I am a candy fiend, so much so that I constantly find candy wrappers in my pockets. Naturally, when I studied abroad in Copenhagen during fall 2019, I sampled a plethora of sweets. Upon my return to the states, I decided I might as well rank them!
First, two disclaimers.
Disclaimer #1: This list contains both chocolate and gummy candy. I recognize that chocolate and gummies are polar opposites, but alas, it's more fun to see all the candy I consumed together.
Disclaimer #2: Not all of these candies are produced in the country where I tried them, but I attempted to sample candy from each location I visited.
Here are all the candies I tried abroad.
1. Lion Bar
Tasted in: So many countries.
Crisp cereal, caramel, wafer and chocolate... what's not to like? I may be a little biased because I went on this candy expedition assuming Lion Bars would be #1 on account that they have been my favorite candy for years, but considering the sheer number of Lion Bars I ate while abroad and brought home in my suitcase, they earned their spot as #1.
2. Milch Mäuse
Tasted in: Munich, Germany
I stuffed the pockets of my Oktoberfest dirndl with Milch Mäuse, that's how good these mouse-shaped cornflake-filled chocolates were.
3. Wanted Pops
Tasted in: Pristina, Kosovo
4. Haribo Pommes
Tasted in: Pristina, Kosovo
5. Double Decker
Tasted in: London, England
6. Catch
Tasted in: Ennis, Ireland
7. Daim
Tasted in: Copenhagen, Denmark
8. Bueno
Tasted in: Copenhagen, Denmark
9. Vidal Mega Sour Mix
Tasted in: Lisbon, Portugal
Not going to lie, I was a little skeptical about the choice of shape for these gummies... they're feet-shaped!! But, they were super sour and chewy!
10. Alibi Max Coconut
Tasted in: Copenhagen, Hungary
Like a Lion Bar (#1) but coconut flavored!
11. Bunte Drachenzungen
Tasted in: Vienna, Austria
12. Laviva
Tasted in: Pristina, Kosovo
13. Pick Up!
Tasted in: Marrakesh, Morocco
14. Carambar Minis
Tasted in: Paris, France
As I said before, I find candy wrappers in all my pockets. But these Carambar Minis wrappers followed me around for literally months. A true sign that they were tasty and easy to transport!
15. Lach Gummi Softies
Not just your typical gummy flavors! These came in innovative flavors in the world of gummies, like peach.
16. Floc Choc
Tasted in: Lisbon, Portugal
17. Go Fresh
Tasted in: Pristina, Kosovo
18. Tronky
Tasted in: Madrid, Spain
19. Kex (Vilken Hjälten)
Tasted in: Stockholm, Sweden
20. Tibi Black Currant
Tasted in: Budapest, Hungary
21. Milk Burger
While exploring a grocery store in Budapest, Hungary, I stumbled upon a CANDY SECTION OF THE GROCERY STORE. I found this revolutionary and, of course, had to try this mysterious 'Milk Burger.' I was not disappointed, it was basically a mini whoopee pie!
22. Huestitos
Tasted in: Madrid, Spain
23. Maoam Bloxx
Tasted in: Copenhagen, Denmark
24. Cigar
Tasted in: Marrakesh, Morocco
25. Balisto
Tasted in: Paris, France
26. Choceur Haselnuss
Tasted in: Munich, Germany
27. Pöttyös Túro Rudi
Tasted in: Budapest, Hungary
Along with the Milk Burger, I found Pöttyös Túro Rudi in the candy refrigerator section of the grocery store. I had no idea what to expect but it was kind of like a black current cheesecake tube dipped in chocolate. It was 10/10.
28. Tagger
Tasted in: Marrakesh, Morocco
29. Limited Edition Ginger Cookie Twix
Tasted in: Copenhagen, Denmark (but definitely American)
30. Tutku
Tasted in: Pristina, Kosovo
31. Dumle
Tasted in: Copenhagen, Denmark
32. Twirl
Tasted in: London, England
Flakey sheets of chocolate all spun together is delicious, but Twirl was up against some real winners in my opinion. Being just a chocolate bar, it didn't ~change~ me.
33. Yorkie
Tasted in: London, England
34. Sandwich Bites
Tasted in: Stockholm, Sweden
On account that Sandwich Bites are bite-sized candy-versions of an ice cream sandwich, I was beyond excited for these. But they fall so low on my ranking because (dare I say it) they were too sweet and kind of grainy.
35. Polly for a Swedish Fika
Tasted in: Stockholm, Sweden
"Fika" is the Swedish coffee version of Danish "Hygge" or English high tea. Maybe 'foam drops' covered in chocolate are just not my thing, but I still finished the bag.
36. Scottie
Tasted in: Stockholm, Sweden
37. Japp
Tasted in: Stockholm, Sweden
38. Tonik
Tasted in: Marrakesh, Morocco
39. Nestle Nuts
Tasted in: Vienna, Austria
40. Albeni
Tasted in: Pristina, Kosovo
41. Plopp
Tasted in: Stockholm, Sweden
The name says it all.
42. Pikotas
Tasted in: Madrid, Spain
43. Flipper
Tasted in: Copenhagen, Denmark
A dolphin-shaped marshmallow covered in chocolate sounds like a fantastic idea, but it was rubbery and the chocolate was waxy. It doesn't make the top of the list.
44. Sport
Tasted in: Budapest, Hungary
Imagine biting into a chocolate bar only to find out it is rum (I think?) flavored. I was not a happy camper.
45. Vadász
Tasted in: Budapest, Hungary
Then imagine being so disappointed that you just bit into a nasty alcohol flavored 'Sport' chocolate bar, so you grab one of your other chocolate bars from your grocery store haul and IT TOO is alcohol flavored. That, ladies and gentlemen, is why Vadász is last on the list.
So, what did I learn from my candy escapade?
(1) Just like you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, don't judge a candy bar by the lack of English on its wrapper. Unwrapping a candy bar that you don't know anything about is a whole lot of fun, as long as you don't have allergies. You never know, maybe you'll find your Lion Bar.
(2) If you try American candies abroad, like Kit Kat for example, you'll find that they're are not as sweet.
(3) While I love sightseeing, I personally feel like nothing is more exciting than getting to a new city or country and checking out its grocery store. You can learn a lot about a culture from its food and there's no better place to do so than a grocery store.