Help me identify these hard candies
March 16, 2018 3:43 AM Subscribe
I rent a car parking space in the basement of an apartment building near my office, and the concierge used to keep a big bowl of these amazing tiny, individually wrapped candies on his desk. Grabbing one or three as I passed by was the highlight of my day and made the commute home more bearable. There is now a new concierge and no sweets. New concierge has no info about the sweets. Where can I buy them?
Pictured is the last one I'd squirreled away in a random jacket pocket - it's green apple flavour, the best flavour. There was also pink (watermelon, 2nd best), darker pink (kind of a generic berry flavour, OK), and lemon and orange (they can GTFO, totally pointless).
I would happily purchase these in bulk if I knew where to get them- any help appreciated.
Pictured is the last one I'd squirreled away in a random jacket pocket - it's green apple flavour, the best flavour. There was also pink (watermelon, 2nd best), darker pink (kind of a generic berry flavour, OK), and lemon and orange (they can GTFO, totally pointless).
I would happily purchase these in bulk if I knew where to get them- any help appreciated.
Does the new concierge have any information about the old concierge? The picture doesn't have a lot of identifying details; it could be any bulk hard candy. Without anything directly from the source, it'll be hard to distinguish based on a picture with no logos or text.
That said, it wouldn't be the worst thing to just go to a grocery store that sells bulk candy and try some varieties. Chances are it's not some fancy artisanal candy; it's likely just something that's sold where the old concierge already shopped.
posted by kevinbelt at 6:38 AM on March 16, 2018 [2 favorites]
That said, it wouldn't be the worst thing to just go to a grocery store that sells bulk candy and try some varieties. Chances are it's not some fancy artisanal candy; it's likely just something that's sold where the old concierge already shopped.
posted by kevinbelt at 6:38 AM on March 16, 2018 [2 favorites]
Best answer: It appears to be a sour fruit ball, but the flavors listed on many sites here (USA) do not precisely match the types you described. If you happen to be in the UK, the specific candy flavors you seek might only be found there?
It's a starting point, anyhow. Best luck! :)
posted by Amor Bellator at 6:39 AM on March 16, 2018 [1 favorite]
It's a starting point, anyhow. Best luck! :)
posted by Amor Bellator at 6:39 AM on March 16, 2018 [1 favorite]
This is crazy hard to find! Most of my searches are turning up things that are too big. I feel like I've had this candy too and it's driving me wild. I think it's pretty similar to Italian sweets I sometimes get in a restaurant after dinner, like this.
(Also check out those sponsored related items. Why does everyone think Amazon's algorithms are so great?)
posted by like_neon at 8:42 AM on March 16, 2018
(Also check out those sponsored related items. Why does everyone think Amazon's algorithms are so great?)
posted by like_neon at 8:42 AM on March 16, 2018
"(Also check out those sponsored related items. Why does everyone think Amazon's algorithms are so great?)"
What's the problem, I'm looking now and I see a bunch of other candy... seems reasonable to me.
posted by GoblinHoney at 9:11 AM on March 16, 2018 [1 favorite]
What's the problem, I'm looking now and I see a bunch of other candy... seems reasonable to me.
posted by GoblinHoney at 9:11 AM on March 16, 2018 [1 favorite]
What you seem to have is a fairly old-fashioned selection of fruit-flavoured boiled sweets. It's impossible to know precisely which brand you need to buy (there are lots of makers who do these or something very similar), so you might just have to keep trying them all until you find the ones you like.
You can get such a mixture in bulk direct from a manufacturer such as Maxons, from specialist sweet shops, or in smaller quantities from many supermarkets.
While you're there, make sure you try a few other classic sweet flavours such as rhubarb and custard, or pear drops; and if you fancy a change from boiled sweets, get tempted by liquorice allsorts.
posted by vincebowdren at 9:38 AM on March 16, 2018
You can get such a mixture in bulk direct from a manufacturer such as Maxons, from specialist sweet shops, or in smaller quantities from many supermarkets.
While you're there, make sure you try a few other classic sweet flavours such as rhubarb and custard, or pear drops; and if you fancy a change from boiled sweets, get tempted by liquorice allsorts.
posted by vincebowdren at 9:38 AM on March 16, 2018
Response by poster: Thanks for the research assistance - sorry I got unusually busy at work so I'm just now having a look at the answers. I am in the UK - I totally should have said that at the start.
The sour fruit balls look the closest in size and shape and wrapper, and the ones I love ARE sort of sour, but they are all pastel colours and there are no purples or dark greens. Just the pale yellow/green apple flavour in the picture along with pink, darker pink, yellow, and light orange.
I also should have said that the tiny little size is part of the reason I love them. They are just the perfect amount of sweetie. I like some of the other options people have listed especially rhubarb and custards but they are bigger than I like.
I did think of asking where the old concierge went but how weird would it be to track him down for his sweets?
If someone finds this question one day weeks or months or even decades from now, please do feel free to memail me because even if I have found them at that point, I will always be interested in new sources!
posted by cilantro at 10:05 AM on March 16, 2018
The sour fruit balls look the closest in size and shape and wrapper, and the ones I love ARE sort of sour, but they are all pastel colours and there are no purples or dark greens. Just the pale yellow/green apple flavour in the picture along with pink, darker pink, yellow, and light orange.
I also should have said that the tiny little size is part of the reason I love them. They are just the perfect amount of sweetie. I like some of the other options people have listed especially rhubarb and custards but they are bigger than I like.
I did think of asking where the old concierge went but how weird would it be to track him down for his sweets?
If someone finds this question one day weeks or months or even decades from now, please do feel free to memail me because even if I have found them at that point, I will always be interested in new sources!
posted by cilantro at 10:05 AM on March 16, 2018
Those look sort of like these, which I've had at various hotels and the fruit flavors were very good. They're not too big.
posted by OneSmartMonkey at 10:16 AM on March 16, 2018
posted by OneSmartMonkey at 10:16 AM on March 16, 2018
"how weird would it be to track him down for his sweets?"
I mean, a little weird. But not creepy weird. His intention in providing these candies was obviously to make the people with whom he interacted happy. He shouldn't be terribly surprised to find that they did, in fact, make someone happy. I think that kind of feedback ("you made my day") is almost always welcome. There are possible problems with this plan (if the old concierge left on bad terms, if he wasn't the one actually buying them, etc.), but the downside is minimal. The worst that can really happen is that he doesn't want to answer your question.
posted by kevinbelt at 11:39 AM on March 16, 2018 [1 favorite]
I mean, a little weird. But not creepy weird. His intention in providing these candies was obviously to make the people with whom he interacted happy. He shouldn't be terribly surprised to find that they did, in fact, make someone happy. I think that kind of feedback ("you made my day") is almost always welcome. There are possible problems with this plan (if the old concierge left on bad terms, if he wasn't the one actually buying them, etc.), but the downside is minimal. The worst that can really happen is that he doesn't want to answer your question.
posted by kevinbelt at 11:39 AM on March 16, 2018 [1 favorite]
My wife worked in a doctor's office that had a bowl of hard candies on the receptionist desk. They came from Cosco. Chances are the yours were sourced somewhere they can be found in large volume, cheap.
posted by SemiSalt at 12:28 PM on March 16, 2018
posted by SemiSalt at 12:28 PM on March 16, 2018
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Hanuman1960 at 5:58 AM on March 16, 2018