Anis de Flavigny

Although it was Charlemagne who ordered the cultivation of aniseed in convents and monasteries (in 812), it was his distant successors above all who appreciated the dragée obtained, a century later, by the monks of Flavigny after they had the idea of coating the aniseed in sugar syrup. The plant, initially appreciated for its digestive properties, thus became easier to digest and consume.
It was in this form that candy really took off in the 16th century, with its consumption at court by Catherine de Médicis boosting production. Long after Blanche de Castille (in the 13th century), the queen consort used it to freshen her breath. She was followed by Anne of Austria, who discovered the little sugared almond on a pilgrimage to Lubéron. Her son Louis XIV also appreciated it, and was said to carry it with him at all times, neatly arranged in a flat, round pocket candy dish. Ultimate proof of the popularity of this little sugar factory in the 18th century: it was offered to George III, King of England, as part of a peace treaty in 1763.