// guide
Swedish candy.
Swedish candy — known locally as godis — is one of the most varied and most loved confectionery cultures on earth. Sweden eats roughly 17 kg of candy per person per year, and most of it on a Saturday. This is the full guide: what it is, why it's different, and where to start.
What makes Swedish candy different
Four things set Swedish candy apart from American or British sweets: salty licorice (salmiak), genuinely sour candy (US "sour" is candied lemon by comparison), chocolate made with Swedish dairy, and the lösgodis tradition — walls of loose candy bins where you build your own bag.
Many Swedish brands — Malaco, Bubs, Cloetta, Marabou, Ahlgrens, Fazer — have been refining their recipes for over a century. The result is a category that rewards exploration.
Lördagsgodis: the Saturday tradition
In the 1950s the Swedish Medical Board ran a public-health study that linked sugar to tooth decay. The pragmatic conclusion: eat candy, but only once a week. The slogan stuck. A generation grew up with candy strictly on Saturdays, and lördagsgodis — Saturday candy — became sacred.
The main categories
Lösgodis — build your own bag. The most Swedish way to eat candy.
From soft sweet ropes to the legendary salty salmiak.
Marabou, Plopp, Kexchoklad — Swedish dairy meets cocoa.
The biscuits and small sweets that go with coffee.
Pre-packed favourites — Polly, Bilar, Skulls and more.
Where to start
If you've never tried Swedish candy before, don't begin with Djungelvrål (extreme salty licorice). Start with a mix: Polly for milk-chocolate-coated nougat, Ahlgrens Bilar for the iconic marshmallow cars, Skipper's Pipesfor your first taste of salmiak, and Bubs Skulls for proper sour.
Frequently asked
- What is Swedish candy called?
- In Swedish it's called godis. Loose pick-and-mix candy is lösgodis; the Saturday tradition of buying candy is lördagsgodis.
- Why is Swedish candy so popular?
- Sweden has one of the highest per-capita candy consumption rates in the world. The variety is enormous, the licorice is unique, the chocolate uses Swedish dairy, and the sour candy is genuinely sour.
- What's the most famous Swedish candy?
- Ahlgrens Bilar (marshmallow cars) is the best-selling. Bubs Skulls and Djungelvrål went viral on TikTok in 2024. Marabou Mjölkchoklad is the iconic chocolate bar.
- Is salty licorice really salty?
- Yes — it's flavoured with ammonium chloride (salmiak), which delivers a sharp, savoury tang on top of licorice root. It's an acquired taste loved across the Nordics.
- Can I order Swedish candy outside Sweden?
- Yes. Candhy ships real Swedish candy worldwide from Stockholm with tracked UPS, DHL or FedEx delivery.