Sugar candy
Sugar candy is any
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.[3]
History
The oldest sugar candies are presumed to have been made where the
Traditional uses
Sugar candy is often used to sweeten tea. Northern Germany, specifically East Frisia, has an established tea culture, where a large crystal of sugar candy (Kandiszucker or in the regional dialect Kluntje) is placed at the bottom of the cup and the hot tea added, which cracks and dissolves the crystal.[5] Similarly in Iran, tea is consumed with sugar candy (called nabat) placed either in the tea or in the mouth.[6] In China, sugar candy is used to sweeten Chrysanthemum tea as well as Cantonese dessert soups and the liquor baijiu.
Sugar candy is a common ingredient in Chinese cooking, and many households have sugar candy available to marinate meats and add to stir fry. Sugar candy is also regarded as having medicinal properties and is used to prepare food such as yao shan. It is a common ingredient in Tamil cuisine, particularly in the Sri Lankan city of Jaffna.
Classification
Chemically, sugar candies are broadly divided into two groups:
Crystalline sugar candies are chemically described as having two phases, because the tiny, solid sugar crystals are suspended in a thick liquid solution.[8] These are also called grained candies, because they can have a grainy texture. Amorphous sugar candies have only one phase, which is either solid or liquid, and do not have a grainy texture, so they may be called ungrained.[8]
Commercially, sugar candies are often divided into three groups, according to the amount of sugar they contain:[7]
- 100% sugar (or nearly so), such as hard candiesor creams
- 95% sugar or more, with up to 5% other ingredients, such as marshmallows or nougats, and
- 75 to 95% sugar, with 5 to 25% other ingredients, such as fudge or caramels.
Each of these three groups contains both crystalline (grained) and amorphous (ungrained) sugar candies.
Types
- Hard candies and pulled candies
- Hard candies (also called boiled sweets) are single-phase, amorphous sugar candies that are commonly made from a combination of sucrose and glucose syrups.[8] They are typically about 98% or more solid sugar. They have a glassy, translucent appearance. Pulled candy, like rock or Brach'sstarlight mints, is a hard candy that has been pulled or stretched to incorporate air. This process makes the candy opaque, as the air bubbles that are incorporated lead to more light being reflected back.
- Fondants
- Fondant candy is a partly crystallized, two-phased candy.[8] It is about 88% sugar by weight, usually with much more sucrose than glucose. In making fondant, a stiff sugar paste is cooked to a high temperature, then carefully cooled in order to let the sugar soften and mechanically beaten to produce the desired texture.
- Caramels and toffees
- Fudges
- Fudges, which are made in a wide variety of flavours, are essentially two-phased, crystallized caramels, with a short texture (easily broken).[8] Sugar crystals are formed either due to agitation or the addition of crystal seeds in the form of powdered sugar or crushed fondant candy. The texture depends on the number and size of sugar crystals, the fat content, and the dispersion of milk solids.
- Nougats and marshmallows
- marshmallows are confectionery foams, full of air.[8] In the final product, there is often as much air, or even more, than sugar; for marshmallows, a ratio of 5 parts air to two parts syrup by volume is typical. Chemically, they may be single-phase or two-phased. Marshmallows are stabilized by a colloidlike gelatin. Compared to nougats, marshmallows have higher moisture content, are softer and more rubbery, and dry out more easily.
- Jellies and gums
- agar-agar, starch (more typical of American jelly candies), and pectin(more typical of European candies). These produce different effects. For example, starch produces cloudy jellies, while high-methoxyl pectin produces clear ones. Agar-based jellies are harder to dissolve, and gelatin-based jellies have a more rubbery texture.
- Nut pastes
- The most common nut paste candy is marzipan, which is an almond nut paste.[8] Nut pastes are made by mixing crushed nuts with a sugar syrup.
- Panned candies
- Pralines, truffles, and noisettes
- There is significant variation among pralines, truffles, and noisettes.[8] In general, they involve roasting nuts in a high-temperature sugar syrup, and then grinding the cooled result into a paste.
- Lozenge pastes and cream pastes
- Licorice
- It is usually a stiff, gelatinous paste.
Medicinal uses
Historically, candy was used not only as food but also as
During the
Storage and shelf life
Shelf life is largely determined by the amount of water present in the candy and the storage conditions.[12] High-sugar candies, such as hard candies, can have a shelf life of many years if kept covered in a dry environment. Spoilage for 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.[12] 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 sugar candies, is the glass transition process.[12] This can cause amorphous candies to lose their intended texture.
Art and literature
In George Orwell's satirical book
See also
- Candi sugar – a form of sugar used in beer brewing
- Peen tong – a Chinese brown sugar and candy
External links
- Media related to Rock candy at Wikimedia Commons
References
- ISBN 9788178331539.
- ISBN 0-19-860050-X.
- ISBN 9781405187404.
- ^ ISBN 1-58234-229-6.
- ^ "Bundesweites Verzeichnis Immaterielles Kulturerbe : Ostfriesische Teekultur". Unesco.de. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
- ^ "Sweet Tea, Persian Style". www.mypersiancorner.com. Archived from the original on 2015-12-28. Retrieved 2018-02-20.
- ^ ISBN 978-971-23-4738-2.
- ^ ISBN 9788178331539.
- NECCO. 2014.
- ISBN 9780854045938.
- ISBN 1-58234-229-6.
- ^ S2CID 19980997.