BS: Parma Violet Sweets - reaction????

Subject: BS: Parma Violet Sweets - reaction????
From: Mr Red
Date: 19 Feb 07 - 09:25 AM

The modern fare is more like Love Hearts in texture but I have found that some days they can cause a certain noxious odour in the wind dept. Depending on how much you consume (1 packet in a day).

It varies - and I am not so sure it is me that is variable.

Anyone noticed this - it is important in a social environment after all.

Subject: RE: BS: Parma Violet Sweets - reaction????
From: Alec
Date: 19 Feb 07 - 10:11 AM

Always hated them, Mr Red hideous repulsive things. Yuk

Subject: RE: BS: Parma Violet Sweets - reaction????
From: Scooby Doo
Date: 19 Feb 07 - 10:30 AM

I bought a childs assorted sweets for xmas and inside was one packet of violet sweets.I think they are gorgeous and bring back happy childhood memories.
Scooby

Subject: RE: BS: Parma Violet Sweets - reaction????
From: wysiwyg
Date: 19 Feb 07 - 10:38 AM

Sugars can ferment on their own plus whatever else is in the gut trying to digest, and this causes noxious gases as well as other difficulties. It may simply be that you are just not processing sugars as well as you used to, or having too many at a time.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Parma Violet Sweets - reaction????
From: Mr Red
Date: 19 Feb 07 - 11:51 AM

I think this is unique to Parma Violet Sweets. They seem to be far more sugary and less Parma and certainly bigger than in days of yore. Serbet refreshers by Trebor are the guide to the texture and sugar content of modern Parma sweets. Perhaps I should gorge on sherbert refreshers - oh well - in the name of science................ just this once.

Subject: RE: BS: Parma Violet Sweets - reaction????
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 19 Feb 07 - 01:46 PM

My narrowboat...some years ago was called 'PARMA'...a name I gave it because it was purple and violet coloured.
I loved parma violets as a child.

Subject: RE: BS: Parma Violet Sweets - reaction????
From: GUEST,michaelr
Date: 19 Feb 07 - 08:02 PM

Stick with Parma ham and Parma cheese!

Subject: RE: BS: Parma Violet Sweets - reaction????
From: Grab
Date: 20 Feb 07 - 05:09 AM

It seems to be hard to get the proper ones these days. There's quite a few places sell "giant Parma violets", but they don't taste the same as the small ones.

I've never noticed them flavouring the flatulence though.

Graham.

Subject: RE: BS: Parma Violet Sweets - reaction????
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 20 Feb 07 - 11:27 AM

I love them, Limpit hates them and I've never noticed any adverse reaction in the botty department.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Parma Violet Sweets - reaction????
From: Mingulay
Date: 20 Feb 07 - 06:17 PM

I was standing in a chip shop queue the other day when a guy started handing round a tube of parma violets. He'd just sent his daughter to the sweet shop next door to buy them and was extolling their virtues. I took one and slipped back 50 years. They tasted just as I had remembered them.

I didn't notice any alteration in the nether regions, but then a lone parma violet would stand no chance lol.

Subject: RE: BS: Parma Violet Sweets - reaction????
From: Dave Roberts
Date: 20 Feb 07 - 07:34 PM

I hesitate to contribute to a debate on such a delicate subject, but a former work colleague called John Smith (really) once told me that one of the side-effects of eating Parma Violets (in fact, I imagine, the only side effect) was that they were supposed to 'sweeten' the aroma of emitted wind (if I may put it in such a coy fashion). Obviously, many were disappointed.
My four year old Grandaughter recently found a packet of Parma Violets and mistook them for her favourite multi-coloured fizzy sweets.
She was less than impressed with the taste, and said that they 'tasted like scent'.
Which they do.

Subject: RE: BS: Parma Violet Sweets - reaction????
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 20 Feb 07 - 09:05 PM

Sweet violets,
sweeter than all the roses,
Covered all over from head to foot,
covered all over with ...

Subject: RE: BS: Parma Violet Sweets - reaction????
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 21 Feb 07 - 04:13 AM

I'm eating some right now, Mmmmmmmmm!

Violet flavoured sweets have been around since mediaeval times when they were thought to sweeten the breath (what goes in sweet, must come out sweet....) like peppermints. They'd never heard of things like tooth decay, acid reflux or bacteria so they didn't realise the real cause.

Devon used to have a thriving violet business, much like Norfolk and lavendar and for much the same reasons.

I have a garden path that is covered in tiny violet plants and I love walking down it on a warm spring day, it smells like heaven.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Parma Violet Sweets - reaction????
From: lady penelope
Date: 21 Feb 07 - 04:16 PM

REaction? Gag, hack , argh, cough, cough, takeitaway, takeitaway, ptooey, ptooey.......

And that's just being in the same room as them...!!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Parma Violet Sweets - reaction????
From: Penny S.
Date: 21 Feb 07 - 04:47 PM

I had some in a bumper pack I bought for classroom purposes, and they were left over as the children did not like them. They were just like the old ones. Small, dense and floral. Didn't notice any dire after effects.

Did notice that being kept in a box with chocolate gave the chocolate a nice subtle violetty flavour, much nicer than violet creams.

Penny

Subject: RE: BS: Parma Violet Sweets - reaction????
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 22 Feb 07 - 03:09 AM

Damn, wish I hadn't eaten them all now.. I think I'll try the chocolate thing.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Parma Violet Sweets - reaction????
From: Mr Red
Date: 22 Feb 07 - 10:30 AM

Maybe it is the Stearic Acid (Indegestion tablets??) or the Magnesium Carbonate in the recipe. But then so should Swizzels react in the same way.

Only Parma Violets. Doesn't happen with Proscutio Ham...........

Subject: RE: BS: Parma Violet Sweets - reaction????
From: sapper82
Date: 22 Feb 07 - 10:19 PM

Always preferred Aniseed Balls!

Subject: RE: BS: Parma Violet Sweets - reaction????
From: Sooz
Date: 23 Feb 07 - 11:39 AM

Loved them when I was little but stopped buying them when I realised they were stabilised with gelatine. Have just discovered that they have changed the recipe and so they are now suitable for us veggies. We've justed started the first packet - what a blast from the past!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Parma Violet Sweets - reaction????
From: GUEST,CandyGirl
Date: 01 May 07 - 07:55 PM

when i was little i was given a handful of sweets at playgroup - Parma violets and something that was a similar size but "rose" flavoured and pink. Does anyone know what these are / were? I loved them but can't seem to buy them any more :(

Subject: RE: BS: Parma Violet Sweets - reaction????
From: Megan L
Date: 02 May 07 - 04:57 AM

they were called Cachouts not sure if that was the right spelling.

Subject: RE: BS: Parma Violet Sweets - reaction????
From: Grimmy
Date: 02 May 07 - 05:58 AM

They were always regarded as a bit 'girlie' at my (all boys) school. That didn't stop me buying them on the sly, though ;-)

And, as it was customary, nay compulsory, to share our 'bottom burps' with all and sundry, I can only assume that my 'air biscuits' had the same fetid, obnoxious stink-stench as everyone else's - otherwise I would have been rumbled!

Subject: RE: BS: Parma Violet Sweets - reaction????
From: Jack Campin
Date: 02 May 07 - 07:31 AM

The fartogenic ingredient might be sorbitol, a sugar-like sweetener. People vary a lot in their ability to digest it.

Subject: RE: BS: Parma Violet Sweets - reaction????
From: GUEST
Date: 31 Oct 07 - 10:49 AM

i brought loads, after my delight of finding them

ate loads and then had terrible stomach ache for days

dont eat to many!

Subject: RE: BS: Parma Violet Sweets - reaction????
From: Rusty Dobro
Date: 31 Oct 07 - 03:26 PM

If no more witches and ghouls knock on my door tonight, then the sweets left in the bag by the door will be mine all mine (evil chuckle!). Sadly no Parma violets, but Love Hearts and Curly Wurlies.
Or I could give them to my grandchildren.

Nah.

Subject: RE: BS: Parma Violet Sweets - reaction????
From: David C. Carter
Date: 31 Oct 07 - 03:33 PM

Wouldn't touch.'em with a barge pole.

Subject: RE: BS: Parma Violet Sweets - reaction????
From: Anne Lister
Date: 31 Oct 07 - 05:44 PM

I hated them as a child so haven't sought them out as an adult. Love Hearts, on the other hand, or Refreshers ... yum!

Incidentally, picking up LTS's comments on medieval people "never heard of tooth decay" - well, yes, they knew all about the effects, except not what caused it. Which is why you won't see any smiling portraits of important people from the past - their teeth were dreadful. Only rich people were able to afford a lot of sweet stuff, though. Sugar was a real luxury, and otherwise it was parsnips (dried) or honey or other substitutes.

Anne

Subject: RE: BS: Parma Violet Sweets - reaction????
From: GUEST,Hoshy
Date: 03 Nov 07 - 04:54 PM

These sweets are classic. An aquired taste indeed. I never liked them too much when I was younger, but started buying the big ones during a spell of me and a friend playing Gran Turismo for 12 hours straight. Only good memories from these purple rascals from now on !

Subject: RE: BS: Parma Violet Sweets - reaction????
From: Waddon Pete
Date: 03 Nov 07 - 05:50 PM

Hello,

Round our way, if some-one is acting a little oddly, then they are asked, "Have you been at the Parma violets again?"

Best wishes,

Peter

Subject: RE: BS: Parma Violet Sweets - reaction????
From: SINSULL
Date: 03 Nov 07 - 07:17 PM

Are these anything like Sen Sens? Tiny, pretty little envelopes of tiny bits of almost licorice candy flavored with violets?

Subject: RE: BS: Parma Violet Sweets - reaction????
From: Mr Happy
Date: 03 Nov 07 - 10:26 PM

Mr Red,

Perhaps try here http://www.swizzels-matlow.com/ for answers?