Candy, also known as sweets, covers a wide range of sweet confections that use sugar as one of the main ingredients. Sugar substitutes and artificial sweeteners are also used in sugar-free varieties.
Sweets have been around for millennia, although the earliest forms of candy used honey as a sweetener, rather than sugar. The earliest sweet confections usually involved dipping an item in honey. Commonly used foods treated in this way were fruits and flowers, but other things such as nuts and, occasionally, insects were also covered in honey. Some candy available today is still made in this manner, but sugar is normally used nowadays. Sugar from sugar cane started being used over 2,000 years ago, and different types of sugar are now used today.
Sugar candy comes in many different types, from hard boiled sweets to brittle to soft and chewy. The amount of sugar can also vary, with some types being almost completely made from sugar. Candy can also include chewing gum and even chocolate. In sugar based candy, the sugar is dissolved in water or milk to make sugar syrup which is then used as the base. Colourings and flavourings of all types are also added.
Most countries and cultures have their own types of candy. In the past, candy has been used as a medicine but these days it is almost always used as a treat food. The high percentage of sugar in most sweets can cause problems, both with weight gain and with damage to teeth.
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