Maltose
A disaccharide formed by the condensation of two sugar molecules through an α-glycosidic bond. It is the main component of syrup. It is produced by the action of malt containing amylase on starch. It is used as a nutrient and also for preparing culture media.
From a chemical perspective: Maltose (Maltose or Malt Sugar) is a chemical term belonging to the disaccharide category. It appears as white needle-like crystals. However, common maltose is not crystalline, and during cooking, the addition of sucrose turns the white maltose into a golden color, enhancing its flavor and aroma.
Candy
Candy
Maltose, also known as glutinous rice sugar, is made from wheat and glutinous rice. It is sweet and delicious, rich in nutrients, and has effects such as promoting digestion, making it suitable for all ages.
In nature, maltose mainly exists in germinated grains, especially in malt, hence the name. Under the action of starch-converting enzymes, starch undergoes hydrolysis, producing maltose, which can further hydrolyze to yield two molecules of glucose. Maltose can be crystallized and used as a sweetener, but its sweetness only reaches one-third of that of sucrose. Maltose is a cheap nutritional food that is easily digested and absorbed by the human body. The molecular structure of maltose contains an aldehyde group, making it a reducing sugar. Therefore, it can react with silver ammonia solution to produce a silver mirror effect and can also react with freshly prepared alkaline copper hydroxide to generate a brick-red precipitate. It can hydrolyze under certain conditions to produce two molecules of glucose.
Colorless or white crystals, crude forms appear as thick syrup. Crystalline maltose melts and decomposes at 102-103°C with one molecule of water. It is easily soluble in water and slightly soluble in ethanol. It is a reducing disaccharide, reacts with aldehyde groups, can undergo a silver mirror reaction, and can also react with Benedict's reagent (prepared with copper sulfate, sodium carbonate or caustic soda, sodium citrate, etc.) to produce a brick-red precipitate. It can decolorize bromine water and be oxidized to maltose acid. It can be hydrolyzed into two molecules of glucose under heating with dilute acid or the action of α-glucosidase. It is used as food, nutrients, etc. It is obtained by hydrolyzing starch, generally by mixing enzymes from malt with starch paste and fermenting at suitable temperatures.
The production of maltose generally involves the following steps: first, soak the wheat and let it germinate to a length of three to four centimeters, then chop the sprouts for later use. Next, wash the glutinous rice, steam it in a pot, and mix it evenly with the chopped malt, allowing it to ferment for 3-4 hours until juice is produced. Then, filter out the juice and boil it over high heat until it becomes paste-like. After cooling, it forms amber-colored sugar blocks. When consumed, it is heated and stirred with two wooden sticks until the sugar block is pulled into a silver-white color, similar to pulling noodles.
Maple sugar
Maple sugar, also known as maple syrup, comes from a tall deciduous tree that can reach 40 meters in height and has a diameter of 40 to 100 cm, with a lifespan of up to 500 years. This sugar-containing maple tree is different from other maples; in autumn, its leaves turn yellow, while other maples turn red. The trunk contains a large amount of starch, which becomes sucrose in winter. When the weather warms up, the sucrose turns into sweet tree sap. If a hole is drilled in the tree, the sap flows out continuously. The sugar made from boiling the tree sap is called maple sugar or maple syrup. Maple sugar is rich in minerals and organic acids, with lower calories than sucrose, fructose, and corn syrup, but it contains much higher levels of calcium, magnesium, and organic acids than other sugars, making it beneficial for those with nutritional imbalances. The sweetness of maple sugar is not as high as honey, with a sugar content of about 66% (honey has a sugar content of about 79%-81%, while granulated sugar can reach 99.4%).
Every year from May to August, maple trees store starch at their roots to prepare nutrients for the next year. When the ice and snow melt in early spring, the starch stored in the roots begins to convert into sugar, which is also the season when workers in the maple sugar industry start collecting tree sap and making maple sugar. The maple sugar season is very short, generally from mid-March to mid-April, lasting only about six weeks. The production season is when the syrup is made towards the end of the harvesting season in early April. It has a strong maple aroma and is an essential flavoring agent for cooking, baking, and making desserts. The internationally renowned Canadian products, maple candy and maple ice cream, are made primarily from this grade of maple syrup.
The production of maple sugar is also very simple; it involves heating the maple sap, gradually evaporating the moisture from the sap, and finally forming a slightly thick syrup. Typically, 40 kilograms of maple sap can only produce 1 kilogram of maple syrup. Only maple trees that are over 40 years old or have a diameter of more than 25 cm can produce useful sap. To ensure the healthy growth of the maple trees, the amount of sap collected cannot exceed 5% of the total. Therefore, maple sugar is very expensive; for example, a bottle of natural maple syrup is only 236 ml and costs $4.99.
Cooking-specific maple syrup is characterized by its caramel-like flavor. Due to its strong aroma, it is widely used in cooking, baking, and as a seasoning for some special foods. In Europe, America, and Japan, it is also used as a flavoring to create popular maple-flavored cigarettes.
Zongzi candy
Zongzi candy is one of the earliest types of Chinese candy. It is mainly made from sucrose, combined with rose petals, maltose, and pine nuts.
Its shape resembles a triangular zongzi, hence the name zongzi candy. Zongzi candy is hard and transparent, with a glossy appearance, allowing one to clearly see the rose petals and pine nuts evenly distributed within the candy, resembling beautiful crystal stones. It is sweet, fragrant, and delicious, with the fresh aroma of pine nuts and roses. Due to climate influences, it is not suitable for production in summer.
Raw material formula: sucrose, pine nuts, dried rose petals, liquid glucose, acetic acid.
Production method:
1. The method of boiling sugar is the same as that for peanut candy.
2. Pine nuts and rose petals must be roasted; otherwise, they cannot be used, as moisture in the pine nuts and rose petals can cause the sugar to crystallize.
3. After cooling the syrup to 160°C, pour it onto a cooling table with running water. While it's hot, sprinkle pine nuts and dried rose petals on the syrup, and use a spatula to fold it back and forth. As you fold, the syrup cools down, moisture continues to evaporate, and the syrup gradually solidifies into soft candy.
4. Shaping: Organize manpower and work quickly. Place the soft candy on the workbench, divide it into small pieces, and knead the candy into round strips (be sure to maintain room temperature).
5. Cutting candy: Use scissors to cut the candy. When cutting, be sure to turn it each time you cut, so that the candy looks triangular from any side. If using a machine, it can also produce triangular shapes.
6. Packaging: Package the candy after it has cooled sufficiently to prevent it from sticking together.
7. Quality standards:
Color: Light brown, transparent and shiny. Shape: Triangular, with no broken edges or short corners, 240 to 250 pieces per kilogram.
Osmanthus candy
Osmanthus candy is made using oil-coated rice to fry sugar, with white sugar osmanthus as the core candy. The fire should be appropriate, and the coating should be even, with neat sticks. The osmanthus used must be fresh and fragrant, picked when the flowers bloom. After adding white sugar for sealing, it becomes the raw material for the core candy. The selection of osmanthus for osmanthus candy is very strict, and the production process is quite meticulous.
Originally named "yangtang" in Zoushi, it is a traditional seasonal specialty product of Zoushi. There was an ancient folk song that said, "The wine of Taoyuan (referring to the county town), the sugar of Zoushi, and the fried dough sticks of He Fu are all long." The length of the fried dough sticks is purely exaggerated, but the famous wine of Taoyuan and the "yangtang" of Zoushi are indeed well-deserved.
Zoushi "yangtang" originated in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. Its predecessor was the guanzi candy from the countryside of Taoyuan. Guanzi candy is coated with sesame seeds and is solid inside, looking exactly like the later osmanthus candy at first glance. However, the taste is very different: it lacks the fragrance of osmanthus, the sweetness of the sugar core, and the crispness of the coating. One year, a pastry chef from Zoushi traveled to Nanjing with a wood merchant and was inspired by the osmanthus-flavored pastries he saw there. Upon returning, he added osmanthus powder to the guanzi candy. Initially, there was fragrance, but without a sugar core, it still tasted hard.
Not long after, the governor issued a decree to showcase local specialties. This chef went to Nanjing again for advice and carefully crafted a good recipe, working day and night. After much effort, he finally produced a type of candy that resembled guanzi candy but was hollow, round, and sweet.
This candy was presented to the county magistrate and the governor, and was offered as a tribute to the palace, where it was classified as a "fine product" and received awards. From then on, it gained great fame and its market expanded. With merchants buying oil and wood, it was exported overseas, hence the name "yangtang." Over time, with the advancement of history, the production methods of "yangtang" have continuously improved, and its quality has also increased. "Yangtang" has evolved into osmanthus candy and has been rated as a national quality product, winning silver medals twice.
Tamarind candy
Candy
Candy
Tamarind candy refers to a type of candy made from tamarind as the raw material through processing. The raw material is sourced from locally grown, natural, and pollution-free tamarind, refined through special processes, making it a natural green food. It has a jelly-like texture, a delicate and excellent taste, and an extraordinary flavor, allowing one to experience the excitement of life in its sweet and sour taste. It is rich in various vitamins, appetizing, and refreshing, making it a fashionable leisure food for relaxation during vacations.
Starch syrup
Starch syrup is made from starchy grains, tubers, etc., through acid or enzyme methods, including maltose, glucose, fructose syrup, etc., collectively referred to as starch syrup.
Starch syrup has a long history in China, mentioned in the "Qi Ming Yao Shu" from over 500 years ago, which detailed the method of making sugar from rice. For a long time, sugar production and consumption in China have primarily relied on cane sugar, with starch syrup as a supplement. The state has vigorously supported and promoted starch syrup. By the late 1990s, due to technological advancements in the starch syrup industry, yield and quality improved, and material consumption decreased. Enterprises began to operate on a larger scale, significantly reducing the cost of starch syrup products, gradually expanding the market for starch syrup, making it an important supplement to the sugar market. Starch syrup has a wide range of consumption fields and large consumption volume, serving as a pillar product of deep processing of starch. It has long been widely used in food, medicine, papermaking, and many other industries. With the development of corn deep processing, the food industry, and advancements in biotechnology such as enzyme preparations, as well as changes in consumer structure, China's starch syrup industry has achieved significant development, moving towards diversification, personalization, specialization, and large-scale development, with a substantial increase in output and an increasingly improved variety structure.
In 2005, the output of starch syrup reached 4.2 million tons, with a value of 9.24 billion yuan. China's starch syrup output ranks second in the world, only behind the United States. The starch syrup industry is one of the important pathways for agricultural industrialization and deep processing of grains. Therefore, the starch syrup industry plays an important role in the development of China's national economy.
Toffee
Toffee (translated as "拖肥" in Hong Kong) is derived from the English word "toffee". It is a type of Western candy made from brown sugar or molasses and cream, resulting in a hard and chewy candy. The production method involves boiling molasses and brown sugar until very thick, then stirring this mixture by hand or machine until the candy becomes shiny and can maintain its solid shape.
Lollipop
Lollipops were invented by Spanish candy maker Enrique Bernat Fanjul, who inserted a small stick into the candy to make it handheld.
Lollipops are one of the favorite candies among children, produced by candy manufacturers worldwide. In addition to ordinary hard candy lollipops, there are various forms, such as cotton candy lollipops that can be made into more complex cartoon shapes. Some lollipops even have sticks that function as whistles or light up.
Coconut candy
Coconut candy is made from fresh coconut juice from Hainan Island, maltose, white sugar, cocoa powder, and milk, refined through special scientific methods. It comes in varieties such as traditional crispy coconut hard candy, coconut soft candy, and coffee candy, adhering to the tradition of candy production in Hainan, with rich flavor and authentic taste. It not only retains the original flavor of coconut but also tastes sweet and delicious.
Coconut candy has high nutritional value. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that coconut sugar is sweet and warm in nature, with functions such as generating fluids and promoting urination. Moreover, coconut leaves contain more nutrients, including fructose, glucose, sucrose, protein, fat, vitamin B, vitamin C, as well as trace elements and minerals like calcium, phosphorus, and iron.
Sugar is not the main culprit behind diseases. Epidemiological studies indicate that there is no direct relationship between sugar intake and the incidence of obesity; rather, fat intake is closely related to obesity. Diabetes is not related to how much sugar one consumes, as it is caused by impaired pancreatic function. There is also no direct relationship between sugar consumption and elevated blood lipids; it should be noted that the main dietary factor affecting blood lipid changes is saturated fatty acids. Only when the intake of sucrose or fructose is very high might it lead to elevated blood lipids, due to the unique metabolic pathway of fructose in the liver. Therefore, under normal intake conditions, sugar does not cause elevated blood lipids.
Sugar is also not the initiator of dental caries. It is well known that the UK has maintained a high per capita sugar consumption, yet the incidence of dental caries is relatively low. In contrast, in our country, where candy consumption in stores is low, the incidence of dental caries is very high. People believe that frequent sugar consumption easily leads to dental caries because sugar can remain in the mouth for a long time, serving as a breeding ground for bacteria that cause cavities. However, if one rinses their mouth or takes other measures to promptly remove sugar after eating, it will not lead to dental caries.
Vitamins
Vitamin candy is a new category of candy that contains one or more vitamins. People can supplement the vitamins their bodies need by eating vitamin candy. Most people have eaten candy, but many may not have tried or even heard of vitamin candy.
Generally speaking, people can normally obtain vitamins through food, but modern individuals often suffer from vitamin deficiencies due to reasons such as work stress and imbalanced diets. It is well known that the content of vitamins in the human body is very low, yet they are very important, directly affecting people's immune system. Therefore, people should consciously supplement vitamins, and eating vitamin candy is a convenient and practical method.