Parma Violets facts for kids
Parma Violets are small, disc-shaped sweets from Britain. They taste like violets, a type of flower. These unique candies are made by the company Swizzels Matlow, which is based in Derbyshire. The sweets get their name from a specific kind of violet flower called the Parma violet. Parma Violets are hard and have a slightly curved shape, similar to another Swizzels product called Fizzers, but without the fizzy sensation. Swizzels Matlow also makes a larger version called Giant Parma Violets.
The main ingredients in Parma Violets include sugar, stearic acid, modified starch, glucose syrup, and anthocyanin.
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The History of Violet Sweets
Violets have been used for a very long time, even in old medicine. People believed they had special healing powers. Long before Parma Violets were invented, sweet treats flavored with violets were already popular.
Early Violet Treats
- Before the year 1620, people made "violet tablets." These were sugary lozenges that tasted like violets.
- In the 1700s, people mixed crushed violet petals, rosewater, and sugar. They used this mix to make an early kind of sweet pastry. This "flower pastry" could flavor cakes or be shaped into small candies called pastils.
- During the Edwardian era (the early 1900s), violet-flavored chocolate and drinks were sometimes used to help with sickness.
What Are Parma Violets Like?
Parma Violets were first created in 1946 by the Derbyshire company Swizzels Matlow. They are hard, round sweets with a dip in the middle, like a small disc. Their design was inspired by similar sweets from India that are often eaten after a spicy meal.
Taste and Ingredients
The taste of Parma Violets is often described as sweet, with a unique floral or sometimes "soapy" flavor. The recipe today includes sugar, stearic acid, modified starch, glucose syrup, and anthocyanin, which gives them their purple color.
Other Parma Violet Products
The unique flavor of Parma Violets has inspired other interesting products:
- In 2016, to celebrate their 70th birthday, Swizzels Matlow worked with the Cheshire Cheese Company to create a special Parma Violets-flavored cheese!
- Some bars in the UK even offer cocktails that taste like Parma Violets.
- In 2019, Brothers Cider, a company from Somerset, launched a Parma Violet-flavored cider.
- You can also buy large bags of Parma Violets, sometimes up to 3 kilograms, from the official Swizzels website and other online stores.
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