Folklore: Children's sweets

Subject: Folklore: Children's sweets
From: Paul Reade
Date: 16 Dec 14 - 06:39 PM

In these days of universal mass marketing it's nice to see everyday products which are still known by a variety of local names.

Someone recently mentioned "sherbet" powder - you dipped a liquorice stick in it and then sucked it. When I was a kid in Oldham we always called it "kali" (pronounced "kale-eye"), and liquorice was also called "Spanish".

Any other local variations?

Subject: RE: Folklore: Children's sweets
From: LadyJean
Date: 16 Dec 14 - 10:43 PM

I never encountered anything like that. But I know that what, everywhere else in the world is called a Creme Horn, is called a ladylock here in Pittsburgh.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Children's sweets
From: Manitas_at_home
Date: 17 Dec 14 - 02:20 AM

Sherbet dabs in London (UK). I seem to remember the liquorice being a tube through which you sucked the powder until it got too damp. For us Spanish was liquorice shaped and coloured like tobacco to go with your chocolate pipes and sweet chalk cigarettes.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Children's sweets
From: GUEST,Ian Gill
Date: 17 Dec 14 - 05:53 AM

Sweets are still called 'cook - ooks' or 'cookers' in many parts of the Black Country. Sherbet powder is still called 'Kale -eye' - we are a fairly primitive people!

Subject: RE: Folklore: Children's sweets
From: Mr Red
Date: 18 Dec 14 - 05:04 AM

Ah! Troach. A black-country delicay. A boiled sweet with a dark brown colour, originally made by Teddy Grays (Dudley) and Sela (West Brom). I am told Teddy Grays still manufacture. Sela sold out to Paynes in Newport S. Wales and that passed to Brays also of "Nuput".

Most people cite aniseed as the flavour but it is a modified flavour thereof. Originally, before EC elf and siftie got on the case, the flavour was Paregoric though that had aniseed to hide the essential ingredient. Tincture of opium would be close though paregoric is about 1/20th the strength. "Army & Navy" had the same flavouring though much stronger - possibly less aniseed. Victory V lozenges had the same ingredient and any aniseed was barely discernible. Kaolin & Morphine medicine, unsurprisingly had the same kind of taste as Victory V.

I still buy Troach whenever I can find it, the big advantage is that girlfriends don't particularly like them. All the more for me!

Subject: RE: Folklore: Children's sweets
From: Mr Red
Date: 18 Dec 14 - 05:11 AM

bain't neva heard uv cook-ooks owr kid. But Kay-lie and Sherbert Dabs wus interchangeable werds.
Wear wus yo frum? Can't uv bin the ded centa uv civilisation, Wedgebury. The very ded centa, ay it?

Subject: RE: Folklore: Children's sweets
From: Penny S.
Date: 18 Dec 14 - 10:54 AM

We had sherbert fountains - with a cylindrical yellow pack with the licorice tube stuck in through a twisted top. Sweet tobacco in similar greeny/blue tubes - shredded coconut with cocoa colouring. Sherbert dabs were little toffees on lollipop rolled paper sticks with the sherbert in a little bag - can't remember clearly because I didn't buy them. Like Swizzels' chews on sticks they took too long to eat and didn't store well once started.
Penny

Subject: RE: Folklore: Children's sweets
From: GUEST,Sapper on TIC2, now at Forest Gate Jn
Date: 18 Dec 14 - 11:17 AM

T'other half, who works at Crich Tramway Museum, has lost count of the customers who come into the sweet shop, which specialises in vintage varieties of sweet, and proclaim, "Oohh! I remember them from when I was little. You can't get them anymore!!" whilst pointing at a full jar of their favourites recently delivered from the sweet wholesaler!

Subject: RE: Folklore: Children's sweets
From: Peter the Squeezer
Date: 18 Dec 14 - 01:48 PM

I have fond memories of walking to school on cold winter mornings sucking Victory V lozenges. Much nicer taste that Fishermans Friends, but they didn't sing shantys.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Children's sweets
From: Jack Campin
Date: 18 Dec 14 - 02:36 PM

Somebody ate those voluntarily?

They're flavoured with diethyl ether. Having been anaesthetized with that stuff many times as a kid, they still make me want to puke 50 years later.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Children's sweets
From: Bert
Date: 18 Dec 14 - 07:46 PM

Thet were sherbert dabs to us.

Who remembers Spaceships? Flying saucer shaped wafers filled with sherbert.

Do they still have sugar mice in the UK? I tell people about them here in Colorado, and they don't believe me.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Children's sweets
From: GUEST, topsie
Date: 19 Dec 14 - 07:48 AM

I saw sugar mice in a 'party' shop in Guildford a few years ago, but when I went back the shop was gone. You CAN buy sugar mice on line though.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Children's sweets
From: Michael
Date: 19 Dec 14 - 03:53 PM

Where I were brought up in North East Derbyshire, sweets were 'Spice'.
In Hull they are 'goodies'.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Children's sweets
From: Mr Red
Date: 23 Dec 14 - 01:54 PM

Parma Violets. They have been resurrected more recently. To many and it had deleterious effects on the atmosphere. Apparently they have sorted that problem. Gob Stoppers.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Children's sweets
From: GUEST,Blandiver (Astray)
Date: 23 Dec 14 - 04:02 PM

Flying Saucers are alive and well. Buy 'em by the bucketful on ebay:

300 Flying Saucers UFO's Sherbet Filled Wholesale Retro Sweets New

*

On Tyneside sweets were always KET.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Children's sweets
From: GUEST, topsie
Date: 23 Dec 14 - 05:04 PM

I used to like sherbet lemons - sucking the sweet until there was a small hole, and sucking the sherbet out through the hole. My other favourite was crunchy bars. Now I hardly ever eat sweets apart from dark chocolate (and proper Turkish delight when I can find it - not that chewy stuff made with gelatine).