Best Candy in New York: Sockerbit

Sockerbit

89 Christopher St., New York, NY 10014

(212) 206-8170

Somewhere in Sweden, a wicked Nordic candy man is laughing. When Sockerbit, the minimalist Swedish sweet shop, came to Christopher Street earlier this year, we were giddy. A whole new selection of candies unbeknownst to us Americans was beckoning. So we entered the all-white store, which resembles something between a pharmacy and a salad bar, and loaded up two bags of $13-per-pound treats, including "original" Swedish Fish. And we found it an intercultural experience, to say the least. Apparently, Swedes' taste for candy is radically different from ours: gummies so tart that your taste buds burn, chocolate-covered oatmeal, and licorice—lots and lots of licorice disguised as fruity, wonderful flavors that are not supposed to be licorice. Nothing tasted like what it looked like, which, though disappointing at times, turned out to be the store's selling point. It's like the irresistible draw of trading in your cash prize to find out what's behind door number three—the unpredictability of foreign candy is so much more enticing than a trip to the vending machine. 89 Christopher Street, 212-206-8170, sockerbit.com (10014)

Source: The Village Voice