Caramel has been a favorite candy for centuries. There are many ways to enjoy this delicious sugary creation, as a topping on some ice cream, a flavor in a beverage or dessert, coating ripe fruit or by itself in all it’s creamy, warm goodness.
The term “caramel” actually has two meanings; one is the highest stage of heated sugar, such as “caramelization,” and the other meaning is referring to the candy itself. There are actually five different terms that were used through the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries to categorize the ways caramel was made: smooth, pearl, blow, feather and break or casse. It was such a delicate process that, in the sixteenth century, only apothecaries were confident enough to handle the different heating techniques to make caramel.
Toffee also derives it’s earliest origins from caramel from confectioners experimenting with different ingredients to add or subtract from the simple recipe. Instead of using milk, such as in caramel, toffee uses coconut oil to give it a different flavor and texture. The milk in caramel is what gives the creamy flavor many are familiar with.
There are so many ways to mix and flavor caramel, some are even experimenting with existing flavor in other candies, such as licorice or strawberry. There is a variety to enjoy this simple, yet delicious candy, it’s worth seeing what the world has to offer as their own spin on this classic.