main: Confectionery

Candy, specifically sugar candy, is a confection made from a concentrated solution of sugar in water, to which flavorings and colorants are added. Candies come in numerous colors and varieties and have a long history in popular culture.

The word "candy" comes from Arabic qandi, derived from Persian qand, meaning "sugar." "candy", OED http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=candy 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. Vegetables, fruit or nuts glazed and coated with sugar are called candied.

Outside North America, the generic name for candy is sweets or confectionery (UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and other Commonwealth countries). In Australia and New Zealand, sweets are, in normal usage, further categorised as either chocolate or lollies (for all other non-chocolate candies).

In North America, the UK, and Australia, the word lollipop refers specifically to sugar candy 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.

Boiled sugar flavoured candy sticks are commonly referred to as 'Sticks of Rock' or simply 'Rock' and come in many varieties all with a common trend to have bright colours and distinctive flavours that make them a common sight along the seaside resorts of the UK. The popularity of Rock sticks has led to many inventive applications and the skill has even been adapted to create lettering which appears throughout the entire stick as it is eaten - this aspect of Rock makes it an attractive tourist gift as it displays the name of the area visited throughout the cross section of the stick.

Other applications of 'Sticks of Rock' include Barley Sugar Sticks, Aniseed & Sarsaparilla Twists and Coltsfoot Rock, which provide an easy to hold/consume product with medicinal benefits for ailments such as sore throats or low energy levels.

Manufacture

Sugar stages

The final texture of candy depends on the sugar concentration. As the syrup is heated, it boils, water evaporates, the sugar concentration increases, and the boiling point rises. A given temperature corresponds to a particular sugar concentration. In general, higher temperatures and greater sugar concentrations result in hard, brittle candies, and lower temperatures result in softer candies. These "stages" of sugar cooking are: