The Nordic Candy Vocabulary
Lördagsgodis — "Saturday candy." In Sweden, kids traditionally get candy only on Saturdays. It's when families stock the clear jars and everyone digs in.
Salmiak — salty licorice, flavored with ammonium chloride. An acquired taste that's completely standard in Finland, Iceland, and parts of Denmark/Sweden.
Lakrids (Denmark) / Lakrits (Sweden) — licorice. Can be sweet or salty.
Bilar — "cars" in Swedish. Specifically Ahlgrens' candy cars: chewy, marshmallow-textured cars in multiple flavors. A Swedish childhood staple since 1953.
Fruktkombi — the fruit-flavored version of Ahlgrens bilar (instead of the original).
Vingummi (Danish) — wine gum; gelatin-based fruit gummy. A Danish specialty.
The Brands on This Aisle
Marabou (Sweden, 1916) — milk chocolate bars in many varieties. Produced in Sundbyberg, outside Stockholm.
Freia (Norway, 1889) — Melkesjokolade and the Smil caramel roll. Oslo-based.
Fazer (Finland) — Marianne chocolate-filled mints and Dumle toffee-filled chocolates.
Lakrids by Bülow (Denmark, 2007) — chocolate-coated gourmet licorice in the numbered line (#A Original, #B Passion Fruit, #D Salt & Caramel, #F Dark & Sea Salt, #E Salmiak).
Ahlgrens Bilar (Sweden) — marshmallow candy cars since 1953; Fruktkombi fruit version; now produced by Cloetta.
Halva, Nordic Sweets, Bubs, Läkerol, Cloetta — Swedish licorice, gummies, pastilles, and chocolate-coated wafers.
Saltverk (Iceland) — hand-harvested sea salt from the Westfjords, including the licorice salt specialty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is all this candy imported from Scandinavia?
Most is imported directly from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland. Product pages state origin.
What is salmiak?
Salmiak is salty licorice flavored with ammonium chloride. It reads as intensely salty to non-Nordic palates and is beloved by Nordic ones. If new to it, start small.
What's the Lakrids by Bülow numbering system?
Letters indicate flavor profile, not strength: #A Original (mild chocolate-coated), #B Passion Fruit (tropical), #D Salt & Caramel, #F Dark & Sea Salt (intense), #E Salmiak.
Do you ship chocolate in hot weather?
Yes, but chocolate can soften in summer transit. We recommend expedited shipping in warm months.