Confectionery

Confectionery is simply defined as a range of food substances with high sugar contents. Today, this will also include items with synthetic sweeteners. A confection has many guises, depending on the area where it is consumed.

For example, it is known as candy in the United States, sweets in the United Kingdom and lollies in Australia.

In different parts of the world where the English language is used, confectionery is referred to in many ways. In the UK as well as most countries within the Commonwealth, an everyday name for it is sweets. Other informal names include goodies and yum yums. These names may differ from region to region.

They are commonly called lollies in Australia as well as in New Zealand. In North America, the word candy is frequently used, but this will exclude items such as pastry. Also, sweets and treats are sometimes used.

Items such as chocolate, candy bars, lollipops and candy floss are generally inclusive. But these will not take into account items that can be consumed with the use of cutlery such as cakes, puddings or biscuits. Most Americans do not include these as candy.

Other forms of confectionery are hard sweets (from hardened sugar), called boiled sweets in the UK, jawbreakers, rock candy, drops and candy canes. When blended with nuts, they are called brittle.

Jelly candies refer to sugar mixed with starch such as gum, gelatin, jelly beans, jujubes, Turkish Delight, gumdrops, etc.