When you buy a bag of Swedish Fish, you know exactly what you're getting. Little fish-shaped candies with the recognizable, red, lingonberry flavoring. Steadfast, true, and satisfying. Swedish Fish themed products on the other hand? Not so much.
Anytime I stray from the classic, I regret it. Swedish Fish chocolate Oreos? No, thank you. Crush soda themed Swedish Fish? Somehow, flavorless. Swedish Fish chewing gum? Actually, that one was pretty great. There are some exceptions to the rule, the aforementioned gum, and the Rita's water ice flavor. But the reason those items succeeded where others failed is because they stuck with the red lingonberry flavoring, and just offered it in a new form.
That said, how will these marshmallows fair?
Normally I would have skipped over these entirely, thinking they were going to be in the same vain as Circus Peanuts, but it's been a rough...forever, and I indulged in a little junkfood retail therapy during a Walmart run for pet supplies. So picking these up was more-so a lapse of judgement than pure curiosity, but maybe it'll be a happy little accident.
The packaging is pretty awesome, it looks like a giant package of Swedish Fish. Recognizable, iconic, and the large clear window show that the marshmallows inside looks like giant sugar-encrusted versions of their candy counter parts.
When opened, it smells strongly like classic Swedish Fish. Very "red." A good sign. I picked out a little fishy, which was surprisingly detailed for a marshmallow product, and promptly bit it's face off.
My first impression was that these were pretty weak. They smelled a lot stronger than they tasted, and due to the lack of flavor, and the sugary outer layer, they came of as more sweet than anything else. I was a little shocked to see that they were white inside, and that the red coloring was just on the outside, and not throughout. My first fish was a flop, and I thought I would write these off...but then I grabbed another one. And another. Turns out, they're kind of addicting.
The earlier comparison to Circus Peanuts wasn't entirely wrong. The marshmallow bite here is stiffer than a typical marshmallow, but it's not as foam-like as a Circus Peanut. And the flavoring, while weak, does build slightly as you snack. They aren't as satisfying as actual Swedish Fish, but they're not bad. Their initial taste is more like the after taste you would have with the normal candy version, and it fades into a marshmallow-y vanilla whisper of it's former self.
I like them, but I don't love them. I wouldn't buy these again, but I don't think I would have any trouble finishing off the bag. That said, it's better than the Crush candy, but not as brilliant as the gum, so it finds itself stuck in the middle of the Swedish Fish product line-up. Have you tried these? Where would they rank in your Swedish Fish line-up?
Fans of these would also like: Swedish Fish Gum, Swedish Fish Candy Canes, Crush Swedish Fish, Tropical Swedish Fish, or Swedish Fish Heads or Tails
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