By Caroline Crawford

When I opened my phone on a Saturday morning and saw a picture of Maddie Jewett (‘25) holding a box of BonBon candies, I grabbed my keys and took off to ZaZoLi, a sweet shop in the Libbie and Grove neighborhood. The air in the car was heavy with anticipation as I drove, ready to finally satisfy my curiosity: Was this candy better than other candy I could buy at the grocery store? I had dropped everything to rush to the store in hopes that I could grab a few candies before word spread and they sold out of their BonBon products. 

BonBon Candy Company was founded about six years ago by Swedes Leo Schaltz, Robert Persson, and Selim Adira. Since the 1950s, there has been a tradition in Sweden that aims to protect people from overindulging in sweets. This is called lördagsgodis, and it means “Saturday Sweets.” The founders created the company because of how much they loved candy and admired this Swedish tradition. 

Recently, the company became popular on TikTok. It’s common to see a video of someone trying the BonBon candies while scrolling on the app. Video creators often give the candy a glowing review, which drives viewers to want to try the candy for themselves. As a result, BonBon has received an influx of orders and has posted a note on its website saying, “Due to unprecedented demand, our order processing is delayed by up to 15 business days. Our team is working day and night to get orders out the door! Thank you so much for your support!” 

Around Collegiate, students have tried the popular candies and have positive notes about their quality. Jewett tried the sweets and described them as “absolutely delicious” and “definitely worth the hype.” Influenced by reviews and the anticipation surrounding the candy, I tasted them myself. Here is a sample of the candies I tried. 

Blueberry Raspberry Bubs. Photo credit: Caroline Crawford.

Sour Raspberry Skulls: These were the first candies I tried when I opened the bag of candies I chose. The candy is shaped like a skull and is pink and red, with a sour sugar coating. The taste was impeccable, just as the candy had been described by online fans. It has an obvious raspberry flavor, which is complemented by the sour sugar. The sour aspect of the candy does not overpower the raspberry flavor but instead adds texture and taste to the gummy. Inside the sugar coating is a chewy pink gummy that is the base of the candy. The consistency was difficult to chew, but the taste was exceptional. These were my favorite candies from the selection.

Mixed Sour Skulls: Similar to the sour raspberry skulls, the mixed sour skulls are shaped like a skull and come in different colors, including red, green, yellow, and orange. The flavors in the box are cherry, lemon, green apple, and orange. My favorite flavor from the box was green apple. The texture is identical to that of the sour raspberry skulls, but the flavor is not as intriguing as the raspberry. The flavors did not impress me in this box. 

Mini Cola Skulls: These were also similar to the other skulls in terms of shape, but their flavor was superior to the mixed sour skulls. They were small, about the size of the tip of a finger, but carried a precise flavor that resembled a can of cola. The mini cola skulls were not as sour as the other skulls, which helped bring out the cola flavor. 

Raspberry Pucker: The raspberry puckers are shaped like mini red bottles with a sugar coating. Immediately after putting one into my mouth, I felt a twinge as the sour sugar touched my tongue. The shock of the sour coating lasted about five seconds, but then the taste was pleasing and tasted like a raspberry. This is a wonderful candy for all sour lovers, but exercise caution before tasting it due to its sour intensity.

Raspberry Puckers. Photo credit: Caroline Crawford.

Blueberry Raspberry Bubs: I had high expectations for the blue and pink oval-shaped candy that was greatly praised by TikTok creators. The blue side of the candy is comparable to a blue-raspberry slurpee from 7-Eleven, while the pink side tastes similar to a strawberry Dum-Dums lollipop. Together, they create a combination that blends the two flavors perfectly. The greatest thing about the blueberry raspberry bubs is the texture: like a marshmallow, but once you begin to chew it, it resembles gelatin. 

Sour Strawberry Apple Rings: As my least favorite from the selection, the sour strawberry apple rings did not meet the same high standard as the previous candies. The texture of the green and pink ring candy was promising, but the apple flavor consumed the flavor of the strawberry which was disappointing. 

So, was it worth the hype? Absolutely. The one flaw with BonBon Candy is the price. A mixed bag of sweets costs 18 dollars on their website, which is pricey for a bag of candy. But for a special occasion, it is worth the expense.

Featured image credit: Pixabay user skyradar.