Aniseed Balls [new @ Bulk Barn]

[RenegadeX]

:!:

Was in Bulk Barn yesterday and noticed a bin with a 'NEW' tag on it in the candy section...
aniseed balls
http://easycaptures.com/fs/uploaded/534/9493458564.jpg
I used to buy these all the time as a kid in Europe, but have never before seen them in Canada.

For anyone who's not had them before, they're a small gobstopper/jawbreaker that has a strong anise flavour, similar to sambuca. Traditionally they were red or brown, but these ones from Bulk Barn are black on the outside, although after the outer layer has dissolved, the candy is white.

One aniseed ball should last for 15-20 minutes in your mouth if you're careful not to crunch them, and at the very centre of them you'll find a little black seed - a rapeseed, which is tasteless but used as the nucleus around which the sugar layers can bind.

price: $12.77/Kg
I bought a bag of oh, about 40 or so, cost $1.02

yum!

[Raggie]

Those aren't new. I used to buy them all the time at Becker's or Macs Milk or the corner store. We called them black balls.

[RenegadeX]

Those aren't new. I used to buy them all the time at Becker's or Macs Milk or the corner store. We called them black balls.^ title says "new @ Bulk Barn".

[Raggie]

You also wrote you've never seen them in Canada. Which I interpret as New in Canada, available at Bulk Barn.

[dutchca]

I like sambuca and will buy some of these.

Thanks OP.

[RenegadeX]

You also wrote you've never seen them in Canada. Which I interpret as New in CanadaOh, okay.. that wasn't my intention. I'm sure there's probably a couple or 3 other food items for sale in Canada that I'm not yet aware of! :D

[GTT1]

Wow have never seen these since I was a kid in England well over 50 years ago.

[RenegadeX]

Wow have never seen these since I was a kid in England well over 50 years ago.October 2009 article in UK Daily Mail: "Aniseed balls top the list of candy for connoisseurs" [Source (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-1224002/Aniseed-balls-list-candy-connoisseurs.html)]

It's many years since they were flavour of the month among the nation's children.

But now retro sweets are poised to make a comeback.

A survey to find Britain's favourite childhood confectionery was so successful that a major store chain is to put three old-fashioned sweets back on the shelves.

Topping the list were aniseed balls, which Waitrose will sell along with sherbet pips and chocolate mice.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/10/30/article-0-07036499000005DC-117_468x274.jpg
[continued..]Interestingly, in the comments section on that page, 'Sarah, Ontario, Canada' wrote on Oct 30th 2009 in a reply to a comment left by another poster, "I've been able to find aniseed balls at the Bulk Barn. Hope that you have one in your neck of Canada!!".

It's odd that 2.5 years ago Sarah's local Bulk Barn had them while they're flagged as "NEW!" now.
It wasn't just a new item at my local store, either (I checked the following before creating this thread) ..
the product "Black aniseed balls" is currently listed about 1/2-way down Bulk Barn's "What new?" page [link (http://www.bulkbarn.ca/en-ca/product-categories/whats-new.html)]

All I know is I'm addicted and thankful that I've found them! Am going back to Bulk Barn to restock later today!

[Bookpreviews]

Chocodirect sells Anis de Flavingy candy in a 1kg bag.
they are Anise candy that is all white whith a actual Anise seed in the middle.
kind of expensive as they are $30 a kg..so have not bought any lately.

Some candy shops and drugstores sometimes sell just a 50 gram tin for around $4-5- my mother buys the tins as they have flavors like orange anise, lavender anise,rose , mint anise and I forget the rest.

Chocodirect sells the tins but you have to buy a dozen of the same kind...

I used to see those black ball candy at the health food store around here,but not in quite a few years.