Swedish Fish
- This article is about the candy. For real fish in Sweden, see List of fish in Sweden.
Swedish Fish is a type of chewy fish-shaped candy. It has been developed with special flavors specifically for the North American market[1] by the Swedish candy producer Malaco, which exports products to North America.
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[edit] History
In 1968, 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 were developed specifically for the North American market. Malaco was eventually acquired by Leaf International.
During the late 1960s, Swedish Shells were created. These were identical in composition, flavor, and color to the original Swedish Fish, but were in the shape of scalloped seashells and came in red (cherry), yellow (lemon), orange (orange), and green (lime). The Swedish Shells were the first color/shape expansion of the Swedish Fish line. They were sold by the Broadway Department Store chain from the late 1960s well into the 1970s. From the late 1970s until they were discontinued in the early 1990s, they were carried and sold by various bulk candy stores and candy specialty shops.
Today the Swedish Fish consumed in North America are made in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, by the Cadbury Adams Company, which bought the brand from Leaf in 2006. The fish are distributed in the U.S. by Cadbury Adams USA in Parsippany-Troy Hills, New Jersey. In the UK, Swedish Fish can be found in IKEA's Swedish Food section, including the salmiak flavour.[2][original research?]
[edit] Ingredients
According to the USA distribution packages, the candy is made out of 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
Swedish fish are most commonly found in specialty candy stores in which they can be bought by the ounce. A recent resurgence in popularity has resulted in greater accessibility in supermarkets and convenience stores where they are often sold in packaged plastic bags.
Originally colored red with a flavor unique to the candy (often guessed to be lingonberry, but never verified), they are now also available in several different colors, such as Orange & Lemon-Lime. Purple Swedish Fish in grape flavor were discontinued in 2006. The fish come in two different sizes. Initially, the smaller fish came only in red; now fish of both sizes are available in all flavors.
According to a visit to the factory on the Food Network's show Unwrapped, green is not lime, but pineapple flavor, while yellow is a lemon-lime flavor.
According to American taste tests conducted by APG in 2012, green is lime flavored.
Rita's, a U.S. chain which serves Italian ice and ice cream, makes a red Swedish Fish flavored Italian ice as a cobranded product.
[edit] In Sweden
In Sweden large amounts of wine gum candies are sold every year,[3] in all kinds of shapes in shops and supermarkets, where everyone serves themselves, purchasing any type of wine gums and candies they desire, placing the assorted candies in small paper bags available in the shops. Common shapes are rats, flowers, coins, boats, guns, elephants, cars and also fish.[4] The fish shape of the Swedish Fish is just one of the many candy shapes.[5]
In Sweden, the Swedish Fish candy is marketed under the name "pastellfiskar",[6] literally "pastel fish". 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.[original research?]
The North American variety of Swedish Fish can be found at Swedish IKEA stores under the original name.
[edit] Aqua Life
"Aqua Life" is a certain style of Swedish Fish candy in the shape of sea animals. They are available in yellow (lemon) starfish, green (lime) whales, purple (grape) puffer fish, orange (orange) seahorses, and blue (blue raspberry) dolphins.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- The Original Swedish Fish website, run by Cadbury Adams
