Where did the first sweets appear? What sweets did ancient confectioners prefer to cook? Why are the countries of the Old World considered the cradle of modern sweets and what does the word “candy” mean?
The history of mankind's love for sweets began about three millennia ago. The first confectionery products appeared in Ancient Egypt. Prototypes of modern sweets were made from boiled honey with the addition of dates. It was customary to throw sweets into the crowd of pharaohs who greeted them during the ceremonial trips.
The recipes for the first sweets were not very diverse; the inhabitants of Ancient Greece and the countries of the Middle East enjoyed such confectionery products. At that time, people did not know how to produce sugar, the basis of all sweets was honey with the addition of dried apricots, nuts, sesame seeds, poppy seeds and spices.
The first candies appeared in Europe
At the dawn of our era, brown sugar made from cane was imported into Europe from India. Subsequently, the sweet product was supplanted by its cheaper American counterpart, which led to the rapid development of confectionery production in the countries of the Old World.
Sweets in a more familiar form for us appeared in Italy in the 16th century. Confectioners from this European country melted lump sugar over a fire, mixed the resulting mass with fruit and berry syrups and poured into various forms. The predecessors of modern caramel in medieval Italy were sold only in pharmacies, since it was believed that sweets have healing properties. Interestingly, initially only adults could buy this tasty medicine.
The first chocolates appeared in … Europe
The first chocolate dessert, which is a mixture of grated nuts, candied honey, cocoa lumps, filled with melted sugar, was made by the Duke of Plessis ─ Praline. This happened in 1671 in Belgium, where the nobleman served as the French ambassador. There were still 186 years before the advent of real chocolates.
Belgian pharmacist John Neuhaus worked on the invention of a cough medicine in 1857. Quite by chance, he managed to get a product that today is called "chocolates." Since 1912, the son of a pharmacist introduced them to the mass market. The real excitement began after the pharmacist's wife came up with the idea of wrapping sweets in golden wrappers.
The candy owes its name to all the same pharmacists. The Latin word confectum was used as a term by medieval pharmacists. In ancient times, this was the name of processed fruits prepared for further use for medicinal purposes.
