Sweets in Europe1

Sweets in Europe1

Masashi Utsunomiya

 

There are many attractive sweets in the world. I pick up sweets in Europe, especially France. In particular, France is famous for sweets in Europe.  The culture of sweets of France is prosperous.

First of all, let's describe the history of the sweets of whole Europe before the sweets of the France. The history has started and evolved with religion. Sweets have been transmitted by the argument involving religion in other countries. Sugar had not circulated among people yet like the present. So sweets were not made at an ordinary home from the time from the 4th century to the 7th century. Honey is typical sweets in this time. It seems that sweets were made only to the house of a feudal lord with big land, and the big monastery. So the sweets relevant to Christianity were mainly made and it developed into tradition confectionery.

Becoming the 15th century from the 14th century, Spain and Portugal with powerful military influence crossed the Atlantic Ocean, and invaded India. Mass production of sugarcane was attained by this and a lot of sugar went into Europe. Chocolate indispensable to the present sweets was also carried to Europe by Spain.

It is Spain and Portugal that sweets culture of those days developed, and France did not still have sweets culture. But in cooperation with Italy, Austria, Spain, Portugal, many expedient marriage was performed for the influence expansion of a country. By the cook taken together on that occasion, the sweets of each country is concentrated to France. As a result, the foundation of present sweets kingdom France was built.

There are many sweets carried into France from the foreign country. For example, Kouglof and Macaron are famous as French sweets. Kouglof is one of Marie Antoinette's favorite foods. When Marie Antoinette got married, it carried into France. Macaron is one of the sweets which Princess's Catherine who came for Henry II from Florence.

 

 We would like to learn the food culture of ancient times and now. In addition, I will introduce the origin and the episode of sweets in Europe’s country.