{Sockerbit, 89 Christopher Street (Seventh Avenue South). Candies are $12.99 a pound.}
On our way up to the Cape Cod Fine Arts Festival, we stayed a couple of nights at our friend’s place in Brooklyn as a mini-vacation. We had nothing on the agenda, but to just hang out, except a visit to SOCKERBIT.
Sockerbit means sugar cube in Swedish and is the name of a candy but also the name of the newly opened candy shop in West Village on Manhattan. Being the first Swedish candy store in the US, it is the solution to a problem I’ve had for the last 11 years: my lösgodis fix! Many of my fellow Swedes in the US have their family and friends bring several pounds of candy each visit. We are just addicted.
{Salih and I are trying to pick our favorites while the owner is refilling the stock.}
Sockerbit is owned by Swedes, Stefen Ernberg and his wife. The store is classic Scandinavian with white floors, walls and ceiling, letting the colors of the bright candies pop from their plastic cases. They have a collection of hundreds different kinds of chewy, melty, jellied, sticky, crackly, nubbly, gooey, fruity and otherwise amazing candies, and they are all fresh from Sweden! Don’t forget the licorice flavored and very sour candy!
The owner shared with me they are soon accepting orders online for shipping across the US. OMG!!
Maybe it’s a little known fact that Swedes love their candy. Ask any Swede about “lösgodis” (loose candy) and he/she will start listing his/her favorites.
When you’re little, every Saturday you get to go and pick out your “Lördags godis” (Saturday’s candy) at the grocery store or at the candy store. Shopping for candy is an adventure when you’re little. There are so many colors, shapes and sizes to chose from. You then eat until your stomach hurts, and yes, your stomach will hurt, especially if you’ve picked a crazy mix with lots of different kinds.
When you’re a little older, you’ll find any excuse to go get some candy, whether you did well on a test or flunked on a test, or you have 20 minutes before the school bus leaves. Every excuse is a good excuse for some candy.
{So very happy}
Just like with everything, I’m picky with my candy and loooove my chocolate and marshmallow-like-chocolate-coconut-covered candy. The content of my bag isn’t at all as colorful as the store but, man was I happy! I made my pound of sweetness last for a couple of days and I had it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I was heaven. There’s just nothing like Swedish lösgodis.
So a big thank you to Stefan and his wife for solving the problem and the craving for many Swedes in the US!
photo credit: Casey Collings
