Comfits – Medieval Candied Spices & Seeds (A Sweet Treat from the Past)

Comfits—candied spices & seeds—served as sweet digestives and table decoration in late medieval & Renaissance feasts.

Comfits – Medieval Candied Spices & Seeds (How to Make Historic Comfits)

Please note this correction: gum arabic and gum tragacanth are not the same substance. I originally conflated them—mea culpa, and thank you to the reader who flagged it.

Baronial 12th Night Comfits

Comfits were often served at the end of a feast as a digestive, to perfume the breath, and to decorate subtlety dishes and table settings. Aromatic seeds such as anise, fennel, or caraway were built up with repeated coats of sugar syrup—sometimes tinted with beet, spinach, or saffron. Almonds, ginger, and cinnamon splinters appear in later sources as well. You can still buy descendants of these sweets today (think Jordan almonds and pastilles), but handmade comfits are more delicate and—yes—tastier.

Medieval Finger Food: These bite-sized nibbles are perfect for our Medieval Finger Food series.

How Comfits Are Made (Seeds First)

Seed comfits (anise, fennel, caraway) are the best place to start. Cinnamon comfits are possible, but more fiddly and benefit from a little gum binder early on.

Modern Method (Seed Comfits)

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp seeds (anise, fennel, or caraway)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• Optional: 1 tsp gum arabic powder + 3 tsp rosewater (soaked overnight)
• Optional: beet or spinach juice, or saffron, for color in final coats

Method

1. Warm the seeds in a wide pan (wok or skillet) over low heat. You should be able to stir with your hand—if it’s too hot to touch, it’s too hot for comfits.
2. Make a syrup: heat sugar + water to 225°F (for smoother coats, ~170°F works). Keep the pan of seeds warm.
3. Drizzle about a teaspoon of syrup over the warm seeds. Using the back of a wooden spoon, stir until the coat dries and the seeds separate. If they clump or pellets form in the pan, you’ve used too much syrup—use less on the next “charge.”
4. Repeat small charges until the seeds begin to turn white. About 12 charges is a good day’s work. Let dry fully; repeat the next day for larger pearls if desired.
5. Binder (optional, early coats): mix syrup with a little gum arabic solution at ~6:1 (syrup:gum) for sturdier builds, especially useful for cinnamon splinters.
6. Color (optional, final coats): tint the last one or two charges with beet, spinach, or saffron—or a drop of food color.

Notes: Work in small batches so you can move the seeds freely. Dry thoroughly between days for rounder, smoother pearls.

Cinnamon Comfits

Use true Ceylon cinnamon (thin, many-layered quills). Soak briefly if needed, then shave into fine needles and dry fully. Proceed as above, but include the gum arabic mixture in your first few charges to help the sugar grip the splinters. Build coats over two days for best results. Update: I’ve successfully made these without pre-soaking when using very delicate quills.

Why Some Books Call for Gum

Later confectionery manuals (17th–18th c.) often stabilize early coats with gum arabic (or tragacanth) solution. Use sparingly, early on, especially for awkward cores like cinnamon; seed comfits usually do fine without it.

Further reading: Dame Alys’ Comfit Guide (Wayback)

Historical Context: Comfits in the Medieval & Renaissance Table

Comfits appear frequently in late medieval and Renaissance sources, especially in banquet courses and the “void” (the final stage of the meal, when sweet wines and light digestives were offered). Beyond their pretty appearance, comfits were considered practical: aromatic seeds like anise, fennel, and caraway were thought to “warm the stomach” and aid digestion after heavy courses of meat and rich sauces.

Sugar itself was classified under humoral theory as warming and moist. When paired with pungent seeds, it became more than just a treat—it was a little dose of medieval medicine. Elite households sometimes gilded comfits in gold leaf or perfumed them with musk or ambergris, but for most cooks, simple white comfits colored with saffron, beet, or spinach juice were sufficient.

Comfits Across Cultures

Although comfits are often thought of as uniquely European, similar practices appear around the world. In South Asia, mukhwas—sugar-coated fennel seeds—are still served today after meals to sweeten the breath and settle the stomach. Modern Jordan almonds are direct descendants of Renaissance almond comfits, while “pastilles” and sugar-dragée candies carried the tradition into the modern confectioner’s shop.

Feast Planning & Serving Suggestions

For an SCA feast or medieval-themed banquet, comfits are a wonderful finishing touch. They can be:

• 🌿 Scattered in small bowls at the end of the table for guests to nibble.
• 🍷 Served with hippocras (spiced wine) as part of the void course.
• 🎨 Color-varied—tint some batches yellow with saffron, green with spinach, or pink with beet juice for visual interest.
• 👜 Prepared ahead—comfits store beautifully in an airtight container, travel well, and make excellent make-ahead sweets for feast staff.

Tip: Because seed-based comfits are naturally gluten-free and vegetarian, they’re easy to offer widely. Almond comfits add a nut allergen, so consider labeling if you use them at an event.

📜 A Brief Timeline of Comfits

• 14th century: Early references to candied seeds appear in England and Italy, often using anise or fennel as the base.
• 15th century: Colored and perfumed comfits become fashionable at elite feasts; saffron, beet, and spinach used for tinting.
• 16th century: Almond comfits rise in popularity, precursors to modern Jordan almonds.
• 17th–18th centuries: Confectionery manuals introduce gum arabic binders and refined sugar techniques for smoother, larger comfits—including cinnamon splinters.
• Modern era: The tradition continues in candied seeds, dragées, and wedding almonds served worldwide.

From humble seeds to gilded banquets, comfits evolved over centuries while keeping their role as sweet digestives and table jewels.

Comfits FAQ

Were comfits medieval or Renaissance?

They straddle late medieval into Renaissance; sugar technology improves through the 15th–16th c., and comfits appear in banquet courses and as digestives.

Can I make them vegetarian/gluten-free?

Yes—this method is naturally vegetarian and gluten-free (just sugar, water, and spices/seeds).

How do I store them?

Cool, dry, airtight. Humidity is the enemy; add a little desiccant packet if your kitchen runs damp.

🍬 Want a printable recipe card for feast planning? Grab the Comfits card on Ko-fi and tuck it into your kitchen binder.

📜 Sources & Notes

• Late medieval & Renaissance banquet courses and digestives (assorted English & Italian sources)
• Confectioners’ manuals (17th–18th c.) for gum binders and advanced comfit work
• Modern parallels: Jordan almonds, pastilles