History

In the 2002 Avex auditions, 5 girls aged 12-13 were selected out of a group of hopefuls to form a new group called SweetS. After a year of training, they finally debuted on 27th August 2003 with a single titled LolitA ☆ Strawberry in summer. They were voted number 1 in the popular J-Music magazine CD-DATA in November 2004.

They released 11 singles, 1 full album, 2 mini-albums, 3 DVDs, 2 photobooks and participated in various collaborations and compilations.

Members' profiles

• AKI / Akiko Kashiwagi 柏木亜季子
• DOB: August 24, 1990; Birthplace: Osaka; Height: 150cm; Blood Type: B; Role: Leader, vocals, dancer
• Favorite color: Black / White; Favorite artist: Ayumi Hamasaki
• Favorite phrase: Arigatou (ありがとう) which means "thank you."

• AYA / Ayaka Yoshimura 吉村綾花
• DOB: September 22, 1990; Birthplace: Osaka; Height: 159cm; Blood Type: O; Role: Lead vocals, dancer
• Favorite color: Yellow; Favorite artist: Namie Amuro
• Favorite phrase: Egao (笑顔) which means "smile."

• HARUNA / Haruna Takewa 竹輪春奈
• DOB: April 23, 1991; Birthplace: Nagasaki; Height: 156cm; Blood Type: AB; Role:Second Lead vocals, Lead dancer
• Favorite color: Orange; Favorite artist: BoA, DA PUMP
• Favorite phrase: Doryoku (努力) which means "effort."

• MAI / Mai Iwasaki 岩崎舞
• DOB: October 1, 1991; Birthplace: Nagasaki; Height: 150cm; Blood Type: B; Role: vocals, dancer
• Favorite color: Blue; Favorite artist: BoA
• Favorite phrase: Arigatou (ありがとう) which means "thank you."

• MIORI / Miori Takimoto 瀧本美織
• DOB: October 16, 1991; Birthplace: Tottori; Height: 153cm; Blood Type: O; Role: vocals, dancer
• Favorite color: Almost all colors; Favorite artist: Ayumi Hamasaki, Hitomi Shimatani
• Favorite phrase: Nanigoto mo CHARENJI (何事もチャレンジ) which means "take on all challenges."

Discography

Singles

• LolitA☆Strawberry in summer (27 August, 2003. Monkey Typhoon 4th ED)
• Love★Raspberry Juice (19 November, 2003)
• Love like candy floss (11 February, 2004)
• Grow into shinin' stars (16 June, 2004)
• Sky (3 November, 2004. Justirisers 1st ED)
• countdown / oursong ~Wakare no Uta~ ~別れの詩~ (2 February, 2005)
• MIENAI TSUBASA ミエナイツバサ (1 June, 2005)
• Earthship ~Uchuusen Chikyuugou~ Earthship ~宇宙船地球号~ (10 August, 2005. The Law of Ueki 2nd ED)
• on the way ~Yakusoku no Basho E~ on the way ~約束の場所へ~ (2 November, 2005)
• Bitter sweets (23 March, 2006)
• Color of tears (7 June, 2006)

Mini-albums

• SweetS (3 March, 2004)
• keep on movin' (23 February, 2005)

Full-Length albums

• 5 elementS (5 October, 2005)
• Delicious - Complete Best (2 August, 2006)

Videos

• LolitA☆Strawberry in summer (10 September, 2003)
• Wings of my heart (20 July, 2005)
• SweetS 1st LIVETOUR Earthship ～Uchuusen Chikyuugou～ SweetS 1st LIVETOUR Earthship ～宇宙船地球号～ (7 December,

2005)

• Precious Memories (6 June, 2006)

Photobooks

• SweetS #1 (27 August, 2005)
• SweetS Graduation Photo Album - Hi Ma'am (7 June, 2006)

External links

• SweetS official site
• SweetSdesu Forum
• Mienai Tsubasa (fan site)
• Orenjiiro Sora(Haruna fan site)
• Wiki.theppn: SweetS

Confectionery is a set of food items that are rich in sugar; modern usage may include substances rich in artificial sweeteners as well. Excessive consumption of confectionery has been associated with increased incidences of type 2 diabetes, obesity, and tooth decay.

Regional names

• In Britain, Ireland and some Commonwealth countries, "sweets", or "sweeties", particularly in Scotland (sweeties resembles the Scottish Gaelic word suiteis in both pronunciation and meaning) and among children. In some parts of England, spogs, spice and goodies are terms used, alongside sweets, to denote confectionery. In North-West England, especially Lancashire, toffees is often used as a generic term for all confectionery.
• In Australia and New Zealand, "lollies".
• In India, Southeast Asia and the Middle East, "sweetmeat or sweetmeats".
• In North America, "candy" - although this term can also refer to a specific range of confectionery and does not include some items called confectionery (e.g. pastry) (See below and the separate article on candy.) "Sweets" is occasionally used, as well as "treat".

Examples

Confectionery items include sweets, lollipops, candy bars, chocolate, Cotton candy, and other sweet items of snack food. The term does not generally apply to cakes, biscuits, or puddings which require cutlery to consume, although exceptions such as petits fours or meringues exist. Speakers of American English do not refer to these items as "candy." See candy making for the stages of sugar-cooking.

Some of the categories and types of confectionery include the following:

• Hard candy: Based on sugars cooked to the hard-crack stage, including suckers (known as boiled sweets in British English), lollipops, jawbreakers (or gobstoppers), lemon drops, peppermint drops and disks, candy canes, rock candy, etc. These also include types often mixed with nuts such as brittle. Others contain flavorings including coffee such as Kopiko.
• Fudge: A confection of milk and sugar boiled to the soft-ball stage. In the US, it tends to be chocolate-flavored.
• Toffee (or Taffy or Tuffy): Based on sugars cooked to the soft-ball stage and then pulled to create an elastic texture. In British English, toffee refers to a harder substance also made from cooked sugars.
• Swiss Milk Tablet. A crumbly milk-based soft candy, based on sugars cooked to the soft-ball stage. Comes in several forms, such as wafers and heart shapes.
• Liquorice: Containing extract of the liquorice root. Chewier and more resilient than gum/gelatin candies, but still designed for swallowing. For example, Liquorice allsorts.
• Chocolates: Used in the plural, usually referring to small balled centers covered with chocolate to create bite-sized confectionery. People who create chocolates are called chocolatiers, and they create their confections with couverture chocolate. A chocolate maker, on the other hand, is the person who physically creates the couverture from cacao beans and other ingredients.
• Jelly candies: Including those based on sugar and starch, pectin, gum, or gelatin such as Lokum / Turkish Delight, jelly beans, gumdrops, jujubes, cola bottles gummies, etc.
• Marshmallow: "Peeps" (a trade name), circus peanuts, fluffy puff, etc.
• Marzipan: An almond-based confection, doughy in consistency, served in several different ways. It is often formed into shapes mimicking (for example) fruits or animals. Alternatively, marzipan may be flavoured, normally with spirits such as Kirsch or Rum, and divided into small bite-sized pieces; these flavoured marzipans are generally served coated in chocolate to prevent the alcohol from evaporating, and are very common in northern Europe. Marzipan is also used in cake decoration. Its lower-priced version is called Persipan.
• Divinity: A nougat-like confectionery based on egg whites with chopped nuts.

Not all confections equate to "candy" in the American English sense. Non-candy confections include:

• Pastry: A baked confection whose dough is rich in butter, which was dispersed through the pastry prior to baking, resulting in a light, flaky texture; see also pie and tart.
• Chewing gum: Uniquely made to be chewed, not swallowed. However, some people believe that at least some types of chewing gum, such as certain bubble gums, are indeed candy.
• Ice cream: Frozen flavoured cream.
• Halvah: Confectionery based on tahini, a paste made from ground sesame seeds.
• Alfajor: a traditional South American cookie typically consisting of two round sweet biscuits joined together with a sweet jam, generally dulce de leche (milk jam).
• Dragée - Coated almonds and other types of coated candy.

See also

• Sweetbread (contra sweetmeat)

References

Further reading

• Richardson, Tim H. (2002). Sweets: A History of Candy. Bloomsbury USA.
• Weatherley, Henry (1865). A Treatise on the Art of Boiling Sugar.
• Kennedy, Angus (2008). Kennedy's Confection Magazine.