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American and British sweets: sour, chewy, jawbreakers and shortbread

Glazen kommen met zure gummy's, rode dropveters, jawbreakers, kaaskrullen en visjescrackers, met marshmallow fluff, shortbread en mince pies.

You often know about American candy long before you ever taste it: from movies and series, from the suitcase of someone who has just returned from vacation, or from a video online in which someone is chewing on something very sour with a distorted face. It is bolder, sourer and sometimes crazier than what you find in the Dutch supermarket, and that is exactly why it is so fun to try. In our toko in Amsterdam it is located among the Asian snacks, and in this guide we will walk you through the aisles, from sour chewing candies and jawbreakers to cheese curls and the little British corner with shortbread. These are the American brands as you find them in a supermarket in the US, from Twizzlers and Mike and Ike to Sour Patch, and the shortbread from Walkers that is on the shelf in British stores. If you first want the big overview of snacks from around the world, start with Snacks 101.

What makes American candy different from European candy?

Sour Patch Kids clearly show what makes American candy different from European candy: everything is a little bolder. Sour is really sour, cinnamon is spicy instead of mild, and flavors like peanut butter, cotton candy and blue raspberry are much less common in Europe. The latter, often shortened to blue razz, is a bright blue flavor that only vaguely resembles raspberry. Those accustomed to Dutch candy often find it sweeter or more pronounced. The packaging is also recognizable: much candy comes in a theater box, the cardboard box that belongs at the cinema in America.

What sour American candy is there?

Warheads Chewy Cubes are the place to start if you are looking for sour American candy. Warheads is the brand of extremely sour candy, and the Chewy Cubes are soft cubes that are very sour at first and then become sweet. Sour Patch Kids work the same way: the sour sugar coating comes off and underneath is a sweet candy.

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What are Mike and Ike, Twizzlers and Swedish Fish?

Mike & Ike Original Fruits are small, elongated chewing candies in a theater box, and Mike and Ike makes them in a whole range of mixes: from tropical and berries to cotton candy. From the same house come Hot Tamales, with a spicy cinnamon flavor that you almost never encounter in Dutch candy.

Twizzlers and Swedish Fish

Twizzlers Strawberry are red, twisted strands of Hershey's. Americans call this kind of candy licorice, but those expecting drop will be disappointed: this is just sweet, chewy strawberry candy. Swedish Fish are soft little fish with Swedish roots, that have grown into a classic in America. And Nerds are tiny, crunchy candy pieces in a box with two compartments, so you have two flavors at the same time.

Amerikaans snoep om te proberen

What is a jawbreaker and what other American candy is there?

Jumbo Jawbreaker American shows what a jawbreaker is: a rock-hard ball made of layers of sugar that takes a long time to chew. Each layer has a different color, so you can see your jawbreaker change as you lick it. This one from Zed Candy has a piece of chewing gum in the middle. So don't bite it.

Ring Pop is a lollipop in the shape of a gemstone on a plastic ring, which you wear on your finger while you lick it. Chewing gum is also available: Bubblicious for big bubbles and Hubba Bubba Bubble Tape, a roll of chewing gum in a round box, from which you tear off a piece yourself. And around Halloween, candy corn is a must in America: sweet candies in the shape of a kernel of corn, here in the apple caramel flavor.

Why is there so much peanut butter in American candy?

Marshmallow Fluff immediately brings to mind the American love of peanut butter. In New England, people spread Fluff together with peanut butter on white bread, and that is called a fluffernutter. Peanut butter is in all sorts of American candy: the best-known examples are the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, chocolate cups with a soft, salty peanut butter filling. Those and the Hershey's Kisses come and go, so see what is in the collection. From Hershey's, the chocolate brand behind the Kisses, you will find the Hershey's Hazelnut Waffle, a waffle with hazelnut filling from our Korean shelf.

What American chips and crackers are there?

Herr's Jalapeño Cheese Curls are a good start if you are looking for American chips. Herr's is a snack brand from Pennsylvania and makes especially cheese curls: light, twisted corn snacks with a thick layer of cheese powder. There is a sweet honey cheese, a spicy jalapeño and a version with Carolina Reaper, one of the hottest peppers there is; the latter is only for those who can handle a lot of heat, and not for children.

Goldfish, Ritz and pretzels

Goldfish from Pepperidge Farm are small cheese crackers in the shape of a little fish, and Ritz are the round, buttery crackers with a scalloped edge. From Pretzel Pete, there are pretzel pieces with a flavor around them. Prefer Takis? Those are Mexican, and you can read about them in Mexican snacks and Hot sauce 101.

A pickle in a bag

Van Holten's Big Papa Pickle is een hele augurk in een zakje met pekel, die je zo uit het zakje eet. Van Holten's heeft ook een versie met chamoy, de zuur-pittige saus uit Mexico.

Bekijk alle chips uit de hele wereld →

Amerikaanse chips, crackers en pretzels

Welke Amerikaanse snacks hebben Aziatische smaken?

Oreo White Peach Oolong is het leukste bewijs dat Amerikaanse merken in Azië hun eigen gang gaan. Oreo is een Amerikaans koekje, maar in China vind je het met een vulling van witte perzik en oolongthee, en in Korea met een witte crème. Pringles maakt in Korea een smaak naar rosé tteokbokki, en Cheetos zijn er in een Japanse kaasvariant. Meer daarover lees je in Japanse snacks en Koreaanse snacks.

Welk Brits snoep en welke Britse koekjes zijn er?

Walkers Shortbread Rounds zijn de kern van ons Britse hoekje, en we zeggen het maar eerlijk: dat hoekje is klein. Walkers Shortbread komt uit Schotland en maakt brokkelige zandkoekjes met veel roomboter; het heeft niets te maken met de chips van Walkers, die we niet verkopen. Er zijn ronde koekjes, vingers en een versie met chocolade, lekker bij een kop thee.

Walker's Mince Pies met cranberry en clementine horen in Groot-Brittannië bij december: kleine taartjes van kruimeldeeg met een zoete vulling van gedroogd fruit en specerijen. Hartig is er Regal Chevda Mix, een Brits-Indiase snackmix van knapperige noedeltjes, gepofte rijst en erwtjes met chili en kurkuma, in de stijl van wat de Britten Bombay mix noemen. En voor wie van zuur houdt, maakt het Britse Freekee Lickedy Lips en Brainlicker, vloeibaar snoep in een flesje.

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Not sure where to start? Try a box of Sour Patch Kids for something sour, a few bags of Herr's cheese curls for something savory, and a jar of Marshmallow Fluff to make a fluffernutter at home; then you'll experience in one go why American snacking feels so different from what you're used to.

Where can you find American and British candy in the webshop?

You can find American and British candy in a few collections, and via candy and chips you'll naturally come across the rest of the world.

Read more about snacks from around the world

In these guides you'll learn what else is in the toko.

All the American candy in one place

Sour Patch Kids, Mike and Ike, jawbreakers, Herr's and Goldfish, sweet to very sour.

Shop American candy

Frequently asked questions

Why is American candy so different?

American candy tends to go to extremes: very sour, very sweet, or spicy from cinnamon or pepper. Flavors like peanut butter, cotton candy, and blue raspberry are just available, and a lot of candy comes in a theater box.

What is blue razz?

Blue razz is short for blue raspberry, an American candy flavor that is bright blue and vaguely reminiscent of raspberry. You can find it in jawbreakers and lollipops, among other things.

What is a theater box?

A theater box is the cardboard box that contains a lot of American candy, such as Mike and Ike and Hot Tamales. The name comes from the cinema, where you buy such a box with your movie.

What is a fluffernutter?

A fluffernutter is a sandwich made with white bread, peanut butter, and Marshmallow Fluff. It comes from New England in the United States.

Is there licorice in Twizzlers?

No, Twizzlers Strawberry are sweet, chewy strands with strawberry flavor. Americans call this type of candy licorice, but it doesn't taste like licorice.

Is Walkers shortbread the same brand as Walkers chips?

No. Walkers Shortbread is a Scottish brand that bakes shortbread biscuits, and has nothing to do with the British chips from Walkers.

How hot are the Carolina Reaper cheese curls?

Very hot, because the Carolina Reaper is one of the hottest peppers there is. Start with one curl and don't give them to children.

American candy is really all about the fun of trying it, that moment when you're sitting at a table with friends and everyone pops a sour Warhead in their mouth at the same time, or when you slide a Ring Pop onto your finger again after all these years and realize it still feels just as fun as it did back then. Start easy with something sweet like Mike and Ike or a jar of Fluff, slowly work your way up to the sour and spicy stuff, and you'll naturally discover which flavors suit you. If you're standing in an Amsterdam toko in front of the shelf of brightly colored boxes and don't know where to start, feel free to ask us, and if you want to see what else the rest of the world has to offer in terms of snacks, keep reading in Snacks 101.