Jordan almond [jawr-dn ah-muhnd, am-uhnd; spelling pronunciation al-muhnd]
Also known as confetti, dragée, sugared almond or sugar-coated almond. A whole almond coated in a thin, hard sugar shell. Jordan almonds can be any color, including metallic, but are most often white or pastels. They are often used as wedding favors, as their simultaneous bitter-and-sweet almond flavor is said to represent both the bitterness of life and sweetness of love. They are sometimes packaged in groups of five to represent happiness, health, longevity, wealth and fertility.
Jordan almonds are thought to have originated in ancient Rome when they were sweetened and covered with honey. As sugar became more readily available in the 15th century, the outer coating changed with the times. See dragée.
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