-sweet-irish-court-says-its-bread-isnt-bread |access-date=17 October 2021 |work=NPR.org |date=1 October 2021 |language=en |archive-date=17 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211017001527/https://www.npr.org/2020/10/01/919189045/for-subway-a-ruling-not-so-sweet-irish-court-says-its-bread-isnt-bread |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Types ===
{{see also|List of cakes|List of cookies|List of doughnut varieties|List of pastries}}[[Cake]]s have a somewhat bread-like texture, and many earlier cakes, such as the centuries-old [[stollen]] (fruit cake), or the even older [[king cake]], were rich yeast breads. The variety of styles and presentations extends from simple to elaborate. Major categories include [[butter cake]]s, [[torte]]s, and [[foam cake]]s. Confusingly, some confections that have the word ''cake'' in their names, such as [[cheesecake]], are not technically cakes, while others, such as [[Boston cream pie]] are cakes despite seeming to be named something else.

<gallery mode="nolines" widths="200" caption="Examples of cake">
File:Wesh cakes.jpg|[[Welsh cake]]s are cooked on a griddle.
File:Korean rice cake-Mujigae tteok-01.jpg|Korean [[rainbow rice cake]] is for celebrations.
File:Birthday Cake by 'Valentina's Cakes' in Binghamton, New York.jpg|[[Birthday cakes]] may be elaborately decorated.
File:Pruegeltorte.JPG|European [[spit cake]]s are baked around a metal cylinder.
File:Pink rose birthday cake (5919553257).jpg|Cake with decorations made from sugar
</gallery>

[[Pastry]] is a large and diverse category of baked goods, united by the flour-based doughs used as the base for the product. These doughs are not always sweet, and the sweetness may come from the sugar, fruit, chocolate, cream, or other fillings that are added to the finished confection. Pastries can be elaborately decorated, or they can be plain dough.

<gallery mode="nolines" widths="200" caption="Examples of pastry">
File:Choux pastry buns, 2009.jpg|[[Choux pastry]]
File:Besamelas-(La Rosita).jpg|Empty shells made with [[puff pastry]] can be filled with fruit or cream.
File:Pumpkin-Pie-Slice.jpg|[[Pie]] is made from a [[pie crust]] and a sweet filling.
File:Baklava - Turkish special, 80-ply.JPEG|[[Baklava]] is made with [[phyllo]] pastry.
File:Moon cake in mid autumn festival.jpg|[[Mooncake]] pastries are made to celebrate the [[Mid-Autumn Festival]] in East Asia. 
</gallery>

[[Doughnut]]s may be fried or baked.

<gallery mode="nolines" widths="200" caption="Examples of doughnuts">
File:Glazed-Donut.jpg|Glazed raised doughnut
File:Oliebollen bakken (4233801075) (2).jpg|[[Oliebollen]] and similar doughnuts are fried in hot fat.
File:Christmas doughnut display (15459326042).jpg|Decorated doughnuts
File:Apple beignets (5492114879).jpg|[[Apple fritter]] with powdered sugar 
</gallery>

[[Scone]]s and related sweet [[quick bread]]s, such as [[Bannock (British food)|bannock]], are similar to [[baking powder biscuit]]s and, in sweeter, less traditional interpretations, can seem like a [[cupcake]].

<gallery mode="nolines" widths="200" caption="Examples of scones">
File:Scones Jam Cream.jpg|Scones with jam
File:2scones.jpg|Cranberry scones with icing
File:Golden-Krust-Rock-Cake.jpg|A sweet [[rock cake]] 
</gallery>

[[Cookie]]s are small, sweet baked treats. They originated as small cakes, and some traditional cookies have a soft, cake-like texture. Others are crisp or hard.

<gallery mode="nolines" widths="200" caption="Examples of cookies">
File:Breakfast pizzelle, January 2013 (8505127567).jpg|Thin wafer cookies such as [[pizzelle]] have been made since the Middle Ages.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XPNgBwAAQBAJ&pg=PT368|title=The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets|date=1 April 2015|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=9780199313624|page=368|language=en}}</ref>
File:Runde braune Lebkuchen - Flickr - tm-md (7).jpg|Spicy [[lebkuchen]] are a German Christmas treat.
File:Biscuiteers Polka Dot Heart Product.jpg|Cookies can be elaborately decorated.
File:Oreo-Two-Cookies.jpg|Oreos are an example of a mass-produced cookie.
</gallery>

==Sugar confectionery==
[[File:Chocolatería_Arrufat_01.jpg|thumb|Depending on the chosen classification scheme, [[ice cream]] and [[chocolate]] confections may be treated separately or as part of sugar confectionery.]]
Sugar confections include sweet, sugar-based foods, which are usually eaten as [[snack food]]. This includes [[sugar candies]], [[chocolate]]s, [[candied fruit]]s and nuts, [[chewing gum]], and sometimes [[ice cream]]. In some cases, [[chocolate]] confections are treated as a separate category, as are sugar-free versions of sugar confections.<ref>{{cite book|last=Edwards|first=W.P.|title=The Science of Sugar Confectionery|url=https://archive.org/details/sciencesugarconf00edwa|url-access=limited|date=2000|publisher=Royal Society of Chemistry|location=Cambridge|isbn=9780854045938|page=[https://archive.org/details/sciencesugarconf00edwa/page/n12 1]}}</ref>  

Different dialects of English use regional terms for sugar confections:

*In [[British English|Britain]], [[Hiberno-English|Ireland]], and some [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth countries]], ''sweets'' (the [[Scottish Gaelic]] word ''suiteis'' is a derivative). ''Candy'' is used specifically for [[rock candy]] and occasionally for (brittle) boiled sweets. ''Lollies'' are boiled sweets fixed on sticks.
*In [[Australian English|Australia]] and [[New Zealand English|New Zealand]], ''lollies''. ''Chewy'' and ''Chuddy'' are Australian slang for chewing gum.<ref>{{citation|title = Definition of chuddy Oxford dictionary (British & World English)|url = http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/chuddy|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120712191820/http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/chuddy|url-status = dead|archive-date = 12 July 2012|date = 2014|website = oxforddictionaries.com|access-date = 15 July 2014}}</ref>
*In [[American English|North America]], ''[[candy]]'', although this term generally refers to a specific range of confectionery and does not include some items of sugar confectionery (e.g. ice cream). ''Sweet'' is occasionally used, as well as ''treat''.

In the US, a chocolate-coated candy bar (e.g. [[Snickers]]) would be called a ''candy bar'', in Britain more likely a ''chocolate bar'' than unspecifically a ''sweet''.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+Comparison of terms
|-
!American English
!British English
|-
|''confectionery'' (formal, uncommon, broad)
|''confectionery'' (formal, narrow)
|-
|''rock candy, rock sugar''
|''sugar candy, candy, rock, rock sweet''
|-
|''hard candy''
|''boiled sweet, candy'' (rare)
|-
|''candied fruit, glazed fruit''
|''candied fruit''
|-
|''cotton candy,'' ''fairy floss'' (archaic)<ref>{{cite web|last=|first=|date=7 February 2000|title=Cotton Candy|url=http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mcottoncandy.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080430084909/http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mcottoncandy.html|archive-date=30 April 2008|access-date=30 November 2011|work=The Straight Dope}}</ref>
|''candy floss''
|-
|''candy, treat'' (rare)'', sweet'' (rare)
|''sweet''
|-
|''dessert''
|''pudding, sweet, dessert''
|-
|''pudding''
|''custard'', ''blancmange'', ''jelly''
|-
|''chocolate bar, chocolate candy bar''
|''bar of chocolate'' (e.g. Cadbury's Milk Chocolate)
|-
|''candy bar'' (chocolate coated types)
|''chocolate bar'' (e.g. Snickers)
|-
|''box of chocolates''
|''chocolates, box of chocolates''
|}

===Classification===
[[File:Gingerbread_house_6.jpg|thumb|This [[gingerbread house]] has walls and roof made from [[cookie dough]] and decorations made from [[Icing (food)|icing]] and [[sugar candy]].  Classification is sometimes challenging because products can overlap categories.]]
The United Nations' [[International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities]] (ISIC) scheme (revision 4) classifies both chocolate and sugar confectionery as ISIC 1073, which includes the manufacture of chocolate and chocolate confectionery; sugar confectionery proper (caramels, cachous, nougats, fondant, [[white chocolate]]), chewing gum, preserving fruit, nuts, fruit peels, and making confectionery lozenges and pastilles.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://unstats.un.org/unsd/cr/registry/regcs.asp?Cl=27&Lg=1&Co=1073|title = ISIC Rev.4 code 1073: Manufacture of cocoa, chocolate and sugar confectionery|date = 2014|access-date = 18 June 2014|website = United Nations Statistics Division, Classification Registry|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140722050117/http://unstats.un.org/unsd/cr/registry/regcs.asp?Cl=27&Lg=1&Co=1073|archive-date = 22 July 2014|url-status = dead}}</ref> In the European Union, the [[Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community]] (NACE) scheme (revision 2) matches the UN classification, under code number 10.82.

In the United States, the [[North American Industry Classification System]] (NAICS 2012) splits sugar confectionery across three categories: National industry code 311340 for all non-chocolate confectionery manufacturing, 311351 for chocolate and confectionery manufacturing from cacao beans, and national industry 311352 for confectionery manufacturing from purchased chocolate.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://unstats.un.org/unsd/cr/registry/regso2.asp?Cl=27&Co=1073&Lg=1|title = Correspondences for ISIC Rev.4 code 1073|date = 2014|website = United Nations Statistics Division|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140722023316/http://unstats.un.org/unsd/cr/registry/regso2.asp?Cl=27&Co=1073&Lg=1|archive-date = 22 July 2014|url-status = dead}}</ref>

[[Ice cream]] and [[sorbet]] are classified with dairy products under ISIC 1050, NACE 10.52, and NAICS 311520.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://unstats.un.org/unsd/cr/registry/regso2.asp?Cl=27&Co=1050&Lg=1|title = Correspondences for ISIC Rev.4 code 1050|date = 2014|access-date = 18 June 2014|website = United Nations Statistics Division|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140722051828/http://unstats.un.org/unsd/cr/registry/regso2.asp?Cl=27&Co=1050&Lg=1|archive-date = 22 July 2014|url-status = dead}}</ref> The classification of ice cream has varied widely; for example, in 1930, it was classified as a form of flour confectionery.<ref name=":2" /><!-- Relevant quote from source, page 464:  'In 1930, for example, ice-cream manufacturing was included in the "Bread and flour confectionery" industry.' -->

===Examples===
{{further|List of candies}}
[[File:Rock-Candy-Sticks.jpg|thumb|[[Rock candy]] is simply sugar, with optional coloring or flavor.]]
[[File:Hershey-bar-open.JPG|thumb|right|A bar of [[chocolate]], which can either be consumed as-is or used as an ingredient in other dishes.]]
[[File:2018 05 Fudge IMG 1913.JPG|thumb|right|Assorted fudges]]
[[File:Peco-Peanut-Brittle-Bar.jpg|thumb|right|[[brittle (food)|Brittles]] are a combination of nuts and [[Caramelization|caramelized]] sugar.]]

Sugar confectionery items include candies, [[lollipop]]s, [[candy bar]]s, [[chocolate]], [[cotton candy]], and other sweet items of [[snack food]]. Some of the categories and types of sugar confectionery include the following:<ref name="Ullmann" />

*[[Chocolates]]: Bite-sized confectioneries generally made with [[chocolate]], considered different from a candy bar made of chocolate.
*[[Divinity (confectionery)|Divinity]]: A [[nougat]]-like confectionery based on [[Egg (food)|egg]] whites with chopped [[nut (fruit)|nut]]s.
*[[Dodol]]: A [[toffee]]-like delicacy popular in Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines
*[[Dragée]]: Sugar-coated [[almond]]s and other types of [[sugar panning|sugar panned]] candies.
*[[Fudge]]: Made by boiling milk and sugar to the soft-ball stage. In the US, it tends to be chocolate-flavored.
*[[Halva]]h: Confectionery based on [[tahini]], a paste made from ground [[sesame]] seeds.
*[[Hard candy]]: Based on sugars cooked to the hard-crack stage. Examples include [[lollipop]]s, jawbreakers (or [[gobstopper]]s), [[lemon drops]], peppermint drops and disks, [[candy cane]]s, [[rock candy]], etc. Also included are types often mixed with nuts such as [[Brittle (food)|brittle]], which is similar to [[Chikki|chikkis]].
*[[Ice cream]]: Frozen, flavored cream, often containing small pieces of chocolate, [[fruit]]s and/or [[nut (fruit)|nut]]s.
*Jelly candies: Including those based on sugar and starch, [[pectin]], gum, or [[gelatin]] such as [[Turkish delight|Turkish delight (lokum)]], [[jelly bean]]s, [[gumdrop]]s, [[jujube (confectionery)|jujube]]s, [[gummi candy|gummies]], etc.<ref>Margaret McWilliams. (2006) Nutrition and Dietetics Eighth edition edn. Prentice Hall: Pearson Education Inc.</ref>
*[[Liquorice (confectionery)|Liquorice]]: Containing extract of the [[liquorice root]], this candy is chewier and more resilient than gums or gelatin candies. For example, [[Liquorice allsorts]]. It has a similar taste to [[star anise]].
*[[Marshmallow]]: For example, [[circus peanut]]s.
*[[Marzipan]]: An [[almond]]-based confection, doughy in consistency.
*[[Mithai (confectionery)|Mithai]]: A generic term for confectionery in the [[Indian subcontinent]], typically made from dairy products and/or some form of flour. Sugar or molasses are used as sweeteners.
*[[Persipan]]: similar to marzipan, but made with peaches or apricots instead of almonds.
*[[Pastillage]]: A thick sugar paste made with gelatin, water, and confectioner's sugar, similar to gum paste, which is moulded into shapes, which then harden.
*[[Tablet (confectionery)|Tablet]]: A crumbly milk-based soft and hard candy, based on sugars cooked to the soft ball stage. Comes in several forms, such as wafers and heart shapes. Not to be confused with [[tableting]], a method of candy production.
*[[Taffy (candy)|Taffy]] (British: ''chews''): A sugar confection that is folded many times above 120&nbsp;°F (50&nbsp;°C), incorporating air bubbles thus reducing its density and making it opaque.
*[[Toffee]]: A confection made by caramelizing sugar or molasses along with butter. Toffee has a glossy surface and textures ranging from soft and sticky to a hard, brittle material. Its brown color and smoky taste arise from the caramelization of the sugars.

===Storage and shelf life===
[[Shelf life]] is largely determined by the amount of water present in the candy and the storage conditions.<ref name=":1">{{cite journal |vauthors=Ergun R, Lietha R, Hartel RW |title=Moisture and shelf life in sugar confections |journal=Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr |volume=50 |issue=2 |pages=162–92 |date=February 2010 |pmid=20112158 |doi=10.1080/10408390802248833 |s2cid=19980997 }}</ref> High-sugar candies, such as boiled candies, can have a shelf life of many years if kept covered in a dry environment. Spoilage of low-moisture candies tends to involve a loss of shape, color, texture, and flavor, rather than the growth of dangerous microbes. Impermeable packaging can reduce spoilage due to storage conditions.

Candies spoil more quickly if they have different amounts of water in different parts of the candy (for example, a candy that combines marshmallow and nougat), or if they are stored in high-moisture environments.<ref name=":1" /> This process is due to the effects of [[water activity]], which results in the transfer of unwanted water from a high-moisture environment into a low-moisture candy, rendering it rubbery, or the loss of desirable water from a high-moisture candy into a dry environment, rendering the candy dry and brittle.

Another factor, affecting only non-crystalline amorphous candies, is the [[glass transition]] process.<ref name=":1" /> This can cause amorphous candies to lose their intended texture.

==Cultural roles==
[[File:Japanese confectionery store in "The Great Buddha Sweet Shop" from Akizato Rito's Miyako meisho zue (1787).jpg|thumb|A Japanese vendor selling [[List of Japanese desserts and sweets|sweets]] (''[[wagashi]]'') in "The Great Buddha Sweet Shop" from the ''Miyako meisho zue'' ([[:ja:都名所図会]]) (1787)]]
Both bakers' and sugar confections are used to offer [[hospitality]] to guests.

Confections are used to mark celebrations or events, such as [[Christmas]], [[Easter]], a [[wedding cake]], [[birthday cake]], or [[Halloween]]. 

The chocolate company [[Cadbury]] (under the guidance of [[Richard Cadbury]]) was the first to commercialize the connection between romance and confectionery, producing a heart-shaped box of chocolates for [[Valentine's Day]] in 1868.<ref>{{cite book |title=Guinness World Records 2017 |date=8 September 2016 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hxAyDQAAQBAJ&dq=cadbury+chocolate+boxes+1868&pg=PA90 |publisher=Guinness World Records |page=90 |isbn=9781910561348 |quote=[[Richard Cadbury]], eldest son of John Cadbury who founded the now iconic brand, was the first chocolate-maker to commercialize the association between confectionery and romance, producing a heart-shaped box of chocolates for Valentine's Day in 1868 |access-date=16 November 2021 |archive-date=10 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230110231442/https://books.google.com/books?id=hxAyDQAAQBAJ&dq=cadbury+chocolate+boxes+1868&pg=PA90 |url-status=live }}</ref> 

[[Tourists]] commonly eat confections as part of their travels. The indulgence in rich, sugary foods is seen as a special treat, and choosing local specialties is popular. For example, visitors to Vienna eat [[Sachertorte]] and visitors to seaside resorts in the UK eat [[Blackpool rock]] candy. Transportable confections like [[fudges]] and [[Tablet (confectionery)|tablet]] may be purchased as [[souvenirs]].<ref>{{Cite book|title = Sugar Heritage and Tourism in Transition|last = Cleave|first = Paul|publisher = Channel View Publications|year = 2012|isbn = 9781845413897|pages = 159–172|chapter-url = https://books.google.com/books?id=fpl4XlX2D1UC&pg=PA158|chapter = Sugar in Tourism: 'Wrapped in Devonshire Sunshine'}}</ref>

==Nutrition==
Generally, confections are low in [[micronutrients]] and [[Protein (nutrient)|protein]] but high in [[calorie]]s. They may be [[fat-free|fat-free foods]], although some confections, especially fried doughs and chocolate, are high-fat foods. Many confections are considered [[empty calories]] and [[ultra-processed foods]]. [[United States military chocolate|Specially formulated chocolate]] has been manufactured in the past for military use as a high-density [[food energy]] source.

Many sugar confections, especially [[Caramel corn|caramel-coated popcorn]] and the different kinds of [[sugar candy]], are defined in US law as foods of [[minimal nutritional value]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/foods-minimal-nutritional-value|title=Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value|date=13 September 2013|website=www.fns.usda.gov|series=Appendix B of 7 CFR Part 210|publisher=[[Food and Nutrition Service]], United States Department of Agriculture|language=en|access-date=4 August 2017|archive-date=28 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150528145328/https://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/foods-minimal-nutritional-value|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Risks==

Contaminants and [[Food coloring|coloring agents]] in confectionery can be particularly harmful to children. Therefore, confectionery contaminants, such as high levels of [[lead]], have been restricted to 1 ppm in the US. There is no specific maximum in the EU.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2010-04-20 |title=Lead in Food {{!}} EFSA |url=https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/1570 |access-date=2024-04-30 |website=www.efsa.europa.eu |language=en}}</ref>

Candy colorants, particularly yellow colorants such as [[Tartrazine|E102 Tartrazine]], [[Quinoline Yellow WS|E104 Quinoline Yellow WS]] and [[Sunset Yellow FCF|E110 Sunset Yellow FCF]], have many restrictions around the world. Tartrazine, for example, can cause allergic and [[Asthma|asthmatic reactions]] and was once banned in Austria, Germany, and Norway. Some countries such as the UK have asked the food industry to phase out the use of these colorants, especially for products marketed to children.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2008-11-12 |title=Ministers agree food colour ban |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7725316.stm |access-date=2024-04-30 |work=[[BBC News]] |language=en-GB}}</ref>

==See also==
{{portal|Food}}
*[[Candy making]]
*[[Confectionery store]]
*[[List of candies]]
*[[List of top-selling candy brands]]
*[[List of foods]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==

*{{cite book |last=García Ballesteros|first=Enrique|title=Foods From Spain History: Bakery & Confectionery. A Taste For Sweetness |url=http://www.foodswinesfromspain.com/spanishfoodwine/global/history/history_bakery/index.html |year=2012}}
*{{cite book |last=Goldstein |first=Darra |title=The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R1bCBwAAQBAJ&q=the+oxford+companion+to+sugar+and+sweets |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2015 |isbn=978-0-19-931339-6}}
*{{cite book |last=Richardson |first=Tim H. |title=Sweets: A History of Candy |publisher=Bloomsbury USA |year=2002 |isbn=1-58234-229-6 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/sweets00timr }}
*{{cite book |last=Stroud |first=Jon |title=The Sucker's Guide: A Journey into the Soft Centre of the Sweet Shop |publisher=Summersdale |year=2008 |isbn=978-1-84024-709-1}}
*{{cite book |last=Weatherley |first=Henry |title=A Treatise on the Art of Boiling Sugar |publisher=H.C. Baird |url=https://archive.org/details/atreatiseonartb00conggoog |access-date=14 July 2008 |year=1865}}
*{{cite book |last=Confectionery |first=International |title=International Confectionery Journal |publisher=Hand Media International |url=https://in-confectionery.com |access-date=14 July 2018 |year=2018}}

==External links==
* {{Commons-inline}}
* {{Cookbook-inline|Confections}}
* {{Wiktionary-inline}}

{{Candy}}
{{Cakes}}
{{Cuisine}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Confectionery| ]]
[[Category:Candy]]
[[Category:Desserts]]
[[Category:Food preparation]]