From chips that burn your tongue to sweets that taste like sweaty feet, American and Asian sweets are immensely popular with young people thanks to the social video platform TikTok. But what the hell is a brain licker? And what does a nerd taste like? We dived into the candy cabinet with Belgian candy store Sugar and Sweets and discovered the five most popular varieties among children. “Due to all those challenges online, we get a huge demand for specific sweets.”
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Forget coke bottles, gummy bears and magic balls: American and Asian sweets are the hype of the moment. In various Flemish cities you will find candy stores with colorful shop windows, which offer candy from all corners of the world and in all colors of the rainbow. “TikTok has boosted its popularity,” says Yannick Keeble (33) from candy store Sugar and Sweets in Brasschaat, Antwerp, Lier and Hasselt. “I started selling scoop candy in my garage about three years ago. Now, together with my wife Esther, I run four stores throughout the country. We now not only sell candy, but also energy drinks and breakfast cereals.”
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“Snacks from abroad are really very popular. Children see the colorful candies on TikTok, for example through a challenge, and then ask for them in the store. A well-known challenge is the one with jelly beans (€3.30) These are small, sugary candies with dozens of flavors. You can have a nice candy with a fruit flavor, but also a candy that tastes like sweaty feet or rotten fish.”
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The 5 best-selling international sweets
1. Sour Patch Kids
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Sour patch kids (€4.99 for 1 bag of 204 g) are soft, colorful candies in the shape of a man. “At first they taste sour, then sweet. They are very pleasant to eat.” Usually the American sweets have a fruit flavor, but you can also take with a cola flavor. They also exist in the form of a kind of energy drink: the ‘ghost energy’. Whether something like this is healthy for your teeth, we’re not sure.
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2. Nerds
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These are small and crunchy sugar balls that you can get in dozens of flavors. Think watermelon, strawberry and cherry. “The most popular are the Nerds Rainbow (€3.50). They collect all the colors in a rainbow. The intention is, by the way, that you cut several in your mouth at the same time.” You also have the Nerds Gummy Clusters (€3.50). The small balls stick together in a large ball. They are then held together by a soft, gum-like liquid. Finally, you have the Nerds Rope Rainbow (€2.25). In addition, all the small spheres are together in a kind of large rod. Ideal for taking a bite on the go.
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3. Extra spicy cheetos
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This one Cheetos Flamin Hot (€ 6.99) are not the Cheetos that you can just buy in the supermarket. These cheetos will set your mouth on fire. Young people challenge each other on TikTok to eat as much of it as possible. A challenge where a glass of water or milk is not an unnecessary luxury. Not a fan of extremely spicy chips? Then you can also enjoy other unique flavors that you would normally never find with us, such as BBQ steak (€4.50), cheddar (€5.50) or hamburger (€3.75).
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Read more below the video.
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4. Reese’s Puffs
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Reese’s Puffs (€9.99) are typical American breakfast cereals. These crispy balls are filled with chocolate and peanut butter. You can also get this sweet snack in the form of a bar or the well-known cups. Not a fan of peanut butter? Then other typical American cornflakes with Oreo or Caramel Macchiato might be more for you.
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5. Monster Energy
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The energy drink Monster (€ 4.50) in our country can mainly be recognized by the typical black-green color. “In other countries they often taste different, and the colors on the cans also differ. They are therefore very popular to collect. Some people want them from all over the world.” For example, the American version with watermelon has an orange color, while the Japanese version with a cola flavor has a black color.
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Tip of the iceberg
The previous five snacks are of course just a tip of the iceberg: there is much more to enjoy in the foreign snack range. For example, you have the popular Jelly Fruits (€5). Those are candies that you can drink. They come in a plastic shell in the shape of a fruit. Another popular snack is the brainlicker (€3 for 60ml). This one looks a bit like a deodorant. Instead of rolling on your armpits, lick them. The roller tastes good, and it gives your tongue a tan. Finally, there are also the many variants on products we already know very well. Think of a Twix with ginger flavor (€2), a Kit Kat with mint or matcha (€2), and a Coke with vanilla flavor (€2).
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