Glass, Grit and Gloss: teacher key

How Candy Is Made, grade 12 edition, written for 12th grade and up. Candy comes down to crystals, from the glass of a lollipop to the gloss of tempered chocolate, with the microbes, factories and history behind them. It closes with what a 2020 study found about child labor in cocoa.

Read the book. Print this page for the key.

Questions and answers

1. Why is lollipop syrup called a glass?
   • Its sugar is not in crystals (answer)
   • It is made in glass jars
   • It is clear only when hot
2. What does bloomed chocolate contain?
   • Only Form V crystals
   • Form VI crystals (answer)
   • No cocoa butter
3. Why does stirring at the right moment matter in fudge?
   • It makes the syrup hotter
   • It adds corn syrup
   • It lets many tiny crystals form for a smooth texture (answer)
4. Where do fermenting microbes come from?
   • Inside every intact pod
   • Outside the pod, such as hands, insects or air (answer)
   • The roasting pan
5. In this passage, what does amorphous mean?
   • Without a regular crystal pattern (answer)
   • Very sweet
   • Extremely hot

Words

• amorphous: without crystals
• tempering: heat and cool
• bloomed: pale, streaky
• anaerobic: without air
• conching: long stirring