Grenna Polkagriskokeri

The woman who put Gränna on the map is named Amalia Eriksson, and it is thanks to her that the small town will forever be associated with the red and white delicacy that for some unknown reason was named Polkagris.

Amalia was born in 1824 and grew up in Gränna, where she later married a tailor and together they had a daughter named Ida. When Amalia was only 25 years old, her husband passed away, leaving her a widow and a single mother. Amalia was a resourceful woman and started making confectionery for occasions such as funerals, baptisms, and weddings. At this time, she also began making her so-called Polkagris, initially in the form of small “pluttar.” To support herself, Amalia sought and was granted permission by the Magistrate of Gränna in 1859 to “engage in bakery work with her own hands in the city to make coarser and finer bread and produce so-called ‘Polkagrisar’ as a means of support.” The mayor of the city, Carl Johan Wennberg, signed this privilege letter, which made it possible for Amalia to bake and sell Polkagrisar full-time.

Today, over 160 years later, Polkagrisar are still made in Gränna in much the same way as during Amalia’s time.

The Secret of the Craft

Ida helped her mother with the production and understood the potential of Polkagris and developed her mother’s skills. Thanks to this, Polkagrisen could continue even after Amalia’s passing in 1923 at the age of 99. The first person outside the family who was allowed to learn Amalia’s secret was Mrs. Greta Nordstedt, who lived in the Nordstedt House on Brahegatan 39, the house that today is Grenna Polkagriskokeri.

In the 1950s, production began to grow, largely thanks to car traffic and the “riksettan” that passed through Gränna. Initially, the confectionery was made in people’s homes, and the Polkagrisar were sold at stands along the road. Olle Mattias, a son of Gränna, was the first to let customers see how the production was done.

In the early 1970s, the first Polkagris that was not red and white appeared. It was a blue and yellow candy cane that caused quite a stir. Many believed that the red and white tradition had been broken. Later in the 1970s, different flavors began to appear, and today, candy canes, or as we prefer to call them, sugar sticks, are made in a variety of colors and flavors. However, the authentic Polkagris from Gränna is always red and white striped with a fresh taste of peppermint oil!

Augusta Janssons

It started with Augusta Jansson in 1882. Today, we are one of the oldest candy manufacturers in Sweden! It all started with Augusta Jansson in 1882 on Östermalm where she had both production and stores.

We are a family business that bakes everything by hand using a Belgian quality chocolate made by the company Callebaut. Augusta Jansson has been doing business with Callebaut since the 1930s. They are one of the oldest chocolate manufacturers in Belgium with a solid history. They have their own plantations and a complete production. The process is from cultivation until the cocoa bean is processed and cast into chocolate blocks.

That’s where we take over and transform these blocks into our own products. Augusta had a knack for creating confections and caramels that were beyond the ordinary.

Long after her passing, my grandfather Mile began as an apprentice to the then candy masters. He took over the factory in 1969 and ran it until 1987 when new interests called. During that period, my father Marco was taught the secret recipes and now I want to carry on the legacy so that the old knowledge is not lost.

Lakritsfabriken

World premiere of Swedish premium licorice!

Lakritsfabriken launched Sweden’s first premium licorice at the Lakritsfestivalen in Stockholm on April 9, 2011. In addition to quality and choice of ingredients in the licorice, it was also important for founder Martin Jörgensen that it should be completely gluten-free. The timeless, stylish and Scandinavian design distinguishes the brand, and Martin had an early vision of packaging the product in a flat gift box.

The assortment has grown over time, and today chocolate-dipped, chocolate-coated and cast licorice products are also produced in different packaging and designs. The assortment also includes spice blends under the name Lakritskocken as well as licorice ingredients for cooking and baking. Today, the brand Lakritskungen also exists with a more everyday range in simpler packaging created by Lakritsfabriken. Over the years, Lakritsfabriken has also won a number of awards for its various products. In 2013, for example, the Super Salty product won “Best Salt Licorice” in Finland.

Today, Lakritsfabriken is one of the leading licorice brands in the Nordic region and is sold throughout the country as well as exported to our Nordic countries, the USA, Germany, and stores in London and Paris.

In 2019, Lakritsfabriken started Northern Europe’s largest licorice root cultivation on eight hectares. The cultivation is located outside Allerum and will eventually be the basis for unique Swedish-made licorice products. The plantation will be organic certified in 2022. In connection with the plantation, the Lakritsfabriken Foundation was also started in collaboration with Hand in Hand Sweden to help the vulnerable in poor countries create businesses to support themselves. A sustainable and long-term way to combat poverty.

Pralinhuset

Pralinhuset is a family business run by Mieneke and Günter Bea in Stockholm. They produce their own chocolate which is sculpted and molded into various shapes and figures.

They offer a large and varied range of chocolate adapted for allergy sufferers and those with intolerances. In their assortment, you can find sugar-free, gluten-free and dairy-free chocolate, among others. The chocolate is spiced and flavored with exciting and innovative flavor combinations.

Swedish Fika