Katjes – Fred Ferkel

This little piggy is going straight into my mouth. These cute little piggies are apparently a popular gummy over in Germany and parts of Europe, and have slowly been making their way to my neck of the woods. This was hard to find, and so I’m wondering if it’s just not widely known yet, or if they think it won’t be popular. I guess that makes me a trailblazer, and I will take this responsibility seriously. Or as seriously as you a grown man can be eating pig shaped gummies.

Being that these are vegan, no gelatin can be used. Usually that means that other ingredients like pectin are used to make the gummies. I’ve said in the past that it’s generally not as bouncy or chewy and it definitely feels different. That’s somewhat of a non-issue here because the only gummy section is really just the small section of the ears – the rest is a foamy consistency. Unlike the usual foamy gummies though, they are more dense and don’t have as much air incorporated into them. It means they aren’t as fluffy, but they are still nice and chewy and not too sticky. It reminds me of fruit snacks I had as a kid, and I am all about it. It’s almost like a really dense marshmallow, but without all the sticky residue.

The flavour is also very nostalgic for me – the foam part of the gummy seems to be some sort of fruit punch or berry punch. It’s a little hard to tell visually, but the ear sections come in either raspberry, strawberry or cherry. Really though, it’s small enough it doesn’t impact the overall experience too much and it feels like each piece is essentially the same. Not that it’s a bad thing, because again, the flavour is really tasty and I find myself going in for more.

I have to admit, I’m still a little shocked at how much I enjoy these. It may be a combination of nostalgia and being reminded of a flavour and texture combination from my childhood that has unlocked my love for these, but damn it if these aren’t just amazing. I like to think I keep an open mind for situations like this. There’s lots of times when I’m taken aback or surprised, for better or worse, but this one is definitely one of the top pleasant surprises in recent memory.