Today sweets have become one of the traditional treats on our table during tea parties. Few people refuse to treat themselves to sweets for tea, and manufacturers are trying to supply the market with more and more new varieties of sweet treats.

However, if you decide to study the history of the emergence of sweets in order to find out a lot of interesting details and facts, then in this article we have tried to collect for you the most entertaining historical excerpts from the history of the appearance and gradual development of sweets. However, we immediately warn you that after our story, you will have an irresistible desire to quickly buy sweets in Moscow, and more.

ancient delicacy

Like many dishes on our table, sweets have been known since ancient times. Even 3 thousand years ago, mentions of sweets appeared in a variety of sources. The first sweets were very simple, they did not add chocolate, but in shape they already looked like what we see on the table today.

The sweet first appeared in the Middle East, and then it was nuts and dried fruits pressed with honey. The delicacy was served to rich nobles, but ordinary people did not forget and occasionally indulge themselves in such sweetness. Of course, sugar and chocolate were not added there - completely different ingredients were used.

If we talk about chocolate, then the first sweets with its use appeared in South America. Here, sweets with chocolate were served for the table of priests and high-ranking Indians.

European innovations

If in the East sweets were for a long time in the state in which we wrote about them above, then in Europe culinary specialists gradually began to experiment with them. For example, in Italy, back in the 16th century, sugar was first added to sweets. At the same time, an interesting feature is that sweets with sugar were sold only in pharmacies for a long time. And at high prices - sugar was not the most affordable delicacy. Sweets were considered medicinal because of the properties of sugar to raise the tone of a person - patients who did not get enough glucose in a natural way, it became better from sugar.

However, gradually sweets began to move from the shelves of pharmacies to traditional pastry shops.

And what about in Russia?

It is interesting that in our country sweets were made in Ancient Russia. Then they were created using honey, molasses and sugar syrup. Traditional sweets appeared on the tables of Russians during the time of Peter I. Then sugar began to be imported into Russia, and sugar beets were quickly used to obtain it. At the same time, chocolates have long remained a delicacy for the richest buyers. Today everything has changed, and anyone can buy caramel in Moscow, as well as a variety of sweets. So why deny yourself this?

Today sweets have become one of the traditional treats on our table during tea parties. Few people refuse to treat themselves to sweets for tea, and manufacturers are trying to supply the market with more and more new varieties of sweet treats.

However, if you decide to study the history of the emergence of sweets in order to find out a lot of interesting details and facts, then in this article we have tried to collect for you the most entertaining historical excerpts from the history of the appearance and gradual development of sweets. However, we immediately warn you that after our story, you will have an irresistible desire to quickly buy sweets in Moscow, and more.

ancient delicacy

Like many dishes on our table, sweets have been known since ancient times. Even 3 thousand years ago, mentions of sweets appeared in a variety of sources. The first sweets were very simple, they did not add chocolate, but in shape they already looked like what we see on the table today.

The sweet first appeared in the Middle East, and then it was nuts and dried fruits pressed with honey. The delicacy was served to rich nobles, but ordinary people did not forget and occasionally indulge themselves in such sweetness. Of course, sugar and chocolate were not added there - completely different ingredients were used.

If we talk about chocolate, then the first sweets with its use appeared in South America. Here, sweets with chocolate were served for the table of priests and high-ranking Indians.

European innovations

If in the East sweets were for a long time in the state in which we wrote about them above, then in Europe culinary specialists gradually began to experiment with them. For example, in Italy, back in the 16th century, sugar was first added to sweets. At the same time, an interesting feature is that sweets with sugar were sold only in pharmacies for a long time. And at high prices - sugar was not the most affordable delicacy. Sweets were considered medicinal because of the properties of sugar to raise the tone of a person - patients who did not get enough glucose in a natural way, it became better from sugar.

However, gradually sweets began to move from the shelves of pharmacies to traditional pastry shops.

And what about in Russia?

It is interesting that in our country sweets were made in Ancient Russia. Then they were created using honey, molasses and sugar syrup. Traditional sweets appeared on the tables of Russians during the time of Peter I. Then sugar began to be imported into Russia, and sugar beets were quickly used to obtain it. At the same time, chocolates have long remained a delicacy for the richest buyers. Today everything has changed, and anyone can buy caramel in Moscow, as well as a variety of sweets. So why deny yourself this?

Three thousand years ago, sugar was not known to people, but this did not stop the first confectioners. The basis of sweets was honey. In the Middle East, dates were added to it, in Rome - nuts, poppy seeds and sesame seeds, in Ancient Russia - maple syrup and molasses.
But what candy without chocolate? The first mention of cocoa beans are found during the Olmec civilization, who lived in Mexico in 1500 BC. The Mayan and Aztec tribes began to use cocoa fruits to make a drink, endowing it with divine power and considering it sacred. Bitter, viscous, with the aroma of herbs and spices - this is the kind of chocolate Christopher Columbus first tasted.
The Spanish conqueror of Mexico, Fernando Cortes, was able to pay due attention to the fruits of cocoa. In 1519, the Aztec leader treated him to a cold thick drink made from cocoa beans with vanilla, hot pepper and spices in a golden bowl. Only noble men, shamans and warriors were allowed to drink it. The local population used cocoa fruits not only for a drink, but also as money (for example, a slave could be bought for 100 beans).
PICTURE

In 1527, Cortés came to his homeland and brought not only cocoa beans, but also a recipe for the preparation of the "chocolatl" drink, so named by the Aztecs. Chocolate is to the taste of the local nobility, led by the Spanish monarch, and is beginning to be popular in the homes of very wealthy people. Historian Fernandez de Oviedo y Valdez noted that the chocolate drink was so expensive that drinking it was like drinking money.
In the 16th century, Europeans attributed healing and magical properties to chocolate, and considered it a strong aphrodisiac.
Years passed, the recipe for making chocolate changed: pepper disappeared from it, ground nuts, honey, cinnamon, anise began to be added, and they began to drink hot. But it was still a drink. And only in 1671, the cook of the Duke of Plessy Praline prepared a new, original dessert to surprise his master. These were sweets made from grated almonds, honey and chocolate. Later they became known as "pralines".
In France, according to annalistic sources, sweets helped the chancellor win the favor of King Louis XV. After the throne speech delivered by the king, he was presented with a dish of sweets. He was delighted! The young monarch was not even 6 years old.
A real revolution in the production of chocolates took place in the 19th century and is associated with the name of Konrad van Houten. In 1828, he invents a hydraulic press that extracts oil from cocoa beans. The cocoa powder that remained in the press was not very expensive and dissolved well in water and milk. Chocolate became solid when cocoa butter, cocoa powder and hot water were mixed. European confectioners are beginning to search for a form for its ebb.

In 1839, the German baker Stollwerk managed to get the first “figured” chocolates using a wooden gingerbread mold.
In 1868, Cadbury chocolates appeared in England. Boxes of sweets released in honor of Valentine's Day in the shape of a heart were a sought-after gift. The ideological inspiration was the confectioner Richard Cadbury, who developed the design of the boxes.
In 1875, the Swiss Daniel Peter, after eight years of experimentation, obtained solid milk chocolate by adding powdered milk to the number of components. Just 4 years later, Henri Nestlé opens a factory to produce inexpensive chocolates with a longer shelf life. This puts Switzerland at the forefront of the chocolate industry.
American confectioners are also trying to please lovers of chocolates. The first American chocolate factory was founded by Milton Hershey. In 1894, instead of caramel, he began to produce chocolate. His Hershy's Kisses were wrapped in gold foil. In 1905, Hershey began mass production of milk chocolate. By 1906, the factory is a cozy city with all the infrastructure, where almost every inhabitant is a worker in chocolate production.
The manufacture of filled chocolates has been possible since 1912 after the invention of the chocolate body by the Belgian Jean Neuhaus.

PICTURE

In Russia at the beginning of the 19th century, chocolates still remain an exquisite delicacy for the rich. There were repeated cases of theft of sweets at receptions and balls. It is very simple to explain this behavior: there were no confectionery factories in Russia, each confectioner prepared sweets according to his own recipe, which was kept secret.
The first confectionery chocolate production appeared in Russia in the middle of the 19th century. In 1850, on the Arbat in Moscow, the German Ferdinand von Einem opens a small workshop where chocolates are made. Already by 1914, the number of factories reaches 600 throughout the country, chocolates are becoming more affordable. Each factory wanted to supply sweets to the court of His Imperial Majesty, so special attention was paid to product quality. Chocolates of that time were not only delicious, but also beautifully packaged. Pink and red velvet boxes with a satin bottom, boxes with art deco ornaments, tin and glass chests - as soon as they did not attract the attention of buyers. Packaging often cost more than sweets, and the drawings on the wrappers were made by famous artists: Alexander Benois, Viktor Vasnetsov, Emmanuil Andreev.
Nuts, sweets, fruits, alcoholic beverages - not a complete list of chocolate candy fillings, to the taste of any gourmet. Confectioners develop new recipes to surprise us, and bright labels immediately attract attention. But chocolates "Red Poppy", "Bear-toed Bear", "Kara-Kum", "Squirrel", known since pre-revolutionary years, continue to gain popularity among buyers.

Candy story is one of the many stories that unites us with the whole world. And really, can the love of sweets be something special and be only someone's specific national pride?

The Museum of Russian Dessert in Zvenigorod near Moscow is simply a storehouse of knowledge and artifacts of Russian "sweet" cuisine. Which, as it turns out, is full of curious episodes and unknown pages.

However, the museum itself has secrets. The main one is the forthcoming exposition "Candy Shop". Sounds weird? It’s just that the current word “candy” is derived from the Latin “withonfectum"- prepared potion. More in dictionariesXVIIIcentury this word was masculine. And even on boxesXIXcentury, you can read "Lady's Confection". In the first place was the meaning "confection is a medicine made from boiled fruits or herbs." And only then - sweetness.

In today's dictionaries, a candy is a sugar-based product prepared with the addition of various types of raw materials, flavoring and aromatic additives. Sweets accompany us throughout life. For many, they are the "hormone" of happiness and joy. Eat it and your heart will feel better. And all the troubles will recede away.

In general, candy has a history much longer than we can imagine. Its past covers the geography of the whole world. They say that the first candy is three thousand years old. She was born in ancient Egypt and was a simple ball rolled from finely chopped dates, honey and nuts. In the ancient East, sweets were made from figs, almonds, honey and the same nuts. In ancient Rome, they were rolled in poppy seeds, sesame seeds. And the predecessors of Russian sweets are most likely today's candied fruits. ATXVIIcentury, this word came to us from the German language - “candied fruits”. And so it remained with us for many centuries. Prior to this, a similar product was called "dry Kiev jam." These are pieces of fruit repeatedly boiled in sugar syrup, almost to amber transparency. The first mention of it refers toXIVcentury. The annals tell how the Lithuanian prince Jagiello was brought to the wedding table with this “dry” jam. Subsequently, Ekaterina was a fan of this delicacy.II. Even her special decree was issued so that in the autumn they would deliver it to St. Petersburg and serve it to the royal table. Dignitaries and close associates followed the example of the autocrat. And so stagecoaches and carts with this sweetness from Kyiv went.

By 1489, the first mention of the candy familiar to us. For more than 500 years, this product made from molasses and honey has been pleasing our children and adults. Our great-great-great-grandmothers used to add ginger root there, due to which a spicy taste was obtained. When they learned to make lollipops is not known for certain. The idea is so simple that, most likely, it was born more than once and in many cities. Then she forgot and came again. At first, these were not even “cockerels”, but “houses”, “squirrels”, “bears”. The syrup with molasses was poured into a special mold, a long sliver was inserted from the side, it solidified there. Then the form was “disassembled” and the same lollipop familiar to us was obtained.

For a long time, sweets would have been piece goods, if not for sugar. The first mention of it also refers toXIIIcentury. It was brought as spices, sold expensively. And not everyone could afford it. In Russia, for example, drinking tea with sugar has become a common habit only sinceXVIIIcentury. That old sugar was made, of course, from cane. PeterIalso tried to curb foreign adversaries and ordered to make sugar in Russia. In 1718, he even established a sugar chamber. However, at that time sugar was made from imported sugar cane. Beets as a raw material began to be used much later. And the first really domestic sugar factories appear in our country at the beginningXIX century. It was then that numerous confectionery workshops were opened in Russia, and then mass “industrial” production of sweets.

They say at the beginningXIX centuries in cities and villages at receptions, lunches and dinners, it was considered completely shameless if some rich and luxuriously dressed lady pulled a candy from the table and hid it in a reticule. Such "obscene" behavior was explained simply: the candy was a rare, tempting product. So society forgave such transgressions.
Naturally, the confectionery of the Imperial Court was an example of quality. Here they really made unique and "piece" products. Actually, in all aristocratic houses, after a dinner party, a dessert table was laid.
It was called "sugar grounds". Even the architect Rastrelli was involved in the design of such "tables", which in essence were whole pyramids and sugar shelves. According to his sketches, fanciful vases, castles, bouquets were created - all this architecture of "small forms". All of them were made of chocolate, marzipans, mastic, caramel.

It must be admitted that domestic masters have achieved amazing skill in the production of caramel flowers. Entire cascades of these sweets descended from the very top almost to the floor. There were trees decorated with marzipan fruit. Real luxury. But, don't let her go! That is why it was customary after the reception to disassemble all of it into "royal gifts." In the budget of the imperial court since the time of AlexanderI there was a corresponding article on these gifts.

Count Sollogub recalled how, as a child, he was waiting for his grandmother from these balls. As a huge carriage drove up to the entrance, a grandmother, tired from the ball, got out of it. Ahead of her, a servant was climbing the stairs, carrying two huge dishes filled with marzipans, sugar crackers, gingerbread, cakes, sweets. And all because after the ball, grandmother, without hesitation, with the help of her neighbors, filled these dishes from the common table and took them home. Shakos, pockets, handbags - everything was full of these goodies. And then everyone in the manor house - from kids to the cook - got sweets.

Mass production of sweets used sugar syrup with the addition of chocolate, eggs, milk, fruits. In Europe, they appeared earlier. In 1659, the French confectioner David Shelley opened his factory in Paris and began to make products that are very similar to modern candies.

Another person who contributed to the candy industry was… Thomas Edison. A talented engineer, it seems, did not ignore any of the many branches of science and industry. Confectioners owe him the invention of waxed paper, which is still used for candy wrappers.

Nougat, marzipan, cake and chocolates - only four types of sweets were produced by us at the beginningXIX century. But since the middle of the century, lollipops have appeared. The discoverer of this era was the Landrin factory. The official version says that the factory was founded in 1848 by businessman Georg (Georges) Landrin. It was then that he opened his workshop for the production of candy caramel on the Peterhof highway. Later, the workshop began to produce chocolate and biscuits.

However, there is also an alternative history. In the book “Moscow and Muscovites”, Vladimir Gilyarovsky gives information about the origin of the word “landrin”, which was told to him by the famous Moscow baker Filippov:

“- Here, at least take sweets, which are called “Landrin” ... Who is Landrin? What is monpensier? Previously, our Frenchmen learned how to make this montpensier, they only sold them in pieces of paper wrapped in all pastry shops ... And then there is Landrin ... The same word seems to be overseas, which is necessary for trade, but it turned out very simply.

The craftsman Fedya worked at the confectionery of Grigory Efimovich Eliseev. Every morning he used to bring him a tray of montpensier - he made it in a special way - a half white and red, mottled, except for him no one knew how to do this, and in pieces of paper. After the name day, or something, with a hangover, he jumped up to carry the goods to Eliseev.
He sees that the covered tray is ready. Grabbed and runs, so as not to be late. Brings. Eliseev untied the tray and shouted at him:
- What did you bring? What?..
Fedya saw that he had forgotten to wrap the sweets in paper, grabbed the tray and ran. Tired, sat down on a pedestal near the women's gymnasium ... Gymnasium girls run, one, the other -
- How much candy?
He does not understand-
- Will you take two kopecks? Give me five.
One kopeck vanishes... Behind it is another... He takes the money and realizes that it is profitable. Then a lot of them ran out, bought up the tray and say:
- You come to the yard tomorrow, by 12 o'clock, to change ... What is your name?
- Fedor, by the name of Landrin-
I calculated the profits - it is more profitable than selling to Eliseev, and gold pieces of paper in profits. The next day he brought it back to the gymnasium.
Landrin has arrived!
He began to sell at first peddling, then in places, and there he opened a factory. These sweets began to be called "landrin" - the word seemed French ... landrin yes landrin! And he himself is a Novgorod peasant and received his last name from the Landra River, on which his village stands.

The history of mankind's love for sweets began about three millennia ago. The first confectionery appeared in ancient Egypt. Prototypes of modern sweets were made from boiled honey with the addition of dates. It was customary to throw sweets into the crowd during the solemn departures of the pharaohs.
The recipes of the first sweets were not very diverse; the inhabitants of Ancient Greece and the Middle East enjoyed similar confectionery products. At that time, people did not know how to produce sugar, the basis of all sweets is honey with the addition of dried apricots, nuts, sesame seeds, poppy seeds and spices.

The first sweets appeared in Europe

At the dawn of our era, brown sugar made from cane was imported to Europe from India. Subsequently, the sweet product was replaced by a cheaper American counterpart, which led to the rapid development of confectionery production in the countries of the Old World.
Sweets in a form more familiar to us appeared in Italy in the 16th century. The confectioners of this European country melted lump sugar on fire, mixed the resulting mass with fruit and berry syrups and poured it into various forms. The forerunners of modern caramel in medieval Italy were sold only in, as it was believed that sweets had healing properties. It is interesting that initially only adults could buy a tasty medicine.

The first chocolates appeared in ... Europe!

The first chocolate dessert, which is a mixture of grated nuts, candied honey, cocoa lumps, filled with melted sugar, was made by the Duke of Plessy ─ Praline. This is in 1671 in Belgium, where the nobleman served as the French ambassador. Before the advent of real chocolates, there were still 186 years.
Belgian pharmacist John Neuhaus in 1857 worked on the invention of cough. Quite by chance, he managed to get a product that today is called "chocolates". Since 1912, the son of a pharmacist introduced them to mass sale. The real excitement began after the pharmacist's wife came up with the idea of ​​wrapping sweets in golden wrappers.
The candy owes its name to the same pharmacists. The Latin word confectum as a term was used by medieval pharmacists. In ancient times, this was the name of processed fruits prepared for further use for medicinal purposes.