Sweet as Sin Sweet as Sin Sweet as Sin: The Unwrapped Story of How Candy Became America’s Pleasure is a 2016 nonfiction book written by Susan Benjamin. It focuses on the history of candy and its importance in American culture. The book details the history of the birth of sweets from the harvesting of the marshmallow plant in ancient Egypt to the mass-produced candy innovations of the twentieth century. The book also covers the history of chocolate, botanical sweets, and candied nuts. Benjamin describes these candy stories as rich and deep, from a national, political, and human rights level. The "Washington Independent" wrote:
Stachys officinalis about your neck, or else drink the juice on going to bed. The plant was commonly grown in physic gardens of apothecaries and monasteries for medicinal purposes. An Italian proverb advises that you should "Sell your coat and buy Betony." While a Spanish compliment states, "He has as many virtues as Betony." Betony was an ingredient of "Pistoja powder," an old remedy for arthritis and gout. It was also claimed to be effective against snake and dog bites, and was believed to be a cure for drunkenness. Richard E. Banks stated that you should "Eat betony or the powder thereof