Candy

The word candy comes from the Arabic word qandi, meaning a crystallized sugar. The idea of having a sweet treat has been around for more than 3,000 years, with the Egyptians using honey from bees to satisfy their sweet tooth. There are thousands of kinds of candy in the world, but the central ingredient in all of them is sugar, and lots of it. The sugar is dissolved in water or milk making a syrup concoction as the formula liquefies and then hardens again.

Candy can be chewy, soft, or hard. This is determined by the temperature at which the sugar and water or milk are liquefied. Use very high temperatures to make hard candy, medium heat for soft candy, and cool temperatures to make chewy candy. Candy can also be creamy with chocolate flavoring, sweet, or tart.

Chocolate candy is the most common in the United States. More than 50 million boxes of chocolate are consumed every year, with the majority of it being sold and consumed around the holidays of Christmas, Halloween, and Valentine’s Day. Chocolate is made from Cacao. It was discovered in Mexico by explorers in 1519. One of the most famous chocolate candies is the Tootsie Roll. It has been around since 1896 and continues to be a top selling favorite for people of all ages. The Tootsie Pop came out in 1931.

The 1900’s were a time of candy we know very well today being introduced. The Hershey chocolate bar was introduced in 1900 with the famous Hershey kiss coming in 1907. The Lifesaver was introduced in 1912 and continues to be a popular favorite today. The famous gummy bears hit the market in 1922. They are chewy, and delicious. People also love the colorful shapes of the bears.

Who can resist “they melt in your mouth not in your hand” slogan? M&M’s have been a favorite candy treat since the were introduced in 1923. You can choose from peanut or plain. Each comes with the M&M logo on them. You can also choose from M&M minis.

Smarties sweet tarts were a nice change when they hit the market in 1949. Children loved the taste and had a great time wearing the edible candy necklace and bracelets. Older children and adults enjoyed the round treat rolls into a little package.

Candy has been around for thousands of years, and will continue to be for thousands more. The sweet taste of candy is something most everyone enjoys. With so many varieties it is very easy to find something that suits your taste.