Ellen Fosberg will not have her Saturday treat in peace for long.
Photo: Private
The fact that there is a queue outside the candy store in Manhattan is not normal, according to Ellen.
Photo: Private
There is candy fever in the United States.
Specifically, Swedish loose candy, and young Americans post videos on Tiktok when they buy imported loose candy in bulk. Sour, salty and everything in between. Some videos have received millions of views in the past month.
It is, among other things, the candy store Bon bon in Manhattan in New York, with Swedish owners as well, which has been stormed by candy-hungry Americans.
And that is no exaggeration.
– It was so sick, because I was just going to buy sweets on a Saturday and then I saw the queue and just felt: Never in my life am I standing in this queue. It was really long, like 50 meters. Very fascinating, says Ellen Forsberg, 24, who works at a PR agency and has lived in New York for the past three years, but who is also a repeat customer of the candy store.
When Ellen arrived at the sweet shop, there was quite a queue.
Photo: tiktok.com/@ellen.forsbergg
Ellen documented the hysteria in a video on Tiktok.
Photo: tiktok.com/@ellen.forsbergg
This is how much Swedish loose candy costs in New York
Loose candy is above all a Swedish phenomenon these days and the Swedes are among those who eat the most candy in the world, and often just loose candy, or “pick and mix candy” as it is also called.
On the other side of the Atlantic, Saturday sweets are described as a “national ritual” in Sweden and as “part of our DNA”.
Ellen tells us that many Americans more or less believe that Swedish loose candy is “useful”.
The reason is that Swedish sweets do not contain as many additives and chemicals as American sweets – some even banned in Europe, for example titanium dioxide, or titanic acid as was said before. Titanium dioxide has been banned in food within the EU since 2022, and previously Skittles, among other things, had to change its recipe in order to continue its sales here.
– So they just: “Oh my god, healthy candy!” says Ellen, laughing.
Ellen Forsberg visited “her” sweet shop and talked to the employees.
Photo: tiktok.com/@ellen.forsbergg
In the video, an employee tells us that sales have increased by over 100 percent.
Photo: tiktok.com/@ellen.forsbergg
The store in question is Swedish-owned and is called Bob bon.
Photo: tiktok.com/@ellen.forsbergg
But if it tastes good, it costs, as you know, and the hekto price is a little different than at the candy shelves here at home.
So it remains to be seen whether we can expect American candy tourists to make the pilgrimage to Sweden in the future.
– A kilo costs approximately 36 dollars (equivalent to approximately 380 kroner, editor’s note) So it is much more expensive than in Sweden. It must be pure paradise for Americans to go to Sweden now, I think, says Ellen.
Ellen lives and works in New York for the past three years.
Photo: Private
What is tastier – Swedish or American candy?
Ellen says she was surprised when the candy trend took off on Tiktok. But then she became a bit of a candy patriot. Ellen herself has published clips from the candy store on her Tiktok that have received hundreds of thousands of views, including where she shows off the long queue outside.
– Yes, I was kind of proud, haha. Sweden! It was great fun, and I live very close to that store and go there very often, so it was fun.
So, which is tastier – Swedish or American sweets?
– I personally think that American candy is much, much, much more disgusting, or not as good, says Ellen.
– Here there is also “Swedish fish” that they sell and they probably think that it is what is Swedish candy from the beginning. But it really doesn’t taste like it does in the loose candy in Sweden, it’s really not… good, I think.