Food & Drink
Get your sugar fix at Sockerbit
NEW YORK – The storefront along Christopher Street mixed Christmas wishes and folklore with its main selling point, Scandinavian Sweets, on this crisp December afternoon. Several jultomte, little gnomes who, according to the writing on the window, have “come to bring the light and spirit of the holidays.”
Inside, visitors are greeted with a huge “välkommen/welcome” sign that hovers over a rainbow-colored treasure trove of all things sweet – and salty.
This is Sockerbit, a candy store that promotes itself as “Sweet & Swedish.”
This is heaven for Swedes who grew up in the tradition of lördagsgodis, or Saturday sweets, when children are allowed to enjoy smågodis (little candies).
It’s easy for visitors to this Sockerbit or its Los Angeles location to be overwhelmed with the nearly 150 choices of Scandinavian candy. From fruit chews and gummy creations to chocolates and salty licorices, there’s a little something for any sweet tooth. For those who can’t visit in person, order online here.
We filled three bags with the familiar (gummy snakes, frogs and coke bottles), the standby (chocolates) and the uncertain (a variety of licorices).
The gummies were similar to their American counterparts but a bit chewier and slightly less flavorful but good nonetheless. A sour chewy shaped like a skull was as good as any chewy we’ve tasted. The chocolates, some with caramel inside, also were yummy, albeit with a taste slightly different than we’re used to. As for the licorices, let’s just say it will take some time to get used to the mix of sweet and salty, particularly from the Kanderade Haxvral, which translates into “The sweetened witch’s scream.” Ahhhhhh!
We’re remiss that we didn’t taste-test the Sockerbitar, a white-cubed marshmallow that lends its name to the store itself.
Sockerbit, after all, means sugar cube…the perfect ingredient for candy in any language.
