Confectionery

Confectioneryis theartof makingconfections, or sweet foods.Confections are items that are rich in sugar andcarbohydratesalthough exact definitions are difficult.In general, however, confections are divided into two broad and somewhat overlapping categories:bakers' confectionsandsugar confections.
Bakers' confectionery, also calledflour confections, includes principally sweet pastries, cakes, and similarbaked goods. Baker's confectionery excludes everydaybreads, and thus is a subset of products produced by abaker.
Sugar confectionery includes candies (also calledsweets, short forsweetmeats,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.The wordscandy(Canada and US),sweets(UK, Ireland, and others), andlollies(Australia and New Zealand) are common words for some of the most popularvarieties of sugar confectionery.
The occupation ofconfectionerencompasses the categories of cooking performed by both the Frenchpatissier(pastry chef) and theconfiseur(sugar worker).The confectionery industry also includes specialized training schools and extensive historical records.Traditional confectionery goes back to ancient times and continued to be eaten through theMiddle Agesand into the modern era.
The oldest recorded use of the word confectionery discovered so far by theOxford English Dictionaryis by Richard Jonas in 1540, who spelled or misspelled it as "confection nere" in a passage "Ambre,muske,frankencense,gallia muscataandconfection nere", thus in the sense of "things made or sold by a confectioner". Also according to the 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.
Before sugar was readily available in the ancient western world, confectionery was based onhoney.Honey was used inAncient China,Ancient India,Ancient Egypt,Ancient GreeceandAncient Rometo coat fruits and flowers to preserve them or to create sweetmeats.Between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE, thePersians, followed by theGreeks, made contact with the Indian subcontinent and its "reeds that produce honey without bees". They adopted and then spread sugar andsugarcaneagriculture.Sugarcane is indigenous to tropicalIndian subcontinentandSoutheast Asia.
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 ofpulled sugarcalled in Arabical fänädoral pänäd. These became known in England as alphenics, or more commonly as penidia, penids, pennet or pan sugar. They were the precursors ofbarley sugarand moderncough drops. In 1390, the Earl of Derby paid "two shillings for two pounds of penydes."
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 ofcomfitswas a core skill of theearly 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 wasconfectionarius, and it was in this sort of sugar work that the activities of the two trades overlapped and that the word "confectionery" originated.
In thecuisine of the Late Ottoman Empirediverse 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.An important study of Ottoman confectionery calledConditorei des Orientswas published by the royal confectioner Friedrich Unger in 1838.
The first confectionery inManchester, Englandwas opened byElizabeth Raffaldwho had worked six years indomestic serviceas a housekeeper.
Confections are defined by the presence of sweeteners. These are usually sugars, but it is possible to buy sugar-free candies, such as sugar-freepeppermints. The most common sweetener for home cooking istable sugar, which is chemically adisaccharidecontaining bothglucoseandfructose. Hydrolysis of sucrose gives a mixture calledinvert sugar, which is sweeter and is also a common commercial ingredient. Finally, confections, especially commercial ones, are sweetened by a variety of syrups obtained byhydrolysisofstarch. These sweeteners include all types ofcorn syrup.
Bakers' confectionery includes sweet baked goods, especially those that are served for thedessertcourse. Bakers' confections are sweet foods that featureflouras a main ingredient and arebaked. Major categories includecakes, sweetpastries,doughnuts,scones, andcookies.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.
Cakeshave a somewhat bread-like texture, and many earlier cakes, such as the centuries-oldstollen(fruit cake), or the even olderking cake, were rich yeast breads. The variety of styles and presentations extends from simple to elaborate. Major categories includebutter cakes,tortes, andfoam cakes. Confusingly, some confections that have the wordcakein their names, such ascheesecake, are not technically cakes, while others, such asBoston cream pieare cakes despite seeming to be named something else.
Pastryis 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.
Doughnutsmay be fried or baked.
Sconesand related sweetquick breads, such asbannock, are similar tobaking powder biscuitsand, in sweeter, less traditional interpretations, can seem like acupcake.
Cookiesare small, sweet baked treats. They originated as small cakes, and some traditional cookies have a soft, cake-like texture. Others are crisp or hard.
Sugar confections include sweet, sugar-based foods, which are usually eaten assnack food. This includessugar candies,chocolates,candied fruitsand nuts,chewing gum, and sometimesice cream. In some cases,chocolateconfections are treated as a separate category, as are sugar-free versions of sugar confections.
Different dialects of English use regional terms for sugar confections:
In the US, a chocolate-coated candy bar (e.g.Snickers) would be called acandy bar, in Britain more likely achocolate barthan unspecifically asweet.
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.In the European Union, theStatistical 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, theNorth 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.
Ice creamandsorbetare classified with dairy products under ISIC 1050, NACE 10.52, and NAICS 311520.
Sugar confectionery items include candies,lollipops,candy bars,chocolate,cotton candy, and other sweet items ofsnack food. Some of the categories and types of sugar confectionery include the following:
Shelf lifeis largely determined by the amount of water present in the candy and the storage conditions.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.This process is due to the effects ofwater 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 theglass transitionprocess.This can cause amorphous candies to lose their intended texture.
Both bakers' and sugar confections are used to offerhospitalityto guests.
Confections are used to mark celebrations or events, such asChristmas,Easter, awedding cake,birthday cake, orHalloween.
The chocolate companyCadbury(under the guidance ofRichard Cadbury) was the first to commercialize the connection between romance and confectionery, producing a heart-shaped box of chocolates forValentine's Dayin 1868.
Touristscommonly 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 eatSachertorteand visitors to seaside resorts in the UK eatBlackpool rockcandy. Transportable confections likefudgesandtabletmay be purchased assouvenirs.
Generally, confections are low inmicronutrientsandproteinbut high incalories. They may befat-free foods, although some confections, especially fried doughs and chocolate, are high-fat foods. Many confections are consideredempty caloriesandultra-processed foods.Specially formulated chocolatehas been manufactured in the past for military use as a high-densityfood energysource.
Many sugar confections, especiallycaramel-coated popcornand the different kinds ofsugar candy, are defined in US law as foods ofminimal nutritional value.
Contaminants andcoloring agentsin confectionery can be particularly harmful to children. Therefore, confectionery contaminants, such as high levels oflead, have been restricted to 1 ppm in the US. There is no specific maximum in the EU.
Candy colorants, particularly yellow colorants such asE102 Tartrazine,E104 Quinoline Yellow WSandE110 Sunset Yellow FCF, have many restrictions around the world. Tartrazine, for example, can cause allergic andasthmatic reactionsand 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.