Unchanged for 60 years
The riddle about the square candy that everyone knows, but no one knows what it’s called
They are called Böhme fruit caramels, or Frukas for short, and are made in Saxony
© Silas Stein/ / Picture Alliance
They are small, square and – at least in the past – an integral part of every child’s birthday party: the colorful chewy sweets that everyone knows but no one knows how to name. The mystery of our childhood.
They have been around unchanged for 60 years: the square, colorful chewy sweets have accompanied the childhood of many Germans – on their first visit to the bank, to the doctor or at carnival parades. Children’s birthdays only really took off when the colorful chewy sweets in cherry, raspberry, lemon and orange flavors were distributed. But what are these sweets actually called and why have they had the same design for 60 years?
Some time ago, the comedian Ole Waschkau on Twitter (now Darren Ehlert, managing director of the Delitzscher chocolate factory and also chairman of the sister company Halloren, affectionately calls his camels “Frukas”.
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“After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Delitzsch chocolate factory became a subsidiary of the Wissoll company, which relocated the production of various candy brands to Delitzsch,” explains Ehlert in an interview. Today, the chocolate factory is once again an independent company and produces, among other things, Royal Mints, chocolate cream bars and, of course, Böhme fruit caramels. “They are among our bestsellers,” he says.
Demand for chewy sweets stable
The square chews are not a growing market, but demand remains “extremely stable at a very good level,” according to Ehlert. Ehlert emphasizes how much they like the product, as it is the only non-chocolate candy in their range. Cherry and raspberry are the most popular flavors.
But if a product is doing so well, why isn’t it further developed – and remains in a retro design? “Of course we also tried to modernize the fruit caramels,” says Ehlert. “For example, we changed the packaging to a stand-up pouch. But that went wrong: the packaging just sat on the shelf and no one bought it. There were even complaints.” On top of that, customers threatened on social media that they would no longer buy the product if something was changed.
The bond between customers and the fruit caramels is remarkably strong. Ehlert suspects that his caramels evoke nostalgic feelings, as they are often associated with first experiences or close family relationships. “People talk about memories of their childhood, that they associate the Frukas with their parents or with their first visit to the bank or hairdresser,” says Ehlert.
Fruit caramels: A little piece of nostalgia
And what happens to the candy at Carnival? Ehlert is not annoyed that his candy is used as a treat that can be thrown. “It’s a shame to throw food around, but it’s just part of the tradition,” says Ehlert, adding: “Carnival is good for our business. We sell the most candy two months after Christmas.”
The secrets behind the enduring success of Böhme fruit caramels are stable demand, vivid childhood memories and the traditional connection to carnival. In a constantly changing world, they remain a small piece of nostalgia.