In Honor of Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is coming up quickly, and Americans will buy at least 58 millions pounds of candy for the holiday. That’s a LOT of candy! Think of the sugar! Think of the cavities!

In modern days we consume more sugar than people used to in the past, but people in other ages ate candy too. In fact it was perfectly acceptable for regency gentlemen to give candy to a lady they wanted to impress. In regency times they even ate some candies that we still have today. If Darcy had properly courted Elizabeth before proposing, what candies do you think he might have given her? Which of the candies below would you try if you had the chance?

Marzipan- made of almonds, sugar and rose water. It could be molded into clever shapes like castles or hearts and was a favorite go-to treat. Can you imagine getting a pound of marzipan candies shaped to look like Mr. Darcy?

Turkish delight- If you have never tasted Turkish delight, may I recommend that you stop reading right now and go get some? Or at least order it. Or make it! Mix small pieces of fruit and nuts in a sweet, thick gelatin, dip it in powdered sugar, and then put it where it belongs- in your mouth!

Barley candy-  Sometimes used as a throat lozenge. This was made by boiling sugar in water that had first been used to boil barley. Why barley? Who knows? Probably because the barley water was left over after harvesting barley and someone happened to use it to make candy, resulting in a pleasing amber color. It is said to taste something like caramel. Like marzipam, this candy could also be put into molds to make detailed shapes. It is still made and sold today, but it is not as popular as it once was.

Chocolate – Chocolate was a common indulgence for the upper classes in regency times but not in the forms we know today. They usually used bittersweet chocolate, which they formed into small discs and covered with nonpareils, a treat you may have enjoyed this past Christmas. It was also common to drink chocolate with breakfast. Conserve of chocolate, which was kind of like fudge, was a special treat. Chocolate with those ooey, gooey delicious centers would not be invented for a number of years.

Pralines – not the creamy, chocolate covered pecans we think of as pralines today, but almonds coated in caramelized sugar. We associate them with New Orleans but they actually had their origins in Europe in the 17^th century. Whatever their history,  I had caramelized almonds at a local theater last year, and they were amazing!

Candied pineapples- or really any kind of fruit, but pineapples were especially indulgent. Mix some sugar water, boil the pineapple pieces in it, and you get this overwhelmingly sweet candy.

My favorite from this list would be have to be the Turkish delight. We had boxes of it sitting around the house during the holiday season while I was growing up, but it disappeared quickly. If Mr. Darcy wanted to win my heart, a box or two would surely do the trick! In fact my husband, who is my own Mr. Darcy, indulges me with it now at various times of the year.

No discussion of regency candy would be complete without noting how frequently rose water was included in the ingredients. Other flowers like hibiscus and lavender also lent their flavors to candies. These don’t sound especially appealing to me, but they’re probably healthier than a ton of added sugar!

Which of these candies would be your favorite? Are there any other regency sweets you would like to try? Please let me know in the comments below!