Swedish Fish
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Swedish Fish are chewy winegum candies especially notable apart from other varieties of winegums in Sweden. They have been developed with special flavors specifically for the North American market[1] by the Swedish candy producer Malaco, which exports products to North America.
Contents |
[edit] History
In 1958, Malaco, a Swedish confectionery manufacturer, expanded its business by exporting a few of their products to North America. Various licorice ribbon and licorice lace candies were the first products to be exported.
Malaco's export trade grew and in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Swedish Fish and Swedish Berries (identical in composition but in the shape of berries) were developed specifically for the North American market.
Today the Swedish Fish consumed in North America are made in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada by the Cadbury Adams Company. The fish are distributed in the U.S. by Cadbury Adams USA in Parsippany, New Jersey. In the UK Swedish Fish can be found in IKEA's Swedish Food section, including the salmiak flavour.[original research?]
[edit] Ingredients
Swedish Fish are one of the few gummy candies that contain no gelatin. According to the USA distribution packages, the candy contains the following ingredients:
- Sugar
- Invert Sugar
- Corn syrup
- Modified Corn starch
- Citric Acid
- White Mineral Oil
- Artificial flavors
- Coloring (FD&C Red 40 for the red color)
- Carnauba wax
[edit] In the United States
The flavor varies with color: Originally colored red with a flavor unique to the candy, they are now also available in orange, yellow, green, and purple. A Swedish Fish flavored orange is orange, lemon is yellow, lime is green, and grape is purple. The fish come in two different sizes. Initially, the smaller fish came only in red; now fish of both sizes are available in multiple colors and flavors.
[edit] In Sweden
In Sweden huge amounts of winegum candies are sold every year,[2] in all kinds of shapes in shops and supermarkets, where everyone serves themselves, purchasing any type of winegums and candies they desire, placing the assorted candies in small paperbags available in the shops. Common shapes are rats, flowers, coins, boats, guns, elephants, cars and also fish[3] The fish shape of the Swedish Fish is just one of the many other candy shapes.[4]
In Sweden, the Swedish Fish candy is marketed under the name "pastellfiskar,"[5] literally "pastel colored fishes." The fish in Sweden are generally much paler in color and more translucent (save the black fish). In particular, the yellow fish color is almost cream. The taste also differs slightly, the Swedish version being less sweet but more fruit-flavored, especially the yellow one, which is more tangy. The green fish is not lime flavored; the green candy color in Scandinavia is usually associated with apple or pear flavor. They are slightly thicker, have the text "Malaco" instead of "Swedish" embossed, and stick less to the teeth.[original research?]
"Pastellfiskar" are also sold at Swedish IKEA stores under the name Swedish Fish (and a slightly different bag), but they are still the same Scandinavian "Pastellfiskar" rather than the North American Swedish Fish
[edit] Other
There is also a Swedish Fish "Aqua Life" chain, with the yellow being a starfish, green being a whale, purple being a puffer fish, the orange being a Seahorse, and the blue being a dolphin.[original research?] In Swedish Fish Aqua Life, purple is a grape flavor, yellow is lemon flavored, orange is orange flavored, green is lime flavored, and blue is blue raspberry flavored. Black Swedish Fish are also available in Scandinavia and selected retailers around the world with a salmiak flavor. This salty type is called Salt Sill, or "salted herring".[6]
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- The Original Swedish Fish website, run by Cadbury Adams
