Contemporary Production

Candied fruit production today is most often associated with Mediterranean countries, including Portugal, and countries colonized by them. Certain regions have a reputation for the excellent quality of their candied fruits, including Sicily and the town of Apt in southern France. While stone fruit, citrus fruit, figs, and melons are most commonly represented in European manufactures, tropical fruit such as pineapple, papaya, mango, and guava are candied in Mexico, Brazil, and the Philippines. Many Asian countries also use the candying process to preserve fruit; China, where the history of candied fruit dates back to the Sung period (960–1279), produces candied ginger, kumquats, pineapple, and even candied kiwi in slices. In the Moluccas, once known as the Spice Islands, the fruit of the nutmeg—the flesh surrounding the mace-covered nutmeg—is candied and dried.