Sprinkles

Last updated
Sprinkles
Sprinkles2.jpg
Rainbow sprinkles
Alternative namesHundreds and thousands (most common), jimmies, vermicelli, hagelslag (Dutch), meises (Indonesian), strössel (Swedish)
Type Confectionery
Variations Sanding Sugar, crystal sugar, nonpareils, confetti, dragées

Sprinkles are small pieces of confectionery used as an often colorful decoration or to add texture to desserts such as brownies, cupcakes, doughnuts or ice cream. The tiny candies are produced in a variety of colors and are generally used as a topping or a decorative element. The Dictionary of American Regional English defines them as "tiny balls or rod-shaped bits of candy used as a topping for ice-cream, cakes and other."

Contents

Names

In the UK and other Anglophonic Commonwealth countries sprinkles are denoted by different signifiers. For example, hundreds and thousands is the most popular denotation used in United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa to refer to nonpareils, a type of sprinkles. Another UK variant of the term is vermicelli , especially when said of chocolate sprinkles. [1] [2] This name can be seen borrowed into spoken Egyptian Arabic as faːrmasil. [3]

Jimmies is the most popular term for chocolate sprinkles in the Boston, Philadelphia, and New England regions. [4] The origin of the name jimmies is uncertain, but it was first documented in 1930, as a topping for cake. [5] The Just Born Candy Company of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, claims to have invented jimmies and named them after an employee. [6] [7] [8]

An unlikely claim on the name jimmies originates from Dr. Sidney Farber and Edward Brigham. Dr. Farber co-founded the Dana–Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, as well as a charity, The Jimmy Fund, named after one of his child patients. Brigham opened an ice cream restaurant called Brigham's and charged an extra penny for chocolate sprinkles on a cone, which benefited The Jimmy Fund. The fund however, was started in 1948, well after the first historical reference. [9]

In Connecticut and other places in the U.S., as indicated by including the sense in the official Merriam-Webster, shots is a specific term for sprinkles. [10] [11] [12] [13]

History

Nonpareils date back at least to the late 18th century, if not earlier. They were used as decoration for pièces montées and desserts.

Dutch hagelslag (chocolate sprinkles) were invented in 1913 by Erven H. de Jong from Wormerveer. [14] [15] Venz, [16] another Dutch company, made hagelslag popular. Hagelslag is used on bread and other things made of bread. Most of the time butter is spread out so the hagelslag does not fall off. After much research and venture, Gerard de Vries and Venz created the first machine to produce the tiny cylindrical treats. [17] They were named hagelslag after their resemblance to a weather phenomenon prominent in the Netherlands: hail. (This reference is also transferred to the Finnish word for sprinkles, "Koristerakeet" which literally means "decorative hail"). Only hagelslag with a cacao percentage of more than 32% can bear the name chocoladehagelslag (chocolate sprinkles). If it is lower than 32%, it is to be referred to as cacaofantasie or cacaofantasie hagelslag (cacao fantasy sprinkles).

The American candy company Just Born cites its founder, Sam Born, as inventing the "chocolate" sprinkles called "jimmies" (which might never have contained any chocolate) in Brooklyn, New York. [18] [19] However, advertisements for chocolate sprinkles as a confection exist in the United States as far back as 1921, [20] predating Just Born by two years.

A related product, sanding sugar has been commercially available in a small range of colors for decades. Now it comes in a wide variety, including black and metallic-like "glitter".

Types

A pink cupcake with colored sprinkles Pinkcupcakesprinkles2005.jpg
A pink cupcake with colored sprinkles
Colored sprinkles, chocolate syrup and whipped cream on top of ice cream Sprinkles, chocolate syrup and whipped cream on icecream.JPG
Colored sprinkles, chocolate syrup and whipped cream on top of ice cream

Popular terminology for this confection tends to overlap, while manufacturers are more precise with their labeling. What consumers often call "sprinkles" covers several types of candy decorations that are sprinkled randomly over a surface, as opposed to decorations that are placed in specific spots. Nonpareils, confetti, silver, gold, and pearl dragées – not to be confused with pearl sugar (which is also sprinkled on baked goods) – and hundreds-and-thousands are all used this way, along with a newer product called "sugar shapes" or "sequins". These latter come in a variety of shapes, often flavored, for holidays or themes, such as Halloween witches and pumpkins, or flowers and dinosaurs. Candy cane shapes may taste like peppermint, and gingerbread men like gingerbread cookies.

Sanding sugar is a transparent crystal sugar of larger size than general-use refined white sugar. Crystal sugar tends to be clear and of much larger crystals than sanding sugar. Pearl sugar is relatively large, opaque white spheroids of sugar. Both crystal and pearl sugars are typically used for sprinkling on sweet breads, pastries, and cookies in many countries.

Some American manufacturers deem the elongated opaque sprinkles the official sprinkles. In British English, these are sugar strands or hundreds-and-thousands (the latter term alludes to their supposed uncountability). In the New England region of United States, as well as in Philadelphia, sprinkles are often referred to as jimmies. [4] "Jimmies", in this sense, are usually considered to be used as an ice cream topping, while sprinkles are for decorating baked goods, but the term can be used for both. [21]

The sprinkles, known as nonpareils in French are tiny opaque spheres that were traditionally white, but that now come in many colors. The sprinkle-type of dragée is like a large nonpareil with a metallic coating of silver, gold, copper, or bronze. The food-sprinkle dragée is now also made in a form resembling pearls.

Toppings that are more similar in consistency to another type of candy, even if used similarly to sprinkles, are usually known by a variation of that candy's name—for example, mini-chocolate chips or praline.

Uses

In the Netherlands black chocolate sprinkles (called chocoladehagelslag) are commonly used as a sandwich topping. Hagelslag chocolate sprinkles.jpg
In the Netherlands black chocolate sprinkles (called chocoladehagelslag) are commonly used as a sandwich topping.
Red, white and blue sprinkles on an ice cream cone Sprinkles (Jimmies) on Ice Cream Cone.jpg
Red, white and blue sprinkles on an ice cream cone

Sprinkles generally require frosting, ice cream, or some other sort of sticky material in order to stick to the desired food surface. They can be most commonly found on smaller confections such as cupcakes or frosted sugar cookies, as these generally have more frosting and smaller diameter than do cakes.

In the Netherlands, chocoladehagelslag (chocolate sprinkles) is used as a sandwich topping (similar to muisjes and vlokken); this is also common in Belgium and the former colonies of the Netherlands, Suriname and Indonesia. [22] These countries also use vruchtenhagel and anijshagel (made of sugar and fruit/anise-flavour respectively) on sandwiches (mainly at breakfast). In Indonesia, it is commonly known as meses or meises, presumably derived from the Dutch muisjes , which are also similar. In Belgium it is often called muizenstrontjes (mouse droppings), due to the resemblance.

Fairy bread is the name given to the children's treat of sprinkles or nonpareils on buttered white bread. Fairy bread is commonly served at children's parties in Australia and New Zealand.

A dessert called confetti cake has sprinkles mixed with the batter, where they slowly dissolve and form little colored spots, giving the appearance of confetti. Confetti cakes are popular for children's birthdays in the United States. The Pillsbury Company sells its own variation known as "Funfetti" cake, incorporating a sprinkle-like substance into the mix. [23]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dessert</span> Sweet course that concludes a meal

Dessert is a course that concludes a meal. The course consists of sweet foods, such as cake, biscuit, ice cream and possibly a beverage such as dessert wine and liqueur. Some cultures sweeten foods that are more commonly savory to create desserts. In some parts of the world there is no tradition of a dessert course to conclude a meal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Confectionery</span> Prepared foods rich in sugar and carbohydrates

Confectionery is the art of making confections, or sweet foods. Confections are items that are rich in sugar and carbohydrates although exact definitions are difficult. In general, however, confections are divided into two broad and somewhat overlapping categories: bakers' confections and sugar confections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cake</span> Flour-based baked sweet

Cake is a flour confection made from flour, sugar, and other ingredients and is usually baked. In their oldest forms, cakes were modifications of bread, but cakes now cover a wide range of preparations that can be simple or elaborate and which share features with desserts such as pastries, meringues, custards, and pies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caramel</span> Confectionery product made by heating sugars

Caramel is an orange-brown confectionery product made by heating a range of sugars. It is used as a flavoring in puddings and desserts, as a filling in bonbons or candy bars, or as a topping for ice cream and custard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chocolate syrup</span> Chocolate-flavored condiment used as a topping or ingredient

Chocolate syrup, sometimes called chocolate sauce, is a sweet, chocolate-flavored condiment. It is often used as a topping or dessert sauce for various desserts, such as ice cream, or mixed with milk to make chocolate milk or blended with milk and ice cream to make a chocolate milkshake. Chocolate syrup is sold in a variety of consistencies, ranging from a thin liquid that can be drizzled from a bottle to a thick sauce that needs to be spooned onto the dessert item.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nonpareils</span> Tiny spherical multi-colored confection topping

Nonpareils are a decorative confectionery of tiny balls made with sugar and starch, traditionally an opaque white but now available in many colors. They are also known as hundreds and thousands in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the United Kingdom. In the United States, the same confectionery topping would generally be referred to among the general public as "sprinkles," regardless of their composition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dragée</span> Confectionery

A dragée is a bite-sized confectionery with a hard outer shell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boston cream pie</span> Custard-filled sandwich cake

A Boston cream pie is a cake with a cream filling. The dessert acquired its name when cakes and pies were baked in the same pans, and the words were used interchangeably. In the late 19th century, this type of cake was variously called a "cream pie", a "chocolate cream pie", or a "custard cake". The cake has been popular in Massachusetts since its creation.

<i>Muisjes</i> Traditional Dutch bread topping

Muisjes are aniseed comfits and are a traditional Dutch bread topping. While customary on bread, they are traditionally eaten on beschuit, or rusk. Muisjes is a registered trademark of Koninklijke De Ruijter BV. Muisjes are made of aniseeds with a sugared and colored outer layer. They are currently only produced by the Dutch food processing company De Ruijter, a brand acquired by Heinz in 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suikerboon</span> Belgian confectionery associated with the birth or baptism of a child

A suikerboon (Dutch), or sugar bean, is a type of sweet traditionally given on the occasion of the birth or baptism of a child in Belgium, where they are also known as doopsuiker, and parts of the Netherlands. In French, they are called dragées. They resemble Jordan almonds and Italian Confetti.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Better than sex cake</span> Type of cake

Better than sex cake is a cake baked using yellow cake mix, with a juicy pineapple center, covered with layers of vanilla pudding and sweetened whipped cream, and sprinkled with coconut flakes. A variant using chocolate cake mix, caramel topping, and crumbled toffee is known by similar names such as better than Robert Redford cake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Confetti candy</span> Confectionery food

Confetti candy is a confectionery food product that is prepared with cooked sugar and corn syrup that is formed into sheets, cooled, and then cracked or broken into pieces. It has a hard, brittle texture. To add eye appeal, colored sugar is sometimes sprinkled atop after the cooking and shaping process has been performed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vanparys Confiserie</span> Belgian confectionery company

Vanparys Confiserie B.V. is a Belgian confectionery company founded in 1769 by Felix Vanparys in Brussels, near Sablon, Belgium. The company produces chocolate and sugar-coated confections but specializes in dragées, which features often in Christian and Islamic traditions and celebrations. The recipe and the preparation of its dragées, dates back over 125 years ago, and are still being continued today.

The first season of Top Chef: Just Desserts was broadcast on Bravo. It featured 12 pastry chefs fighting to win the title of Top Chef.

References

  1. Mackley, Lesley; Handslip, Carole (1996). The Chocolate Book. Wigston: Salamander. p. 14. Chocolate vermicelli (sprinkles) are available in milk and semisweet chocolate.
  2. "vermicelli". Lexico UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on 2020-03-22.
  3. "طريقة عمل الدونات مثل الجاهز" [Recipe for store-bought donuts]. مصر اليوم (in Arabic). 2020-10-10. Retrieved 2020-10-11. Ingredients: ... - powdered sugar - vermicelli - chocolate chips ...
  4. 1 2 "WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SPRINKLES AND JIMMIES?". Archived from the original on 21 December 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  5. Advertisement for McCann's food store, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, December 4, 1930, p. 6.
  6. Just Born Fun Facts Archived 2014-01-28 at the Wayback Machine ; see also their photograph Archived 2018-08-21 at the Wayback Machine of a package of jimmies (on page 4 of their photo gallery: Archived January 29, 2010, at the Wayback Machine ), claimed to be from "circa 1930" and showing a trademark symbol.
  7. David Wilton, Ivan Brunetti, Word myths: debunking linguistic urban legends, p. 162. ISBN   0-19-517284-1
  8. Ben Zimmer, "Corporate Etymologies",The Jimmies Story", The Boston Globe, March 13, 2011
  9. "The Jimmies Story", The Boston Globe, March 13, 2011
  10. "Jimmies | New England Lexicon". 6 August 2020.
  11. "5 Faves & a Dud: Sprinkles, Shots or Jimmies?". 29 June 2016.
  12. "What Is This Called Where You're From? | Epicurious.com | Epicurious.com". Archived from the original on 2021-11-25. Retrieved 2020-10-11.
  13. "shots". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary . Merriam-Webster.
  14. "DE JONG'S". Provinciale Drentsche en Asser courant. 1913-04-19. Retrieved 2019-02-27.
  15. "Hagelslag", Wikipedia (in Dutch), 2018-11-28, retrieved 2019-02-27
  16. "Venz". Venz.nl. Retrieved 2011-01-04.
  17. "The History of Sprinkles | Shipley Do-Nuts - Order Donuts Online Now!". West Houston Shipley Donuts | Donut Catering & Delivery. 2018-02-28. Retrieved 2020-03-27.
  18. "Etymology of Jimmies (Ice Cream Sprinkles)". snopes.com. 26 September 2009. Retrieved 2011-01-04.
  19. "Our History". Just Born, Inc. Retrieved 2019-08-08.
  20. "Wilfred F. Root & Son advertisement". The Brattleboro Daily Reformer. 3 June 1921.
  21. The Capital Times – August 1, 2006 [ dead link ]
  22. "The Chocolate Sprinkle Sandwich". Math.union.edu. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2011-01-04.
  23. "Funfetti® Cake Mix with Candy Bits". Pillsbury Company. 2010-09-30. Archived from the original on 2013-04-20.