Pihlaja

Fazer

I can't tell you if I like this candy or not. The reasons I like these Pihlaja aren't so much about it being a tasty treat, it's not even a unique treat technically either. The reasons I like this treat is more about the mystery behind this candy than any tangible reason. Objectively it's simply a mysteriously flavoured rectangle jelly that's coated in a gritty sugar. The fruit flavour is fine, although it's kind of bland. After eating a few of these the flavour almost disappears and just becomes a sweet flavour. The sugar is a little off putting as well, it kind of makes you feel like you're eating a jelly candy that fell out of your mouth onto the ground and got covered in dirt. The extra sugar is also not necessary as the jelly part is sweet enough.

In general, I didn't really like this candy, but the mystery of this candy has made me eat the entire bag. First of all, I'm trying to figure out what flavour this is supposed to be. It tastes like some kind of berry, but I couldn't tell what berry exactly. Secondly, I can't figure out what this Pihlaja candy has to do with a fox, other than foxes are sometimes red and so is this candy. Finally, I can't figure out why people like these. Apparently, they're a classic candy in Finland, but I can't for the life of me figure out why. It's truly a mysterious candy, but one that doesn't taste great.

I think if I had to pull one redeeming factor about this candy it would be the texture of the jelly. It's super soft and melts in your mouth perfectly. If it wasn't covered in all that sugar it would probably be a great texture. As it stands that amazing soft chewiness is lost in gritty sugar. It's not a great candy, but it is kind of mysterious.