A bonbon, sometimes bon-bon, is a small chocolate confection. They are usually filled with liqueur or other sweet alcoholic ingredients, and sold wrapped in colored foil.[1]
According to French law, a bonbon de chocolat must be at least 25% chocolate and can come in several forms:[4]
a bite-sized chocolate
an arrangement of different chocolates
a mixture of chocolate and other edible ingredients
Specifically in the United States, the phrase "Bon Bon" refers to The Hershey Company's trademarked name for a frozen confection made from vanilla ice cream and covered in chocolate.[2]
Etymology and history
The word "bonbon" arose from the reduplication of the word bon, meaning "good" in the French language. Its use originated in the seventeenth century within the French royal court and spread to other European countries by the eighteenth century. Bonbons began to be served in ornate containers by the middle of the eighteenth century, which would be given as gifts at festivals and on holidays such as New Year's Day.[2]