question from a Yank

[clarabelle]

What are barley sugar sweets?
Also what are Humbugs?
Thanks!

 

[cool chris]

Hi clarabelle,
How funny I have not heard about those sweets or should i call them candies for years. Humbugs are very hard candies which you need to suck for ages and taste of mint (if i remember)

Not so sure about barley sweets.

Why do you ask? have you found some in the usa?

Regards

chris

 

[Dimplenose]

Humbugs are not always mint flavored. If they are they are usually colored with black and white stripes, if not they are golden. I used to buy these in tins for my grandmother at Christmas time. As Chris said they are hard but I'm sure that they had a more chewy centre.

Barley sugar is another hard candy. I don't think it has a flavour apart from the sugar it's made from. They do come as individual sweets but I remember them as twisted sticks that you could suck on for ages. I'm sure they are a good source of tooth decay.

Libby

 

[Mpet]

Hi

Here's some pictures.

http://www.aquarterof.co.uk/acatalog/boiled.html

This site is a trip down memory lane for all of you who can remember buying a 'quarter' of sweeties (or 2 ounces if pocket money was short)


Maxine

 

[clarabelle]

Thanks everyone for your replies.
I am from GA USA -but I read (or listen to on tape while I am cleaning house) lots or British mysteries.
Right now I am listening to one by Ruth Rendell and she mentions both candies. I had ran across them before in books and had always wondered.
It was great to have someone to ask!
Can anyone describe what barely sugar tastes like? I saw the pictures thank you Maxine.
I have never heard of it here.
Thanks again,
Joy

 

[Mpet]

Hi Joy

Barley sugar is quite hard to describe. it is incredibly sweet, but has an extra something that makes it taste different from 'raw sugar' - apparently some kind of extract of barley.

If you are feeling adventurous, here's a recipe to make your own.

http://www.greatbritishkitchen.co.uk/recipes/confectionery/barleysugar.htm

or an alternative if you can't find hulled barley!

http://www.greenchronicle.com/recipes/barley_sugar.htm

Maxine

 

[2BoysMum&Dad]

Barley sugar is lovely but very rotton for your teeth. They are very hard boiled sweets and have a very distinct and subtle flavour - not strong but very subtle and very sweet.

Zoe.

 

[UKDEB]

My Gran used to give us Barley Sugars before a car journey - she reckoned they were good for travel sickness. As Maxine says, the taste is very hard to describe - I can recall it precisely, but I can't really add anything to what she's already said.

My Gran always had 'cloves', too. Anyone remember those? Again, they were boiled sweets, flavoured with cloves (not just a clever name! )

 

[jubileegirl]

We used to be given barley sugar sweets to stop us being car sick too! They have a really distinctive sweet taste.
Mint humbugs were a favourite of mine. I'm sure they were very hard and you had to suck them but some were chewy inside and would stick onto your teeth and pull your fillings out if you weren't careful!!