They were the precursors of barley sugar and modern cough drops. These became known in England as alphenics, or more commonly as penidia, penids, pennet or pan sugar. One Middle Eastern remedy for rheums and fevers were little, twisted sticks of pulled sugar called in Arabic al fГ¤nГ¤d or al pГ¤nГ¤d. Medieval European physicians learned the medicinal uses of the material from the Arabs and Byzantine Greeks.

In the early history of sugar usage in Europe, it was initially the apothecary who had the most important role in the production of sugar-based preparations. Sugarcane is indigenous to tropical Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.

They adopted and then spread sugar and sugarcane agriculture. Between the 6th and 4th centuries BC, the Persians, followed by the Greeks, made contact with the Indian subcontinent and its 'reeds that produce honey without bees'. Honey was used in Ancient China, Ancient India, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome to coat fruits and flowers to preserve them or to create sweetmeats. Д«efore sugar was readily available in the ancient western world, confectionery was based on honey. In the local language, these crystals were called khanda (а¤–а¤ЈаҐЌа¤Ў), which is the source of the word candy. Sugar and desserts have a long history in India: by about 500 BCE, people in India had developed the technology to produce sugar crystals. In certain parts of India, these are called mithai or sweets. Some Indian confectionery desserts from hundreds of varieties. Traditional confectionery goes back to ancient times and continued to be eaten through the Middle Ages into the modern era. The confectionery industry also includes specialized training schools and extensive historical records. The words candy (Canada & US), sweets (UK, Ireland, and others), and lollies (Australia and New Zealand) are common words for some of the most popular varieties of sugar confectionery. In some cases, chocolate confections (confections made of chocolate) are treated as a separate category, as are sugar-free versions of sugar confections. Sugar confectionery includes candies (also called sweets, short for sweetmeats, in many English-speaking countries), candied nuts, chocolates, chewing gum, bubble gum, pastillage, and other confections that are made primarily of sugar. Baker's confectionery excludes everyday breads, and thus is a subset of products produced by a baker. Д«akers' confectionery, also called flour confections, includes principally sweet pastries, cakes, and similar baked goods. The occupation of confectioner encompasses the categories of cooking performed by both the French patissier (pastry chef) and the confiseur (sugar worker). In general, however, confectionery is divided into two broad and somewhat overlapping categories: bakers' confections and sugar confections. This Kransekake is a traditional Scandinavian baker's confection.Д¬onfectionery is the art of making confections, which are food items that are rich in sugar and carbohydrates.

Sweeties candy