Confectionery Key Terms

Learn about confectionery terms and definitions

Confectionery key terms and information are helpful to a wide variety of businesspeople. From the creators of confectionery goodness, to the distributors, the retailers and the consumers, knowing confectionery key terms helps keep everyone knowledgeable about the topic and well informed enough to help make business and consumer decisions.

Most confectionery key terms are products themselves, but other terms involve words that surround the cooking of the confectionery products. Everyone in a confectionery kitchen should be well aware of the lexicon surrounding this field, but those who have any part of the distribution and sale of these products should also be well aware of these words and definitions to help facilitate the proper explanation and communication about the products to their fullest potential.

 

Artificial sweeteners

Artificial sweeteners are sugar substitutes that are sometimes used in confectionery products. Some sugar substitutes are natural while others are created out of synthetic substances.
Try: Find out more about the artificial sweetener aspartame from the Aspartame Resource Center. Learn how the artificial sweetener Truvia is made from the stevia plant. Rebiana is the natural ingredient that gives it its flavor.

Hard-crack stage

Hard-crack stage is a high-temperature stage in the cooking of hard sweet confectionery products such as suckers, lollipop's, jawbreakers, lemon drops, peppermints, candy canes and rock candy.
Try: Learn about hard-crack stage from baking911.com.

Toffee, taffy, tuffy

Toffee, taffy, and/or tuffy are sugars that are cooked to the soft-crack stage (see previous baking911.com chart) that have been pulled to have an elastic texture.
Try: Discover toffee differences and the ABCs of toffee from The Nibble. Learn more about the science of taffy from Exploratorium.

Liquorice

Liquorice contains the extract of the liquorice root and is chewier and more resilient than gum. Unlike gum, though, it is made to be swallowed and digested.
Try: Learn all about liquorice history and facts from Liquorices.com.

Marzipan

Marzipan is an almond-based doughy confection that can be served in several different ways. It is often formed into shapes or it can be flavored with spirits such as Kirsch or Rum and divided into small bite-sized pieces and coated in chocolate to prevent the alcohol from evaporating.
Try: Look at the marzipan confection info from Marzipan Confections.

Divinity

Divinity is a nougat-like confectionery that is made of egg whites with chopped nuts.
Try: Find a wide variety of divinity information and resources from Mahalo.com.

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