 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (May 2022) |
 Multicolor nonpareil balls coating the top of a chocolate nonpareil | |
| Alternative names | Sprinkles (US and Canada) Jazzies (UK) Hundreds and thousands (UK, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand) |
|---|---|
| Type | Confectionery |
| Main ingredients | Sugar, starch, food coloring |
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[1] 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.
Their origin is uncertain, but they may have evolved out of the pharmaceutical use of sugar, as they were a miniature version of comfits.[2] The French name has been interpreted to mean they were "without equal" for intricate decoration of cakes, desserts, and other sweets, and for the elaborate pièces montées constructed as table ornaments.[3]
The term nonpareil also may refer to a specific confection, made using nonpareils – namely, discs of chocolate coated with nonpareils, which also are known as chocolate nonpareils, freckles, or jazzies.
- ^ Sivignon, Cherie (2020-01-19). "We got it made: The woman who invented Hundreds & Thousands biscuits". Stuff. Retrieved 2022-10-18.
- ^ Richardson, Tim (2002). Sweets: A History of Candy. Bloomsbury. ISBN 1-58234-307-1.
- ^ Larousse Gastronomique. Clarkson Potter. 2001. ISBN 0-609-60971-8.