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‘Confectionery’ is a very popular term–but do
you know what it really means?
When
people hear the word ‘confectionery’, they immediately think of sweets. This is
correct, of course, but it’s not as simple as just candies and chocolates.
There are tons of these so-called ‘confectionery’ products all over the world!
Confectionery products refer to different
types of sweet foods. They come in confectionery boxes, plastic packaging, and
other containers that usually have eye-catching designs and colors.
The
definition and usage of this term varies from one country to the next. Still,
people generally know what they’re looking for when they go out to buy
confectioneries.
But
these sweets aren’t a product of the modern world. In fact, they have been
around since ancient times...
Nowadays, there are countless arrays of candy
and chocolate confectionery products. Walking through an aisle of these sweets
will surely bring a smile to your face!
And
just like the newest confectionery novelties, these products have a history
that is both robust and colorful. Surprising as it may be, the earliest
depictions of these sweets appear in cave drawings!
These
drawings show men getting honey from beehives, then eating it. Long before the
invention of sugar, the people of India, China, and Egypt also used honey to
sweeten nuts and fruits. These were the earliest forms of confectionery
products around.
Of
course, when sugar came into the picture, confectionery manufacturers got more
creative. While sugar was originally considered a substance with healing
properties, people quickly discovered that it could be used to make sweet
treats as well.
Eventually,
the manufacturing processes were refined, and they became automated. Other
ingredients like cocoa were also used to make various products. And today, you
will see confectionery products all over the world in all shapes, sizes,
colors, and flavors.
Although the term ‘confectionery products’
refers to a broad selection of sweet foods, they are often classified into two
main types. These are:
This type includes all sweet baked goods and
most of them use flour as the main ingredient. Usually, baker’s confectionery
products are served for dessert or coupled with coffee or tea as a snack.
Some
of the most common examples include pastries, cakes, cookies, scones, donuts,
tortes, and many, many more.
This type includes all the other sweet treats
out there and they use sugar (or some type of sweetener) as the main
ingredient. Although there are now sugar-free versions of confectionery
products, they still belong under this category.
Sugar
confectionery products can further be broken down into subtypes, which include:
●
Chewy Candies
These sweets are usually primarily made of glucose syrup or sugar.
They tend to be hard when you first pop them into your mouth, then they become
soft enough to chew.
●
Chocolates
There are chocolate bars and there are also bite-sized
confectionery chocolate products, which are just as delicious.
●
Hard Candies
These include caramels, lollipops, and other hard sweets that
contain lots of sugar and other flavorings too.
●
Ice Cream
Frozen cream that comes in different flavors; it can even contain
small bits of nuts, fruits, or chocolate.
●
Jelly and Gum Products
These typically contain gelling agents and other types of
stabilizers to give them their unique texture. The textures of jelly and gum
products vary from hard and chewy to soft and squishy.
There
are many other types of sugar confectionery products out there, and they vary
from one country to another. So, if you love traveling, you may want to check
out the local confectionery treats while you’re visiting another part of the
world to make your vacation that much more sweet!
As you read all about these sweet foods, your
cravings might start coming alive. So, if you’re wondering what the best sweets
to snack on are, here are some of the top American confectionery brands right
now:
When it comes to American sweets, The Hershey
Company reigns supreme. This company has existed for more than a hundred years,
and it just keeps getting better.
Among
the favorites from this brand are Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Kit
Kat, Twizzlers, Ice Breakers, Almond Joy, and the different types of Hershey’s
Chocolate Bars.
This is another multifunctional confectionery
brand in the U.S. that also makes other food products too. You can’t go wrong
with classics like Twix, Milky Way, Snickers, M&M’s, and the Mars bar.
Although this brand has its origins in Italy,
it’s still very popular in the U.S. In fact, it is the second biggest
confectionery company and chocolate producer in the world. Some of the most
well-loved products from this brand include the Ferrero Collection, Giotto, Hanuta Wafers, Kinder Bueno, and so much more.
Ferrara Candy Company
Since 2017 it is a part of Ferrero Group,
responsible for production and marketing of such famous candy brands like: Lemonheads,
Now and Later, Brach’s, Boston Baked Beans and after they acquired Nestle USA
confectionery business in 2018 became the owner of: Nerds, Sweetarts, Everlasting Gobstopper, Laffy-Taffy, Butterfinger, Crunch, Baby
Ruth.
The next top American confectionery producer
also manufactures snacks, beverages, and other food products. This
Chicago-based company is responsible for yummy treats like Oreo, Chips Ahoy!, Cadbury, and Toblerone (both
the ice cream and chocolate bar), Sour Patch, Swedish Fish
This final top brand is based in Minnesota, and it has produced
its own collection of well-known brands. One such brand is Betty Crocker, which
brings us treats like Fruit Roll-Ups and Rich & Creamy Frosting.
This
company has also given the world other sweet treats like Häagen-Dazs ice cream
and popular cereals like Cocoa Puffs, Trix, and Cheerios.
No
matter which of these brands (or the many others that aren’t included in this
list) you choose, you will surely satisfy your sweet tooth whether you pick up
any of your favorite treats or give something new and exciting a go!
By nature, confectioneries use sugar or some
other type of sweetener as one of the main ingredients. It is this ingredient
that gives sweetness to the products and makes wholesale confectionery a huge
business.
But
as more people have become interested in their health, the manufacturers of
these products have announced their plans to make some modifications to
simplify the ingredients and make their products healthier.
Despite
this concern though, statistics have shown that the revenue of confectionery
products in the year already amounts to $185.00 million. Also, surveys have shown that the confectionery market in
the U.S. is expected to reach a whopping $52.00 billion by the year 2025!
We
all know that numbers don’t lie–and neither does history! Sweet treats have
always been around, and it seems like they will continue to grow in variety as
the years go by.
As you can see, there is more to
confectioneries than you might have originally thought. They aren’t just
sweets; they are all different kinds of sweet foods that have their own
histories and there is a wide array of options for you to choose from.
Now
that you know more about confectionery products, the only thing that’s left to
do is to get out and buy some!