Difference Between Jimmies and Sprinkles

Jimmies vs Sprinkles

Jimmies and sprinkles are tiny small pieces of confectionery which are usually used to liven up desserts such as ice cream, cupcakes, doughnuts and cookies. They add texture to desserts and can make them more fun and delectable to look at. They are just irresistible enticing.

Jimmies

There a couple of stories that ran regarding the origins of jimmies. The first records of jimmies existed in the 1930s. Some say that Just Born Candy Company in Philadelphia produced these candies and that an employee named Jim Crow, also known as Jimmy, ran the sprinkles machine and so named the sprinkles after him. A different origin of the name is also known claiming that “jimmies” is named after Boston Mayor James Curley who was very fond of confection.

Sprinkles

Sprinkles are very small opaque sphere candies that traditionally were white, and now they come in variety of colors. Sprinkles date back in the 18th century where French confectioners called them “nonpareils” and used as delicate decorations to desserts. They are sprinkled randomly all over the surface of the dessert to give more color and taste to it. There are also different foreign variations with regards to sprinkles and their uses such bread topping in Australia and New Zealand.

Difference between Jimmies and Sprinkles

But how to determine jimmies from sprinkles? The difference doesn’t exist in the candies itself, instead in the area where it is being sold. Residents of Philadelphia, Boston, Michigan and Wisconsin refer to them as jimmies, and residents in New York, and probably the rest of the world, call them sprinkles. To some people, jimmies refer to the chocolate colored variety of sprinkles, although there are actually no chocolate content in it, while sprinkles remain to be the multicolored ones. Others also say that sprinkles are harder compared to jimmies.

Whatever name these tiny delectable candies may bear, they definitely add flavor to our desserts and our lives. These wonderful confectionery creations make food more fun and exciting and have made people crave for deserts even more so.