Lösgodis. The best thing about going to the store.

Chewy candy.  Hard candy.  Soft candy. Licorice flavored, sour, and often times fruity.  There is nothing quite like Swedish godis – candy.  It is, by far, the best thing about going to the grocery store.  It’s another thing that makes someone #TrulySwedish.

Where I grew up, the grocery stores had all sorts of cool candy. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Now & Laters, Starburst, Skittles, Mambo, Snickers, Sugar Daddies, Twix…  Of course, they also had the aisle of candy where you can take a scoop and pick as much or as little as you want.  But that candy was awful – it was either too sweet or too sticky, and never really gave me the kick I was looking for.

There is a store called the Sweet Factory at most suburban malls.  The concept was pretty similar – go in, scoop what you want, and pay only for what you want.  The problem was that you had to make a special trip to the mall, and the candy was so expensive that you only bought it on special occasions or when you felt like splurging. The candy was decent, but I only liked the peach and green apple rings since they were chewy and tangy – just like most of the godis here!

Fast forward to 2007 in Stockholm, Sweden.  Lösgodis EVERYWHERE.  You go to any supermarket worth its weight in godis and you will find a wide variety of candy to pick from.  All so colorful, chewy, so fresh (most of the time), and just plain addictive.  Lösgodis - Colorful pieces of happinessWhenever they run their sales (39,98 SEK per kilo, anyone?) I make sure to stock up.  Not only that, but I see dozens of people stocking up too.  You almost always see someone in the godis aisle at the supermarket.  Yesterday (Saturday), I went to Fältöversten to get my shoes fixed.  At each entrance, an employee gave out bags of godis to each kid that came into the mall.  Lördags godis – another #TrulySwedish tradition.

What is it about the Swedish candy that makes it so damn good?  I haven’t figured it out, but I know I’m not the only one.  My mom came to visit me in September, and she took home 5 kg of godis.  Yes, 5 kg.  That’s how much she liked it.  And that’s only to tide her over until I go home next… then she’ll expect me to bring another 2 or 3 kg with me.

I also think there must be a conspiracy between the dentists and the candy makers.  I haven’t had a single cavity since I was 7 years old, but as soon as I moved here, I had three cavities within a year.

For the record, I love licorice flavored candy now.  I am #TrulySwedish, after all.  Now excuse me while I run to the store to get some godis.

4 thoughts on “Lösgodis. The best thing about going to the store.

  1. Caroline

    I’m sorry to say this- it’s not a magic ingredient that makes the candy so good, as I understand it’s a chemical that tells your brain you need more, so probably not the taste after all ;).. But damn it’s addictive, especially licorice!

    Reply

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