Bulk confectionery facts for kids
Have you ever walked into a candy store and seen huge bins filled with all sorts of sweets? That's what we call bulk confectionery! It's candy sold in large amounts, not in small, pre-packaged bags. You can often pick out exactly what you want, and it's usually sold by weight. This way of buying candy is super popular in many parts of the world.
In the United States, some of these candies are known as penny candy. They used to be sold for just one cent each! You could find them in candy shops, soda fountains, and old-fashioned five-and-dime stores. In Britain, people call this pick 'n' mix or penny sweets. It's all about choosing your favorite treats.
In Sweden, bulk candy is called "Lösgodis". It's a big deal there! You can find it in many stores, and customers pick their own candy by hand. It usually costs about $7.80 to $10 per kilogram. This makes it a fun and affordable way to get your sweet fix.
When you buy loose candy, you typically use a scoop to put your choices into a bag. You can pick as many different kinds as you like. The price is based on how much your bag weighs. Sometimes you weigh it yourself, and sometimes the cashier does it for you.
A Sweet History
The idea of selling bulk candy, like Sweden's Lösgodis, started a long time ago. It began in the 1930s in Sweden. Around that time, Swedish farms began producing a lot of refined sugar. This made it possible for smaller shops to sell candy in bulk.
At first, there were rules about where bulk candy could be sold. But in 1984, the Swedish National Food Agency changed things. They said it was okay to sell "Lösgodis" in bigger stores too. The main rule was that different candies had to be kept in separate containers. Also, customers had to use a scoop or a small bucket to pick their candy.
Since then, this way of selling candy has spread globally. You can now find bulk candy sections in many countries, especially in Europe and Asia. Even some IKEA stores in North America have started selling bulk candy. They offer Swedish favorites and some classic American sweets too!
Popular Bulk Candies
There are so many different kinds of candies you can find in bulk! Here are some popular ones:
- Apple drops
- Bit-O-Honey
- Bottle caps
- Bubble gum (like Bazooka)
- Peppermint sticks
- Candy corn
- Caramels
- Atomic Fireballs
- Fruit sours
- Gobstoppers
- Gummy bears
- Various gummis
- Hot Tamales
- Jelly beans
- Ropes of licorice
- Lollipops (also called suckers)
- M&M's
- Mary Janes
- Mentos
- Mints
- Pixy Stix
- Red Hots
- Sherbet
- Skittles
- Smarties
- Sour balls
- Sugar Daddy
- Tic Tacs
- Tootsie Rolls
- Warheads
- Wax candy
Candies from Sweden
Sweden has its own special bulk candies that are very popular. Here are some of them:
- Colaflaskor (Cola bottles)
- Pastellfiskar (Pastel fish)
- Blå fiskar (Blue fish)
- Zoo (Animal-shaped gummies)
- Geléhallon (Raspberry jellies)
- Sockrade jordgubbar (Sugared strawberries)
- Körsbär (Cherries)
- Karamelguf (Caramel goo)
- Revolver frukt (Revolver fruit)
- Persikor (Peaches)
- Vattenmeloner (Watermelons)
- Fizzy pop
- Fizzy blue
- Skumkantareller (Foam chanterelles)
- Ahlgrens bilar (Ahlgren's cars)
- Sockerbitar jordgubb (Strawberry sugar cubes)
- Snöbollar jordgubbar (Strawberry snowballs)
- Snöbollar blå hallon (Blue raspberry snowballs)
- Vaniljfudge (Vanilla fudge)
- Engelsk konfekt (English confectionery)
- Lakritspinnar (Licorice sticks)
- Djungelvrål (Jungle roar - salty licorice)
- Romerska bågar (Roman arches)
- Plopp pralin
- Polly
- Jordnötsruta (Peanut square)
- Kexchoklad (Wafer chocolate)
- Plopp original
- Kick original
- PEZ
- Zoo-klubba (Zoo lollipop)
- Pimpim-klubba (Pimpim lollipop)
- Fruxo-klubba (Fruxo lollipop)
- Djungelvrål-klubba (Jungle roar lollipop)
Gallery
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Peppermint and other candy sticks
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A sucker
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A plate of gobstoppers in various sizes
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Bit-o-Honey
