Though most of the confectioners I was searching for in London were chocolate related, I knew I needed to pick up a package of Percy Pig Soft Gums from Marks & Spencer. It wasn’t hard to find them, as it was hard to walk more than three blocks in central London and not run across one of their food stops.
They’re described as Soft gums made with fruit juice. Made without artificial colors or flavorings. Though they call them gums, they’re actually gummis, as in, they’re made with gelatin. The texture is a hybrid between marshmallow and gummi.
Marks and Spencer came up with the idea for Percy Pig in conjunction with one of their contract manufacturers, Katjes, in Germany. Marks & Spencer wanted something fruity and foamy. The look of the candy was based off of the existing Tappsy panda-faced licorice line from Katjes.
The color is definitely close to what I’d call pig skin pink. It’s a light color that’s more like putty than actual artificial pink common in most candies here in the United States. The scent is rather berry-like, a little floral with a tangy sort of yogurt note.
The texture is soft and easy to bite, they’re not too tacky or stiff. The flavor is much more intense than the similar Haribo foamy gummis I’ve had over the years. They’re wonderfully well done, good tartness, good jammy berry flavors (strawberry and raspberry). The ears are a little more tart and less creamy (marshmallowy) than the face.
It’s a great product and I can see why Brits are so fond of them. There are plenty of similar products on the market now, but for a long time they really occupied a niche that was not well served by the existing candies available. I would love more flavor variations, but since I know that Katjes makes them, they have lots of other yogurt gums and other foamy gummi candies in their repertoire ... some also in amazingly cute shapes.
For some more history on Percy Pig, you can read up at this feature article on The Independent.
Related Candies
- Katjes Tappsy mit Schoko-Geschmack
- Sugarpova: Sporty & Splashy
- 12 European Licorices
- Katjes Tappsy
- Puffy Candy Corn
- Van Slooten - Autodrop Total Loss
- Katjes Tropical Gummis & Yogurt Gums
Name: |
Percy Pig |
RATING:
- SUPERB
- YUMMY
- TASTY
- WORTH IT
- TEMPTING
- PLEASANT
- BENIGN
- UNAPPEALING
- APPALLING
- INEDIBLE
|
Brand: |
Katjes |
Place Purchased: |
Marks & Spencer (London) |
Price: |
£0.90 ($1.50) |
Size: |
3.5 ounces |
Calories per ounce: |
96 |
Categories: |
All Natural, Candy, Katjes, Gummi Candy, 8-Tasty, Germany |
Thank you for writing about my favourite candy of all time
These are too cute! I hope they’ll pop up at World Market. I’d love to try them.
Here in Germany they are “Fred Ferkel” from Katjes(you can google that) and are very delicious
These are called Fred Ferkel in Germany
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