Let’s give a big Candy Addict welcome to Gigi, our first Europe-based writer!

As a Candy Addict, when vying for a sugar fix, gummi bears are fairly low on my list of “candy craving” sweets. On the other hand, if I was asked to buy candy for a large group of people, gummi bears are perfect and probably the safest option, catering to all sugar palates. Gummi bears are tasty, chewy, and a widely popular gummi treat. You know what you’re going to get before you pop one in your mouth.

Recently, while shopping at a market in Munich, Germany, I noticed an interesting spin on the forever palatable gummi bear” Haribo’s Saft Goldbaeren. Naturally, I gave them a whirl. Translated in English, Juice Goldbears are a unique, surprisingly tasty twist on the traditional gummi bear. Claiming 22% fruit juice, Haribo has not only mastered the gummi texture – these bears are soft! – they have made this treat potentially healthy… Seriously?

Haribo, a German candy company founded in 1920 by Hans Riegel Sr., is the largest manufacturer of gummi candy in the world, with its products largely consisting of gummi candies and licorice. 

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I was pretty excited to snag a sample pack of these new Sour Patch Chillerz at the All Candy Expo. Excited – yet conflicted.

You see, while Sour Patch Kids are one of my most favorite candies ever, and the thought of a new flavor variety fills me with joy, these ones promise a “cooling effect.” That usually means the presence of menthol, which is definitely one of my least favorite flavors. It never fails to make me think of cough drops, especially when combined with any kind of fruit flavor. “Burning throat pain” is just not a sense association I want attached to my candy, thankyouverymuch (unless that candy is an Atomic Fireball, of course).

But nothing ventured, nothing gained – I tore open my pouch of Chillerz (is that “z” really still cool?) and was greeted with a nice fruity scent – with only a very faint whiff of menthol. In this low of a concentration, it was actually – pleasant.

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You may remember that we mentioned Star Trek Gummies a while back. Well, I finally had my chance to try them at the All Candy Expo and found them delightful.

After introducing myself, a very pleasant gentleman offered to give me a box so I could write a review when I got home. Of course, it turned out that another guy at the booth was completely against the idea – they didn’t have enough, they were sold out, blah blah blah. Nice Guy overrode Mean Guy, though, and slipped me a box so I could revel in the gummy yumminess. (Then he had to tell another lady who wasn’t a preeminent candy reviewer that she couldn’t have any – hah!)

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When your apartment is routinely inundated with candy samples from various companies, it really means something when you consistently return to one box in search of your daily sugar fix. In the past few weeks, that box has been from Fini.

When I first got an email from Fini, I wasn’t sure what to expect from them. They’re a Spanish company and I had no idea what they made or how well they made it. They asked what we’d like to review, and I just asked for whatever they could spare. And boy, did they come through! I got a giant box full of various kinds of candy – gum, filled licorice, gummies, and more. I barely knew where to start! Luckily, that didn’t stop me for long.

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My favorite part of going to Ikea is not the miles and miles of love seats, desks, beds and kitchen stuff, but their little food store. In addition to spreading Swedish culture through furniture items, Ikea’s food store is also sharing Swedish delicacies with the world – from those ubiquitous meatballs to crispbreads and more kinds of preserved fish than you can shake a stick at.

Just like there’s more to Swedish cuisine than meatballs, there’s also more to Swedish candy than the famous Swedish Fish, and Ikea’s food store has a fine selection to choose from. We’ve previously reviewed raspberry boats and daim from the big blue giant, but since Ikea has a rotating candy section, I figured it was time to give them another shot. I picked up two items: Godis Nuts and Bolts Mix and Aroma Konfektyrer Raspberry Drops.

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