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NOTICE TO EDITORS:
The subject of this article is sweets whose primary ingredient is sugar. The subject of this article is NOT whatever happens to be called "candy" or "sugar candy" in your particular dialect of English.
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Sugar candy – large crystals of sugar produced from concentrated solutions, often called [[rock candy in America |thumb]]
Sugar candy (American English) or sweets (British English) is any candy whose primary ingredient is sugar. The main types of sugar candies are hard candies, fondants, caramels, jellies, and nougats. In British English, the name candy or sugar-candy is used only for hard candies that are nearly solid sugar. <!-- However, THIS ARTICLE covers ALL the kinds of candy that have ≥75% sugar by weight, and NOT just the small subset that is called sugar-candy in British English. -->
Sugar candy is a sub-type of candy, which includes sugar candies as well as chocolates, chewing gum and other sweet foods. Candy, in turn, is a sub-type of confectionery, which also includes sweet pastries and sometimes ice cream.
History
The oldest sugar candies are presumed to have been made where the sugar cane plant was domesticated. Sugar cane probably originated in Papua New Guinea, and from there was taken to Southeast Asia and other Pacific Islands, and ultimately to India and China. Similarly in Iran, tea is consumed with sugar candy (called nabat) placed either in the tea or in the mouth. In China, sugar candy is used to sweeten Chrysanthemum tea as well as Cantonese dessert soups and the liquor baijiu.
Sugar candy is a common ingredient in Chinese cooking, and many households have sugar candy available to marinate meats and add to stir fry. Sugar candy is also regarded as having medicinal properties and is used to prepare food such as yao shan. It is a common ingredient in Tamil cuisine, particularly in the Sri Lankan city of Jaffna.
Classification
[[File:Rock-Candy-Closeup.jpg|alt=Green sugar crystals on a stick, called rock candy|thumb|upright|
In candy classification, rock-hard sugar candies that look similar to real crystals actually have an amorphous crystal structure, not a crystalline one.
Crystalline sugar candies are chemically described as having two phases, because the tiny, solid sugar crystals are suspended in a thick liquid solution. These are also called grained candies, because they can have a grainy texture. Amorphous sugar candies have only one phase, which is either solid or liquid, and do not have a grainy texture, so they may be called ungrained. A cream paste may include gelatin and is not dried as completely.
; Licorice:Licorice is a candy flavored by liquorice plants.
During the Middle Ages, Thomas Aquinas authorized the consumption of sugar candy during the fasting period of Lent, because "sugared spices" (such as comfits) were, in his opinion, digestive aids on par with medicine rather than food.
Storage and shelf life
Shelf life is largely determined by the amount of water present in the candy and the storage conditions. High-sugar candies, such as hard candies, can have a shelf life of many years if kept covered in a dry environment. Spoilage for 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.