Saturday Candy

If you grew up in a different country than the one you live in, you know the value of finding foods from your homeland. It’s a feeling that is almost impossible to describe because it brings so many feelings and memories with it. No matter how long you’ve lived in your new country, your homeland stays with you forever.
In Sweden we have a tradition called Lördagsgodis, Saturday Candy. Children eat no candy at all during the week, but on Saturday they get to pick whichever candy they want and eat it all, Saturday Candy. This day is obviously the best day of the week. Right?
In my neighborhood we had a small convenience-store we called Lilla affären, Little Store. It was within walking distance from where I lived and my friends and I were allowed to go there alone every Saturday to buy our Lördagsgodis. I still remember the anticipation walking to it, and how I tried not to have even one piece until we got back home to draw it out just a little bit longer.
A treasured tradition I’ve missed ever since I  moved to New York almost 30 years ago.
But I don’t have to pine for it any more! A new Swedish Candy Store, Bon-Bon, just opened on Allen Street.

It has everything, even old favorites that bring me back to my childhood and my visits to Lilla affären.
They have candy by the scoop, chocolate bars, salty liquorice and several kinds of cars.  They come in their own bags full of tri-colored tiny, chewy cars, a Swedish must have. Delicious!

Bon-Bon even has “chips och dippa.” Swedish potato chips and a dipping mix for sour crème. My American born husband’s absolute favorite. It’s a real miracle finding them here.
Swedish chips are softer than American chips. They’re still crunchy, but never hard. This way you can eat more of them faster. The combination of sour and spicy/sweet “dippa” with a salty and crunchy potato chip is divine.
The “dippa” is easy to make. Fill a bowl with 3dl (300 ml mark on your measuring cup) sour creme, empty a package of  dip mix into it, stir and let sit for 15 minutes. Waiting these 15 minutes is the hardest part, I cheat often.

Find them here! bonbonnyc.com