Gastronome

Royal Roses

Ugh, someone stop me. I’ve used this column again to justify satisfying my sweet tooth.

It all began over the weekend when I finally had time to stop by the revamped International Market Place. It’s amazing there now, by the way.

Everything is so spacious and modern, nothing like the old hodgepodge of stores and kiosk vendors I remember.

With everything so flashy and new, it only took minutes before I felt like shopping. Fortunately (or more like not), my fiancé was with me. Let’s just say I did a lot of window-shopping instead.

One store that caught my eye: Sugarfina.

I first discovered the company online a few months ago while doing some wedding research. Gummy bears made with Dom Perignon Vintage Champagne — yes, you read that right — called to me.

Ice Cream ConesJAIMIE KIM PHOTOS

But since I was with the fiancé, I bided my time and instead made a quick stop at Foodland Farms in Ala Moana Center a few days later. You might recall that in a recent Gastronome on Foodland Farms, I mentioned a wall full of Sugarfina products. It really is quite the selection, and a great alternative if you are wary of driving into Waikiki like myself.

So here’s the deal: You can buy candy a la carte, or you can put it all together in a nifty bento box. Either way, these make a great gift — something to consider with the holidays coming up. There also is a selection of pre-made boxes in case choosing proves too difficult. (It will.)

I opted for the Gummy Love candy tasting box, which came with a smaller portion of eight of Sugarfina’s most popular gummies. I should warn you that even a sampler like this is not the cheapest. It was $26, and individual boxes of candy like the one pictured above range from $7 to $9. But it is packaged nicely (I already have ideas of how to reuse the box), and some candy is imported from places such as Germany, Holland and France.

Was it worth it?

Yes, actually. I am holding off on opening the Champagne Bears — this probably is the closest I will ever get to Dom — but what I have indulged in so far certainly has been a step up from the $1 gummies I’m very familiar with.

Sugarfina’s Gummy Love candy tasting box offers a sneak peek to some of its most popular creations

The Peach Bellini was nothing like the Haribo version I usually enjoy. It was sweeter and more flavorful, with a better gummy texture — chewy but not rock hard.

The same could be said for nearly everything I tried. Apple Frogs tasted much more of apple. Every flavor of Royal Roses — strawberry, raspberry, cherry and black currant — came through, and didn’t leave me wondering if I had read the description wrong. Even the Ice Cream Cones hinted of milky flavors mixed in with notes of strawberry, raspberry and vanilla.

This is candy for adults, and I love it.

I discovered, too, that eating one or two was more than enough for me. With flavors so nuanced and bold, eating more than that would have been too much. A little bit was just enough, which is a good thing for this “wedding diet” that is in full effect.

JAIMIE SAYS:

SAMPLE AWAY Seriously, a candy tasting box is perfect for a little bit of everything NOT JUST GUMMIES Sugarfina also offers chocolates, licorice and marshmallows ANTISOCIAL? Order it all online

SUGARFINA
International Market Place
2330 Kalakaua Ave.
Phone number (808) 638-3231
Website sugarfina.com