As a foreigner from Europe, I frequently yearn for certain comfort foods and small edible guilty pleasures to break up the monotony of rice-based foods and products containing red bean paste. I try to avoid popular imports like pizza, pasta, and even fast-food burgers. Fortunately, there are places all over that offer minor forms of escapism. What could it be, you wonder? I recently noticed a large quantity of Polish sweets appearing in two of the most popular convenience stores. It's a completely unexpected surprise, but it's a very welcome one! Since the Christmas season is approaching and all of Taiwan's public holidays have already ended, it is necessary to lift the spirit.
Candies of various types are sold in stores such as Family Mart and 7-11 on every corner. These sweets are imported from all over the world, including Europe, Japan, Australia, the United States, and Canada. Why do Polish sweets matter in a world full of candies? There are two major factors to consider: the competition and the pricing strategy for imported goods.
Imports
Both of the convenience stores mentioned above are Japanese. As a result, products are either Japanese or American in origin. Of course, there are local offerings, but given the quality of those, I would never choose them in the presence of foreign competitors. American candy bars are well-known for their high sugar content, even in dark chocolate. Second, American chocolate is famous for its flavor, which can best be described as having a noticeable butyric acid aftertaste; however, Europeans commonly describe it as tasting like vomit... Japanese chocolate, on the other hand, is less sweet than American chocolate, but the portions are quite small, as is typical of Japanese products, and the pricing is not so cheap. And to expand on that...
Price
Even though European imports are uncommon in popular convenience stores, seeing them during the Halloween and Christmas seasons is a real treat. Because of the differentiation of goods in these categories, I suspect that relatively inexpensive and high-quality sweets from Poland found their place as that unknown and quality product - perfect for import! Taiwan is a good place to practice this type of import because the term "cp值" is commonly used here, which simply means "cost performance ratio" or "good value for money."
What are the options?
Poland has a thriving candy industry with a diverse market. However, it surprises me that almost all of the major Polish companies in this sector are represented.
- Grześki is a childhood favorite. A truly nostalgic delight!
- Jeżyki is the Polish version for 'Kitkat.' I believe it is the most unusual of the imported products. That is the one I would recommend to a foreigner visiting Poland!
- Familijne - the party staple, I tried it after a long time and it was much better than I expected, with much more filling than what is available locally.
- Wedel chocolates - more expensive, but high-quality chocolate with a variety of fillings - I prefer simpler varieties.
Those are popular offerings this season. Have you noticed any other products, or can you relate with imports from your own country? Let us know!
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