I have recently been gifted a review package of Swedish Fish by a friend of mine on the condition that I review the Swedish Fish candies contained. To my knowledge, I have not eaten Swedish Fish in the past, but I have heard of them.
The presentation of the Swedish Fish is lackluster and dull. Each fish is a single color: a dull translucent red. There is some molding on one side of the fish to produce eyes, a mouth, scales, and fins where they would be expected on a fish. Atypical to a real fish, the candies have the word "Swedish" added to their side. This indicates at once that the brand has more identity issues than other candies. Most companies would let the uniqueness of their candies speak for themselves. However, the fish shape is so dull that the preference is that they not speak for themselves. Instead, they wear nametags to let the consumer know what they are getting into.
If one were to place an entire fish candy in his mouth, he would find that the length is ideal to line all the way from the back of the molars to the canines. While this description makes this seem to be an advantage, the truth is that there are problems from such consumption. The fish, being a gummy, is quite sticky. With the length of the fish being just right to fit into the mouth and ontop of the teeth, there is a greater area of teeth covered than comparable gummy candies like bears and dots. Gummy worms are more often eaten in bites due to being too long. Therefore, Swedish Fish stand alone as the mouth-length gummy. The length causes the effect of their stickiness to be be more pronounced. The effect can cause discomfort for some users and cavities for all users.
As for taste, it is unclear what the fish is meant to taste like. The packaging does not indicate a flavor. The ingredients list, sugar, cornstarch, red 40, and a few other ingredients which likely do not have a significant taste. The primary ingredient I did not recognize was "Carnauba wax." Being unfamiliar with this wax, I will assume that the fish are meant to be carnauba flavored. Unfortunately, this does mean I cannot evaluate the flavor as compared with a real carnauba. I can, however, compare the flavor to the one other edible item that it reminds me of: cherry-flavored medicine. Most are aware that cherry flavorings for liquid medicine do a poor job at approximating a cherry. Swedish Fish are similar in taste. I would say though that the fish do contain far more sugar than the medicine flavorings. This may keep them from tasting unbearably bad, but it does not keep the fish from tasting anywhere close to good.
I was intending to keep this review focused on the candies themselves and not the presentation. However, since my review of the taste has forced me to inspect the packaging further for the ingredients list, I have uncovered some shocking truths. Swedish Fish, as such, are not made in Sweden. According to the packaging of my review copy, they are made in Turkey and distributed from New Jersey.
I think not! For my part, these candies are not fit for consumption. They are a waste of time, money, and calories! They can only serve to remind the consumer that companies continue to present a false picture of the world to unsuspecting consumers. Though this product was presented as candy, I say it is an affront to the senses!
So it seems that I agree with the assesment of my colleague who generously provided me with this sampling of Swedish Fish. His review was similar to mine, and I must agree with him after placing these fish under scrutiny.
2/10 - Would not recommend