Sugary food is popular all over the world. Almost everyone loves to eat a piece of chocolate or colorful skittles. So do Swedes. They actually have the highest consumption of candy in the World. 17kg, that’s the amount of candy (including pastry) you’ll have to eat to become like an average Swede.
But most Swedes, particularly the younger ones, are not allowed to eat candy whenever they want. Swedish parents prevent children from eating too much by adapting a rule they themselves learned as children. Sweets (preferably) only on Saturdays.
The concept of eating candy on Saturdays is called “lördagsgodis”, literally Saturday’s candy, and very popular among Swedes, not only on Saturdays
Having lördagsgodis is very similar to the concept of “helgalk”, when Swedes allow themselves to have one or more drinks and get rather drunk on the weekends. Eating candy or drinking alcohol during the week is not ok in Sweden. But it’s totally fine to shuffle 1 kg pure sweets into a paper bag on a Saturday and then flush it down with a couple of Vodka shots.
Swedish candy drinking
Some inventive Swedes found out that this can be combined in a more pleasant way. They put candy into Vodka bottles to let them dissolve and turn the drink into a sweet colorful cocktail. Wanna try it out? Just make sure to get your headache pills ready!
Popular Swedish candy
But before you go to a Swedish supermarket next Saturday, there are a few things you need to know. Here is a list of candy Swedes like a lot and an instruction on how to attain them.
Weird Swedish sweets
- Naturgodis
In it’s core, nuts. On the outside lots of chocolate. A great way to trick people into believing this sort of candy is not candy. This delusion effort is underlined by its placement close to the fruit department.
If you try to loose weight you should definitely prefer those over standard godis. Because the marketing people successfully make you believe you eat something healthy. So: same amount of calories but better conscious. They won’t help you loose weight, but make you feel better keeping it. - Saltlakrits
If you want to punish friends from outside Europe, make them eat salty licorice. Many Sweden visitors find it disgusting. Most Swedes like it. I’d say, to become more Swedish, you have to put at least 10% saltlakrits in your godispåse (candy bag) next Saturday. - Kex
You probably pronounced it wrong. This chocolate covered hard waffle, in a red and yellow package, is called Kex pronounced as “shex”.
You have talked to a Swede who claimed, no it’s called Kex with a “k”-sound? Maybe you are a Swede yourself and convinced it’s pronounced that way. Well, you might be right.
This is an ongoing discussion in Sweden – how to correctly pronounce “Kex”.
To become more Swedish, you should now pick a side and join the discussion. - Pingvinstång
Licorice stick with filling. Placed right at the cashier, they are the supermarkets last attack on your “no candy this week” attempt.
How to get prepared for you candy consumption in Sweden
To get your sugar dose, you first have to find the godisvägg close to the cashier in your lokal supermarket. Godisvägg is the “candy wall”. It’s usually opposite the “chocolate shelve”. Together they form the “sugar canyon”. Before that you’ll have to pass deep freezers filled with ice cream. Those 15 meters will certainly put your food discipline to a hard test.
So, dear new-Swede, start eating sweets and candy on a Saturday so you get less bad conscious than on any other day of the week. Say hello to the lördagsgodis routine!
For more ways, how to act like a Swede, read the book: How to be Swedish – A Quick Guide to Swedishness – in 55 Steps, here on Amazon
