Chocolate Buttons in Rainbow Hues

Candy, specifically sugar candy, is a confection made from a concentrated solution of sugar in water, to which a variety of flavorings and colorants is added. It is sometimes frozen (as in a Popsicle.) Candy can refer to: // Kandy, a city in Sri Lanka Kandi, a city in Benin, Africa Candy is a version of the name of city of Candia, Crete (modern Iraklion), or for the whole island of Crete Candy Darling, an American Actress and Warholl Superstar Candy Lo, a female Cantonese... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 472 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (591 × 750 pixel, file size: 446 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Photo by Gila Brand, my own work, Chocolate Buttons File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 472 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (591 × 750 pixel, file size: 446 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Photo by Gila Brand, my own work, Chocolate Buttons File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert...

In North America, candy is a broad category that includes candy bars, chocolates, liquorice, sucking candies, taffy, gumdrops, marshmallows, chewing gum and more. Vegetables or fruit glazed and coated with sugar are called candied. A Twix bar, broken in half Candy bar is the most popular term in the U.S. for confectionery usually packaged in a bar or log form, often coated with chocolate, and sized as a snack for one person. ... For other uses, see Chocolate (disambiguation). ... Haribos licorice wheels Liquorice candy (licorice in American English) is flavored with the extract of the roots of the licorice plant, and usually anise oil as well. ... Chewing gum Chewing gum is a type of confectionery, traditionally, made of chicle, a natural latex product, although for reasons of economy and quality many modern chewing gums use rubber instead of chicle. ...

Outside North America, the generic name for candy is sweets or confectionery (UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and other Commonwealth countries). In Australia and New Zealand, candy is, in normal usage, further categorised as either chocolate or lollies (for all other non-chocolate candies). It has been suggested that Candy be merged into this article or section. ...

In North America, the UK, and Australia, the word lollipop refers specifically to sugar candy on a stick. While not used in the generic sense of North America, the term candy is used in the UK for specific types of foods such as candy floss (cotton candy in North America and fairy floss in Australia), and certain other sugar based products. For other uses, see Lollipop (disambiguation). ... Cotton Candy (also known as candy floss or fairy floss) is a form of spun sugar that is produced in a special machine and sold at fairs. ...

Manufacture

Candy is made by dissolving sugar in water or milk to form a syrup, which is boiled until it reaches the desired concentration or starts to caramelize. The type of candy depends on the ingredients and how long the mixture is boiled. Candy comes in an endless variety of textures from soft and chewy to hard and brittle. Caramel, toffee, fudge, praline, tablet, gumdrops, jelly beans, rock candy, lollipops taffy, cotton candy, candy canes, peppermint sticks, peanut brittle, chocolate coated raisins or peanuts, sucking candy and candy bars are just a few examples of the confections that are sold under the generic name "candy." This article is about sugar as food and as an important and widely traded commodity. ... In cooking, a syrup (from Arabic شراب sharab, beverage, via Latin siropus) is a thick, viscous liquid, containing a large amount of dissolved sugars, but showing little tendency to deposit crystals. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A piece of caramel confectionery. ... English Toffee (the chewy sort) in cellophane wrapping Toffee is a confection made by boiling molasses or sugar along with butter, milk and occasionally flour. ... For other uses, see Fudge (disambiguation). ... Pralines on a cutting board Pralines and box posed Pralines in a box Praline is a family of confections made from nuts and sugar syrup. ... Butter tablet. ... Gumdrops are a type of candy. ... For other uses, see Jelly bean (disambiguation). ... Cherry taffy Taffy is a type of chewy candy. ... “Candyfloss” redirects here. ... Two candy canes, a traditional one (left) and a Spree flavored one(right). ...

Jellybeans.

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Sugar stages

The final texture of candy depends on the sugar concentration. As the syrup is heated, it boils, water evaporates, the sugar concentration increases, and the boiling point rises. A given temperature corresponds to a particular sugar concentration. In general, higher temperatures and greater sugar concentrations result in hard, brittle candies, and lower temperatures result in softer candies. These "stages" of sugar cooking are:^[1]

The names come from the process used to test the syrup before thermometers became affordable: a small spoonful of syrup was dropped into cold water, and the characteristics of the resulting lump were evaluated to determine the concentration of the syrup. Long strings of hardened sugar indicate "Thread" stage, while a smooth lump indicates "ball" stages, with the corresponding hardness described. The "crack" stages are indicated by a ball of candy so brittle that the rapid cooling from the water literally causes it to crack. For other uses, see Fahrenheit (disambiguation). ... Celsius is, or relates to, the Celsius temperature scale (previously known as the centigrade scale). ... A piece of caramel confectionery. ...

This method is still used today in some kitchens. A candy thermometer is more convenient, but has the drawback of not automatically adjusting for local conditions such as altitude, as the cold water test does. A candy thermometer, also known as a sugar thermometer, is a thermometer used to measure the temperature and therefore stage of a cooking sugar solution. ...

Once the syrup reaches 340°F or higher, the sucrose molecules break down into many simpler sugars, creating an amber-colored substance known as caramel. This should not be confused with caramel candy, although it is the candy's main flavoring. A piece of caramel confectionery. ...

Candy and vegetarianism

Some candy, like marshmallows and gummy bears, may contain gelatin derived from animal bones, and is thus avoided by vegetarians and vegans. "Kosher gelatin" is also unsuitable for vegetarians and vegans, as it is derived from fish bones.^[2] Other substances, such as agar agar, pectin, starch and gum arabic may be used as gelatin replacers, although the texture of final product may differ from the original. For the plant, see Althaea (genus). ... A sleuth of HARIBO Gold-Bears There are many types of gummies German Gummibärchen Gummy Bears are a rubbery-textured confectionery, roughly 2 cm long, shaped in the form of little bears. ... For the art collective, see Gelitin. ... A variety of vegetarian food ingredients Vegetarianism is the practice of a diet that excludes all animal flesh, including poultry, game, fish, shellfish or crustacea, and slaughter by-products. ... Vegan redirects here. ... Agar is a galactose polymer obtained from the cell walls of some species of red algae or seaweeds (Sphaerococcus Euchema and Gelidium species), chiefly from eastern Asia. ... Pectin, a white to light brown powder, is a heterosaccharide derived from the cell wall of higher terrestrial plants. ... Starch (CAS# 9005-25-8, chemical formula (C6H10O5)n,[1]) is a mixture of amylose and amylopectin (usually in 20:80 or 30:70 ratios). ... Acacia senegal plant from Koehlers Medicinal-Plants 1887 Gum arabic, a natural gum also called gum acacia, is a substance that is taken from two sub-Saharan species of the acacia tree, Acacia senegal and Acacia seyal. ...

Other ingredients commonly found in candy that are not vegetarian or vegan friendly include carmine, which is a dye made from the cochineal, and confectioner's glaze, which may contain wings or other insect parts. Carmine Carminic acid Carmine (IPA: []), also called Crimson Lake, Cochineal, Natural Red 4, C.I. 75470 or E120, is a pigment of a bright red color obtained from the carminic acid produced by some scale insects, such as the cochineal and the Polish cochineal, and is used as a general... Binomial name Dactylopius coccus Costa, 1835 Synonyms Coccus cacti Linnaeus, 1758 Pseudococcus cacti Burmeister, 1839 Cochineal is the name of both crimson or carmine dye and the cochineal insect (Dactylopius coccus), a scale insect in the suborder Sternorrhyncha, from which the dye is derived. ... Pharmaceutical glaze is an alcohol based solution of various types of Food Grade Shellac. ...

Shelf life

The shelf life of candy can be anywhere from two weeks to more than 1 year.^[3] This may be shortened if the candy is not stored in a cool, dry place. Shelf-life is the length of time that corresponds to a tolerable loss in quality of a processed food. ...

Health aspects

Cavities

Candy generally contains sugar, and sugar can lead to damaged teeth. However, it's not the sugar itself that damages the teeth. Several types of bacteria, particularly Streptococcus mutans are present in the mouth, and these feed on sugar. When they metabolize the sugar, they create acids in the mouth, which lower the pH. In response to the acidic environment, the enamel of the teeth begins to demineralize, which can cause cavities.^[4] To help prevent this, one should brush one's teeth regularly, particularly after every meal and snack. Phyla Actinobacteria Aquificae Chlamydiae Bacteroidetes/Chlorobi Chloroflexi Chrysiogenetes Cyanobacteria Deferribacteres Deinococcus-Thermus Dictyoglomi Fibrobacteres/Acidobacteria Firmicutes Fusobacteria Gemmatimonadetes Lentisphaerae Nitrospirae Planctomycetes Proteobacteria Spirochaetes Thermodesulfobacteria Thermomicrobia Thermotogae Verrucomicrobia Bacteria (singular: bacterium) are unicellular microorganisms. ... Binomial name Streptococcus mutans Clarke 1924 Streptococcus mutans is a Gram-positive, facultatively anaerobic bacteria commonly found in the human oral cavity and is a significant contributor to tooth decay. ... For alternative meanings see acid (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see PH (disambiguation). ... The word enamel can mean more than one thing: Tooth enamel Vitreous enamel Enamel (markup language) Enameled wire This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Dental cavities, tooth decay, or caries is a disease of the teeth resulting in damage to tooth structure. ...

Glycemic Index

Candy has a high level of glycemic index (GI), which means that it gives a high rise in blood sugar levels after ingestion. This is chiefly a concern for people with diabetes, but could also be dangerous to the health of non-diabetics.^[5] Glycemic index (also glycaemic index, GI) is a ranking system for carbohydrates based on their effect on blood glucose levels. ... In medicine, blood sugar is a term used to refer to levels of glucose in the blood. ... This article is about the disease that features high blood sugar. ...

See also

• Chocolate
• Liquorice

For other uses, see Chocolate (disambiguation). ... Binomial name L. Liquorice or licorice (see spelling differences) (IPA: , or ) is the root of Glycyrrhiza glabra, from which a sweet flavour can be extracted. ...

References

External links

• History and Candy Industry News - History and News of Candy Industry Manufacturers and Suppliers
• National Confectioners Association - information on a variety of candies
• Science of Candy - Descriptions and videos of hardness stages
• Candy Factory Tours - Listing by state
• Barley Candy History - Old Time Barley Candy history and pictures.