Rock Sugar

Rock sugar, also called rock candy or crystal sugar, is a confection made of relatively large sugar crystals, formed by allowing a supersaturated solution of sugar and water to crystallize slowly, often onto a string or stick, over about six to seven days. Islamic writers in the ninth century were among the first to document candy sugar production by this cooling and crystallization method. It is known by different regional names, including nabat in the Middle East and Central Asia, mishri in India, and bing tang in China, and is used dissolved in tea, in Chinese dessert soups and cooking, in Indian sweets, and, dyed and molded, in Mexican Day of the Dead sugar skulls.