Permen

Permen adalah sejenis gula-gula (confectionary) yang dibuat dengan mencairkan gula di dalam air. Perbedaan tingkat pemanasan menentukan jenis permen yang dihasilkan: suhu panas menghasilkan permen keras, suhu menengah menghasilkan permen lunak, dan suhu dingin menghasilkan permen kenyal. Permen dinikmati karena rasa manisnya.

All About Candy

Mints

Mints, like licorice, have been around since the early times of man. The word mint comes from a Greek myth involving Hades, the god of the underworld. Hades was romantically involved with a nymph named Minthe. Persephone, Hades wife, was angered by this relationship and transformed Minthe into a plant, a sweet herb. Ancient Greeks placed mint leaves around the deceased to cover the smell and remind Hades of what he had done. Other cultures, however, had different uses for mint including using the herb in cuisines and medical remedies.

Mint was brought to America for medicinal purposes by early Colonists. Later, mint became a popular homemade candy. In the late 1790s, mint was commercially cultivated in Massachusetts. By the 19th century, America had the kings of peppermint – Hiram G. Hotchkiss and A.M. Todd, noted mint growers and dealers. By the turn of the century, the popularity of the mint flavor was soaring.

Marshmallows

A Treat from the Ancient Egyptians

Ancient Egyptians were the first to enjoy a gooey treat now called marshmallow as early as 2000 BC. The treat was considered very special and it was reserved for gods and royalty.

Marshmallow was made from the mallow plant (Athaea officinalis) that grows wild in marshes. The term marshmallow was derived both from the native home of the plant and the plant name. Mallow is native to Asia and Europe and has been naturalized in America. The Egyptians squeezed sap from the mallow plant and mixed it with nuts and honey. However, no one knows what the candy looked like in those times.

The French were introduced to marshmallow in the early to mid-1800s. Owners of small candy stores whipped sap from the mallow root into a fluffy candy mold. This time-consuming process was typically done by hand. Candy stores had a hard time keeping up with the demand. Candy makers started looking for a new process to make marshmallows and found the starch mogul system in the late 1800s. It allowed candy makers to create marshmallow molds made of modified cornstarch. At this same time, candy makers replaced the mallow root with gelatin and this created the marshmallow stable form.

Lollipops

There are many stories about how the lollipop was invented. Some believe that a form of it has been around since the 1800s. Charles Dickens and other authors referred to a sweet lozenge without a stick in some stories. During the Civil War, it is believed that little pieces of hard candy were put on the ends of pencils for children to nibble.

In 1908, George Smith claimed to be the first to invent the modern lollipop. Smith applied an idea of putting hard candies on a stick to make them easier to eat. He decided to name the treat after his favorite racing horse, Lolly Pop, and later trademarked the name. Lollipops were successful until the Depression. Smith stopped production on lollipops and the name fell into public domain.

Licorice

Licorice dates back to the early times of man. Many pharaohs and prophets enjoyed licorice. Soldiers were recorded drinking licorice to quench their thirsts on long marches.

Licorice comes from a plant called the Glycyrrhiza, meaning ‘sweet root’ in Greek. During the Middle Ages, crusaders brought licorice to England.

Many years later, a monastery in Pontefract, England began producing licorice candy. Early settlers brought licorice recipes to America. Since then, America has produced and imported delicious licorice products.

Jelly Beans

The exact origins of the jelly bean are lost in time, and only a part of its history is known. Most experts believe the jelly center is a descendent of a Mid-Eastern confection known as Turkish Delight that dates back to Biblical times.

The shell coating is an offspring of a process called panning, first invented in 17th century France to make Jordan Almonds. The panning process, while done primarily by machine today, has remained essentially the same for the last 300 years. The French began by rocking almonds in a bowl filled with sugar and syrup until the almonds were coated with a candy shell. Today, large rotating pans do the heavy work, while master confectioners apply their true art in adding the ingredients to create just the right shell.

Gummy Bears and Gummi Candy

The gummi bear is a German creation. Hans Riegel, a candy maker from Bonn, Germany, invented the gummi bear in 1922. Initially, he called his invention the "dancing bear" and named the company that manufactured the bears "Haribo," an acronym for Hans Riegel Bonn. The confection became popular by the end of its first year.

For many years, gummi bears were imported to America. American high school students were among the first Americans to know about the gummi bear. They learned about the candy through their German classes. In 1981, the Herman Goelitz Company (now Jelly Belly Candy Company) created the first American-made gummi bear. A year later, the Haribo Company brought their business to the U.S., and the candy was now easily accessible to Americans.