Candy, a Belgian invention

Candy is very old, to be precise, it goes back to the beginning of the 16th century! The idea of making all kinds of candy from cane sugar arose around 1510 in the then called Southern Netherlands, what is now called Flanders in Belgium. In those days candy was called sugar and it was only available for the rich people, it was specially served in the highest social circles, at special events.

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Sugar goods became very popular. Even several German emperors had sugar products specially delivered to their court, all the way from Belgium. At that time, people were offered figurines of candy as a welcome gift. For a long time, candy was something for the rich. Not surprising if you know that it was rather expensive to make sugar from sugar cane.

Only after 1747 did that change. Because in that year a German pharmacist discovered that you can also get sugar from cheap beet. The candy industry completely changed from that point on.