Inside this tiny little box are nine pastilles. They’re called Grether’s Blackcurrant Pastilles and they’re world famous. They’re made in Switzerland, in a process that must be incredibly expensive and labor intensive because this little box cost $2.99. Remember, I said there are nine little lozenges in there. That’s 33 cents each. Per ounce, this is far more than I pay for some really incredible chocolate.
Let me just say, the packaging is lovely. The tin is nicely made, with smooth edges and rounded corners. The printing on it is excellent and the design work fits the candy so well. I love this little tin and considering the fact that I paid $3 for it, I’m definitely going to find a use for it. (I think I’m going to put my earphones for my MP3 player in it.)
The pieces are soft but stiff, the shape fits easily in the mouth. They all bear the GP initials on them but aren’t distinctively attractive really. They’re translucent but quite a deep shade of purple.
They melt slowly, and though I can chew them, mostly I just squish them a bit. The melt or dissolve is smooth and has a dark blackcurrant flavor to it, it’s a mix of blackberry, pomegranate and boiled jam flavors. It’s a little tangy but mostly floral and berry.
They do soothe in a way that hard candies simply can’t, but without being sticky. Blackcurrant isn’t one of my favorite berry flavors, there’s a weird note to it, like the vine called Lantana that’s prevalent here in Southern California. It’s just a little gamey to me. I think the texture is spectacular, but the flavor and price is just too much for me. I wish they did a raspberry, honey or licorice though.
Related Candies
- Eat with your Eyes: Pine Brothers Cough Drops
- Dr. Doolittle’s Pastilles (Lemon, Grapefruit & Wild Berry)
- Grapefruit & Blackcurrant Pastilles
I LOVE THESE! Trader Joe’s used to sell them years and years ago, but then discontinued them. I haven’t been able to find them anywhere locally since. I miss them dearly!
I always see these at the grocery store but I’ve never tried them. The price is a Swiss thing everything is double or tripe the price compared to the US. It’s really hard for me to get use to grocery shopping. For the most part Lindt chocolate is cheaper in the US then it is in Switzerland.
These have been around for a long time - I am in my 50s. My grandmother always had a tin of these by her bedside. As a small child - I liked the candy (would have preferred it softer) but loved the tins; used one to store special things (acorn, rocks, monopoly playing piece). The photo brings back many memories—
These are the closest thing to the long gone Ludens cough drops. Very tasty but the price, ouch.
Gamey. That’s a great to describe blackcurrant. Took some getting-used-to here but was necessary as it’s the grape (i.e. ubiquitous fruit flavor) of the UK and Ireland.
@Michael: I think you meant Pine Bros. Cough Drops, not Ludens.
@Howard: That’s what I was thinking too. I miss those things dearly. My mom would buy them for me at the stationery store when she drove me to kindergarten. Wait, when did I get old enough to be nostalgic?
I found a couple of tins of these (after looking for ages!) in NYC yesterday. I was so excited to find them that I forked out $17.00 for each 110g tin (that is about 44 pieces). I just saw that you can buy them for a lot less if you mailorder them via Amazon and one of its partners.
I found them at melandrose.com
They have a new flavor out Blueberry. LOVE THEM.
These are great—have used them for years! Try
Pastilles for Less: http://www.pastillesforless.com/
or Gary Drug in Boston, MA will ship in US for addl cost.
Hey Guess what i got them in 200 st clair w
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