Sweets and Candy: A Global History

Food history writer and researcher Laura Mason presents in "Sweets and Candy: A Global History" (published under the food history series by the Kalima Translation Project at the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre) an engaging anthropological and historical study probing the foods most closely tied to joy, childhood, and celebratory occasions. The book narrates the color- and magical flavor-filled story of candies and sweets, starting from treating honey and dried fruits in ancient civilizations and using sugar as an expensive medical remedy in the Middle Ages, through the industrial revolution and the invention of hard candies, chocolates, and gelatin, to today's confectionery empires conquering global markets. Through a dramatic and accessible style blending nutrition history, social anthropology, and culinary arts, the author illustrates how the evolution of sweets reflected humanity's aspirations to taste life's delights and invent new forms of happiness.

Because it opens the doors to a colorful, exciting world that takes the reader back to childhood, simplifying the historical and industrial secrets of simple things that crafted joy across centuries.

For food history and confectionery arts enthusiasts, cultural and social anthropology researchers, and anyone passionate about discovering the sweet and joyful stories behind candy making.