Sugar plum

A sugar plum is a piece of dragée or hard candy made of hardened sugar in a small round or oval shape.

"Plum" in the name of this confection does not mean plum in the sense of the fruit of the same name, but referred to small size and spherical or oval shape. According to The Atlantic Monthly, traditional sugar plums contained no fruit, but were instead hardened sugar balls. According to the Huffington Post, these hardened sugar balls were comfits, and often surrounded a seed, nut, or spice.

History

The term sugar plum came into general usage in the 1600s. At that time, adding layers of sweet which give sugar plums and comfits their hard shell was done through a slow and labour-intensive process called panning. Until the mechanization of the process, it often took several days, and thus the sugar plum was largely a luxury product. In fact, in the 18th century the word plum became British slang for a large pile of money or a bribe. However, by the 1860s manufacturers were using steam heat and mechanized rotating pans, and it was then available for mass consumption.

Diospyros virginiana

Diospyros virginiana is a persimmon species commonly called the American persimmon,common persimmon,eastern persimmon, "'simmon", "possumwood", or "sugar-plum". It ranges from southern Connecticut/Long Island to Florida, and west to Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Iowa. The tree grows wild but has been cultivated for its fruit and wood since prehistoric times by Native Americans.

Diospyros virginiana grows through 20 m (66 ft), in well-drained soil. In summer, this species produces fragrant flowers which are dioecious, so one must have both male and female plants to obtain fruit. Most cultivars are parthenocarpic (setting seedless fruit without pollination). The flowers are pollinated by insects and wind. Fruiting typically begins when the tree is about 6 years old.

The fruit is round or oval and usually orange-yellow and sometimes bluish and from 2 through 6 cm (0.79 through 2.4 in) in diameter. In the U.S. South and Midwest, the fruits are referred to as simply persimmons or "'simmons", and are popular in desserts and cuisine.

Sugar Plum (jazz song)

"Sugar Plum" is a jazz song by American jazz pianist Bill Evans (1929–1980). It features on The Bill Evans Album (1971). Evans reportedly wrote the song for his wife Nenette Evans. The form of the song is an extension of the typical jazz standard. The song has no melody, but instead is defined by a set of 8-bar chord changes that ultimately cycles through the circle of fourths; in this case, all twelve major keys (via ii-V-I progressions). Evans creates his own improvised melodies over each chorus. It begins in G major, then C major, F major, B-flat major, E-flat major, etc. The chord progression as described by Roman numerals is as follows:

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