Before sugar was readily available, candy was made from honey. Honey was used in Ancient China, the Middle East, Egypt, Greece and the Roman Empire to coat fruits and flowers as a preservative or to create forms of candy. Originally, candy was used as a form of medicine, either to calm the digestive system or to cool a sore throat. In the Middle Ages, only the most wealthy people could afford to have candy, used as a combination of spices and sugar as an aid to digestive problems, which were very common during this time because of the consumption of food that was neither fresh nor well balanced. Banquet hosts would typically serve these types of candies at banquets for their guests.