Nonpareils - online puzzles

Nonpareils

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 and the United Kingdom.

Their origin is uncertain, but they may have evolved out of the pharmaceutical use of sugar, as they were a miniature version of comfits. 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.The term non pareil also may refer to a specific confection, made using non pareils – namely, discs of chocolate coated with nonpareils, which also are known as chocolate nonpareils, freckles, or jazzies.