Sweet tooth: the bittersweet history of candy

Description

The innocence of candy -- Onward ... to Italy? -- Land of Torrones -- The spice trade -- The merchant city -- The age of exploration -- The city that Columbus left behind -- From Portugal to Great Britain -- Of cookbooks and housewives -- Land of black licorice -- The British get sugar -- London: city of candy -- And along comes chocolate -- A death in the family -- The rock of Gibralter -- Olde-time candy -- The chocolate kingdom -- Candy day -- What is "good" candy?;"Sweet Tooth is a book with a real edge, a balanced firsthand account of [the author's] obsession with candy and a detailed look at its history and development. The sugary treats we enjoy today have a prominent past: They've delighted kings, cured the ill, and were developed into a billion-dollar industry. At the same time, however, the bitter side of this chronicle tells how the confectionery industry helped create an environment of unhealthy overindulgence, quelled small-business competition deemed to pose risks to any corporation's bottom line, and was indeed largely responsible for the slave trade that evolved during America's colonial era."--Jacket. The innocence of candy -- Onward ... to Italy? -- Land of Torrones -- The spice trade -- The merchant city -- The age of exploration -- The city that Columbus left behind -- From Portugal to Great Britain -- Of cookbooks and housewives -- Land of black licorice -- The British get sugar -- London: city of candy -- And along comes chocolate -- A death in the family -- The rock of Gibralter -- Olde-time candy -- The chocolate kingdom -- Candy day -- What is "good" candy?