Short answer
Swedish candy is best known for pick-and-mix (lösgodis): you scoop your own sweets from bins and pay by weight, often choosing from hundreds of kinds. The classics visitors usually want to try are Ahlgrens bilar, salty liquorice, Polly, Kexchoklad, Daim and Marabou milk chocolate. The Swedish habit of eating candy on Saturdays, lördagsgodis, began as official health advice in 1959.
Why is Swedish candy so popular?
In Sweden a large share of candy is sold as pick-and-mix. You grab a bag and a scoop, pick what you like and pay by weight at the till. That is why an ordinary candy shop often has hundreds of kinds on one wall: foam sweets, jellies, sour pieces, liquorice and chocolate side by side.
Since 2024 Swedish candy has also become a trend abroad. A viral TikTok video from a Swedish candy shop in New York led to long queues and shortages of some sweets, and many visitors now look for pick-and-mix as one of the first things they do in Sweden.
12 classics to try
| Candy | What it is | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Ahlgrens bilar | Little cars made of foam candy | Around since 1953 and one of Sweden's strongest candy brands |
| Salty liquorice | Liquorice with salmiak, salty and strong | You love it or you don't. Start with one piece |
| Djungelvrål | Salty liquorice monkeys | For those who already like salty liquorice |
| Sour pieces | Foam or jelly sweets coated in sour sugar | A big part of every pick-and-mix wall |
| Jelly sweets | Soft fruit sweets in countless shapes | A safe bet for children |
| Sockerbitar | Small cubes of soft foam candy | Several flavours, for example strawberry |
| Polly | Foam pieces covered in chocolate | A classic chocolate bag since 1965 |
| Marabou milk chocolate | Milk chocolate bar | Sweden's best-known chocolate brand |
| Kexchoklad | Wafer covered in chocolate | A classic snack on hikes and ski slopes |
| Daim | Crunchy almond caramel covered in milk chocolate | Sold as bars, small pieces and in candy mixes |
| Plopp | Milk chocolate with a soft toffee filling | Split into small segments that are easy to break off |
| Gott & Blandat | Bag of mixed jelly and foam sweets | An easy way to try many kinds at once |
Lördagsgodis: why Swedes eat candy on Saturdays
Lördagsgodis, "Saturday sweets", is a Swedish tradition of eating candy one day a week, usually Saturday. It started as health advice. After the Vipeholm experiments of the 1940s and 50s showed the link between sugar and tooth decay, the authorities recommended in 1959 that children eat sweets once a week. The advice became a habit, and today both children and adults look forward to their Saturday candy.
Salty liquorice: for the brave
Salty liquorice is the Swedish candy that divides visitors most. The taste comes from salmiak, which gives a salty, slightly tangy note that is common in the Nordic countries but rare almost everywhere else. Try a single piece before filling your bag, or choose sweet liquorice for a gentler start.
How to take Swedish candy home
- Packaged candy in bags and bars travels best and is the easiest to give as a gift.
- Chocolate can melt in the heat. Pack it in the middle of your bag or in your hand luggage.
- Pick-and-mix tastes best fresh. Ask for a bag you can close properly, and eat it within a few weeks rather than months.
- Travelling outside the EU: candy counts as food, so check what your home country allows before you pack.
Where to buy Swedish candy in Gothenburg
With us at Kungs Gotter, Kungsgatan 26, on the pedestrian street in central Gothenburg. We have a whole wall of pick-and-mix and shelves of Swedish chocolate such as Marabou, Kexchoklad and Daim, and we are open every day. The name says it all: gotter is an old Swedish word for candy, so Kungs Gotter roughly means the candy on Kungsgatan. Read more about our candy, or order to your door via Wolt for candy, chocolate and snacks. Pick-and-mix is sold in the shop only.