
Candy, specifically
sugar candy, is a
confection made from a concentrated solution of
sugarin water, to which flavorings and colorants are added. Candies come in numerous colors and varieties and have a long history in popular culture.
The
Middle English word "candy" began to be used in the late 13th century, coming into English from the
Old French çucre candi, derived in turn from
Persian Qand (=قند) and Qandi (=قندی), "cane sugar".
[1] In
North America,
candy is a broad category that includes
candy bars,
chocolates,
licorice, sour candies, salty candies, tart candies, hard candies,
taffies,
gumdrops,
marshmallows, and more.
[citation needed] Vegetables, fruit, or nuts which have been glazed and coated with sugar are said to be
candied.
In North America, Australia, NZ and the UK, the word "
lollipop" refers specifically to sugar candy with flavoring on a stick. While not used in the generic sense of North America, the term
candy is used in the UK for specific types of foods such as
candy floss (
cotton candy in North America and
fairy floss in Australia), and certain other sugar based products such as
candied fruit.
A popular candy in Latin America is the so-called
pirulín (also known as pirulí), which is a multicolor, conic-shaped hard candy of about 10 to 15 cm long, with a sharp conical or pyramidal point, with a stick in the base, and
wrapped in cellophane.