Cordial (candy)

A cordial is a type of confection in which liquid filling is placed within a chocolate shell. A well known confectionery of this type is the cherry cordial.

History

In Latin, “cor” means heart, and cordial refers to a medicine tonic that stimulates the heart and circulatory system. By the 1400s in England, cordial was used to improve digestion and soothe the stomach. In the 1700s, a French confection called “griottes” started appearing. These candies were made with “long-stalked sour cherries in chocolate with a little kirsch.” The cordial and griottes cherries made their way to America, where they were combined to create the cherry cordial.

Process

The liquid center found in some cordials is made using invertase to hydrolyze sucrose in the filling, a process that can take up to two weeks. This makes it a requirement to age the cordials in storage before consuming them to ensure the filling has become liquid. Some fillings include cherry, strawberry, raspberry and blueberry.