Editing Sprinkles

{{short description|Tiny multi-colored candy topping}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Infobox food
| name             = Sprinkles
| image            = Sprinkles2.jpg
| image_size       = 250px
| caption          = Rainbow sprinkles
| alternate_name   = Hundreds and thousands (most common), jimmies, vermicelli, ''hagelslag'' (Dutch), ''meises'' (Indonesian), ''strössel'' (Swedish)
| type             = [[Confectionery]]
| variations       = [[Sucrose#Coarse-grain|Sanding Sugar]], [[Sucrose#Mill_white|crystal sugar]], [[nonpareils]], [[confetti candy|confetti]], [[dragée]]s
}}

'''Sprinkles''' are small pieces of [[confectionery]] used as an often colorful [[cake decorating|decoration]] or to add [[Texture (food)|texture]] to [[dessert]]s such as [[chocolate brownie|brownie]]s, [[cupcake]]s, [[doughnut]]s or [[ice cream]]. The tiny candies are produced in a variety of colors and are generally used as a topping or a decorative element. The ''[[Dictionary of American Regional English]]'' defines them as "tiny balls or rod-shaped bits of candy used as a topping for ice-cream, cakes and other."

==Names==
In the [[United Kingdom|UK]] and other [[English-speaking world|Anglophonic]] [[Commonwealth countries]] sprinkles are denoted by different signifiers. For example, '''hundreds and thousands''' is the most popular denotation used in [[United Kingdom]], [[Australia]], [[New Zealand]] and [[South Africa]] to refer to [[nonpareils]], a type of sprinkles. Another UK variant of the term is '''[[vermicelli]]''', especially when said of chocolate sprinkles.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Mackley|first1=Lesley|title=The Chocolate Book|last2=Handslip|first2=Carole|date=1996|publisher=Salamander|location=Wigston|pages=14|quote=Chocolate vermicelli (sprinkles) are available in milk and semisweet chocolate.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite dictionary |url=http://www.lexico.com/definition/vermicelli |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200322182700/https://www.lexico.com/definition/vermicelli |url-status=dead |archive-date=2020-03-22 |title=vermicelli |dictionary=[[Lexico]] UK English Dictionary |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]}}</ref> This name can be seen borrowed into spoken Egyptian Arabic as ''faːrmasil''.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-10-10|title=طريقة عمل الدونات مثل الجاهز|trans-title=Recipe for store-bought donuts|url=https://www.masralyoum.net/man-and-woman/2216937/%D8%B7%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%82%D8%A9-%D8%B9%D9%85%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D9%85%D8%AB%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%87%D8%B2|access-date=2020-10-11|website=مصر اليوم|language=ar|quote=Ingredients: ... - powdered sugar - vermicelli - chocolate chips ...}}</ref>

'''Jimmies''' is the most popular term for chocolate sprinkles in the [[Boston]], [[Philadelphia]], and New England regions.<ref name="Jimmies">{{cite web|url=https://icecreamjournal.turkeyhill.com/index.php/2008/07/03/whats-the-difference-between-sprinkles-and-jimmies/|title=WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SPRINKLES AND JIMMIES?|access-date=12 December 2016|archive-date=21 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221182122/https://icecreamjournal.turkeyhill.com/index.php/2008/07/03/whats-the-difference-between-sprinkles-and-jimmies/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
The origin of the name ''jimmies'' is uncertain, but it was first documented in 1930, as a topping for cake.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=YkwbAAAAIBAJ&pg=5344,3661009&dq=chocolate-jimmies Advertisement for McCann's food store], ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', December 4, 1930, p. 6.</ref> The [[Just Born|Just Born Candy Company]] of [[Bethlehem, Pennsylvania]], claims to have invented jimmies and named them after an employee.<ref>[http://www.justborn.com/just-for-fun/fun-facts Just Born Fun Facts] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140128153913/http://www.justborn.com/just-for-fun/fun-facts |date=2014-01-28 }}; see also their [http://www.justborn.com/resource/corporate/image/galleries/c5ca4871-4d9e-404d-9736-243eb209d5a4.jpg photograph] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180821130154/http://www.justborn.com/resource/corporate/image/galleries/c5ca4871-4d9e-404d-9736-243eb209d5a4.jpg |date=2018-08-21 }} of a package of jimmies (on page 4 of their [http://www.justborn.com/get-to-know-us/photo-gallery photo gallery]: {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100129021457/http://www.justborn.com/get-to-know-us/photo-gallery |date=January 29, 2010 }}), claimed to be from "circa 1930" and showing a trademark symbol.</ref><ref name="wilton">David Wilton, Ivan Brunetti, ''Word myths: debunking linguistic urban legends'', p. 162. {{ISBN|0-19-517284-1}}</ref><ref>Ben Zimmer, "[https://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/02/magazine/02FOB-onlanguage-t.html?ref=magazine Corporate Etymologies]",[http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2011/03/13/the_jimmies_story/ The Jimmies Story]", ''The Boston Globe'',  March 13, 2011</ref>

An unlikely claim on the name ''jimmies'' originates from Dr. Sidney Farber and Edward Brigham. Dr. Farber co-founded the [[Dana–Farber Cancer Institute]] in Boston, as well as a charity, [[The Jimmy Fund]], named after one of his child patients. Brigham opened an ice cream restaurant called [[Brigham's Ice Cream|Brigham's]] and charged an extra penny for chocolate sprinkles on a cone, which benefited The Jimmy Fund. The fund however, was started in 1948, well after the first historical reference.<ref name="auto">"[http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2011/03/13/the_jimmies_story/ The Jimmies Story]", ''The Boston Globe'',  March 13, 2011</ref>

In Connecticut and other places in the U.S., as indicated by including the sense in the official [[Merriam-Webster]], '''shots''' is a specific term for sprinkles.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://newengland.com/today/living/new-england-nostalgia/jimmies-lexicon/#:~:text=Some%20think%20there%20ARE%20sprinkles,small%20round%20and%20different%20colors.&text=As%20a%20New%20Englander%2C%20everyone,called%20them%20sprinkles%20or%20shots.|title = Jimmies &#124; New England Lexicon|date = 6 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://athletikaty.com/2016/06/28/5-faves-a-dud-sprinkles-shots-or-jimmies/|title = 5 Faves & a Dud: Sprinkles, Shots or Jimmies?|date = 29 June 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.epicurious.com/archive/blogs/editor/2014/01/what-is-this-called-where-youre-from.html |title=What Is This Called Where You're From? {{!}} Epicurious.com {{!}} Epicurious.com |access-date=2020-10-11 |archive-date=2021-11-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211125033535/https://www.epicurious.com/archive/blogs/editor/2014/01/what-is-this-called-where-youre-from.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite Merriam-Webster|shots}}</ref>

==History==
[[Nonpareils]] date back at least to the late 18th century, if not earlier. They were used as decoration for [[pièces montées]] and desserts.

Dutch ''[[hagelslag]]'' (chocolate sprinkles) were invented in 1913 by Erven H. de Jong from Wormerveer.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=MMDA03:000109713:mpeg21:a0073|title=DE JONG'S|date=1913-04-19|work=Provinciale Drentsche en Asser courant|access-date=2019-02-27}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|title=Hagelslag|date=2018-11-28|url=https://nl.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hagelslag&oldid=52701630|work=Wikipedia|language=nl|access-date=2019-02-27}}</ref> Venz,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.venz.nl/|title=Venz|publisher=Venz.nl|access-date=2011-01-04}}</ref> another Dutch company, made ''hagelslag'' popular. ''Hagelslag'' is used on bread and other things made of bread. Most of the time butter is spread out so the ''hagelslag'' does not fall off. After much research and venture, Gerard de Vries and Venz created the first machine to produce the tiny cylindrical treats.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.myshipleydonuts.com/blog/the-history-of-sprinkles|title=The History of Sprinkles {{!}} Shipley Do-Nuts - Order Donuts Online Now!|date=2018-02-28|website=West Houston Shipley Donuts {{!}} Donut Catering & Delivery|language=en|access-date=2020-03-27}}</ref> They were named ''hagelslag'' after their resemblance to a weather phenomenon prominent in the Netherlands: [[hail]]. (This reference is also transferred to the Finnish word for sprinkles, "Koristerakeet" which literally means "decorative hail"). Only ''hagelslag'' with a cacao percentage of more than 32% can bear the name ''chocoladehagelslag'' (chocolate sprinkles). If it is lower than 32%, it is to be referred to as ''cacaofantasie'' or ''cacaofantasie hagelslag'' (cacao fantasy sprinkles).

The American candy company [[Just Born]] cites its founder, Sam Born, as inventing the "chocolate" sprinkles called "jimmies" (which might never have contained any chocolate) in [[Brooklyn, New York]].<ref name="snopes">{{cite web|url=http://www.snopes.com/language/offense/jimmies.asp |title=Etymology of Jimmies (Ice Cream Sprinkles) |date=26 September 2009 |publisher=snopes.com |access-date=2011-01-04}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.justborn.com/who-we-are/our-history/ |title=Our History |publisher=Just Born, Inc. |access-date=2019-08-08}}</ref> However, advertisements for chocolate sprinkles as a confection exist in the United States as far back as 1921,<ref name="sprinkles">{{cite news |title=Wilfred F. Root & Son advertisement |work=The Brattleboro Daily Reformer |date=3 June 1921}}</ref> predating Just Born by two years.

A related product, sanding sugar has been commercially available in a small range of colors for decades. Now it comes in a wide variety, including black and metallic-like "glitter".

==Types==
[[File:Pinkcupcakesprinkles2005.jpg|thumb|A pink cupcake with colored sprinkles]]
[[File:Sprinkles, chocolate syrup and whipped cream on icecream.JPG|thumb|Colored sprinkles, [[chocolate syrup]] and [[whipped cream]] on top of [[ice cream]]]]

Popular terminology for this confection tends to overlap, while manufacturers are more precise with their labeling. What consumers often call "sprinkles" covers several types of candy decorations that are ''sprinkled'' randomly over a surface, as opposed to decorations that are placed in specific spots. [[Nonpareils]] (hundreds-and-thousands), [[Confetti candy|confetti]], silver, gold, and pearl [[dragée]]s, [[pearl sugar]] and "sugar shapes" (sequins) are all used this way. 

''Sanding sugar'' is a transparent crystal sugar of larger size than general-use refined [[Sugar|white sugar]]. ''Crystal sugar'' tends to be clear and of much larger crystals than sanding sugar. ''Pearl sugar'' is relatively large, opaque white spheroids of sugar. Both crystal and pearl sugars are typically used for sprinkling on sweet breads, pastries, and cookies in many countries.

Some American manufacturers deem the elongated opaque sprinkles the official sprinkles. In [[British English]], these are ''sugar strands''. In the New England region of [[United States]], as well as in Philadelphia, sprinkles are often referred to as jimmies.<ref name="Jimmies" /> "Jimmies", in this sense, are usually considered to be used as an ice cream topping, while sprinkles are for decorating baked goods, but the term can be used for both.<ref>[http://www.madison.com/archives/read.php?ref=/tct/2006/08/01/0608010327.php The Capital Times – August 1, 2006] {{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

The sprinkles known as ''[[nonpareils]]'' in [[French language|French]] are tiny opaque spheres that were traditionally white, but that now come in many colors; in Commonwealth countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, these are known as "hundreds and thousands". 

The sprinkle-type of ''dragée'' (also known as a "cachou") is like a large nonpareil with a metallic coating of [[silver]], [[gold]], [[copper]], or [[bronze]]. The food-sprinkle dragée is now also made in a form resembling [[pearl]]s.

"Sugar shapes" ("sequins") are a newer product which come in a variety of shapes, often flavored, for holidays or themes, such as [[Halloween]] [[witch]]es and [[Candy pumpkin|pumpkins]], or [[flower]]s and [[dinosaur]]s. Candy cane shapes may taste like peppermint, and gingerbread men like [[gingerbread]] cookies.

Toppings that are more similar in consistency to another type of candy, even if used similarly to sprinkles, are usually known by a variation of that candy's name—for example, mini-[[chocolate chip]]s or [[Praline (nut confection)|praline]].

==Uses==
[[File:Hagelslag chocolate sprinkles.jpg|alt=|thumb|In the [[Netherlands]] black chocolate sprinkles (called ''chocoladehagelslag)'' are commonly used as a sandwich topping.]]
[[File:Sprinkles (Jimmies) on Ice Cream Cone.jpg|thumb|upright|[[US flag|Red, white and blue]] sprinkles on an ice cream cone]]
Sprinkles generally require frosting, ice cream, or some other sort of sticky material in order to stick to the desired food surface. They can be most commonly found on smaller confections such as cupcakes or frosted sugar cookies, as these generally have more frosting and smaller diameter than do cakes.

In the [[Netherlands]], ''chocoladehagelslag'' (chocolate sprinkles) is used as a sandwich topping (similar to [[muisjes]] and [[vlokken]]); this is also common in [[Belgium]] and the former colonies of the Netherlands, [[Suriname]] and [[Indonesia]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.math.union.edu/~dpvc/personal/Kim-at-Large/travel-log/cgi/read.cgi?type=Utrecht&key=2005-02-13.17-52-46.9497.klp |title=The Chocolate Sprinkle Sandwich |publisher=Math.union.edu |access-date=2011-01-04 |archive-date=2016-03-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304235819/http://www.math.union.edu/~dpvc/personal/Kim-at-Large/travel-log/cgi/read.cgi?type=Utrecht&key=2005-02-13.17-52-46.9497.klp |url-status=dead }}</ref> These countries also use ''vruchtenhagel'' and ''anijshagel'' (made of sugar and fruit/anise-flavour respectively) on sandwiches (mainly at breakfast). In Indonesia, it is commonly known as ''meses'' or ''meises'', presumably derived from the Dutch ''[[muisjes]]'', which are also similar. In Belgium it is often called ''muizenstrontjes'' (mouse droppings), due to the resemblance.

[[Fairy bread]] is the name given to the children's treat of [[nonpareils]] ("hundreds and thousands") on buttered white bread. Fairy bread is commonly served at children's parties in [[Australia]] and [[New Zealand]].

A dessert called [[confetti cake]] has sprinkles mixed with the batter, where they slowly dissolve and form little colored spots, giving the appearance of confetti. Confetti cakes are popular for children's birthdays in the United States. The [[Pillsbury Company]] sells its own variation known as "Funfetti" cake, incorporating a sprinkle-like substance into the mix.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pillsburybaking.com/products/details/1297 |title=Funfetti® Cake Mix with Candy Bits |publisher=Pillsbury Company |date=2010-09-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130420071522/http://www.pillsburybaking.com/products/details/1297 |archive-date=2013-04-20}}</ref>

== See also ==
{{portal|Food}}
* [[Comfit]]
* [[Confetti]]
* [[Fondant icing]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
* {{commonscat-inline}}
{{Garnish|state=collapsed}}

[[Category:Confectionery]]
[[Category:Food and drink decorations]]
[[Category:Toppings]]