Does anyone remember these sweets from the 90s/00s?
Posted by psukclipper@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 35 comments
Red chewy sweet that was about 2.5 inches long and hollow, covered in sugar.
I think they were called something like “lasers” but for the life of me cannot find a result when googling.
They were not as soft as most fizzy laces are. Had a decent amount of chew. Would love to know if and when they were discontinued so I can forget about them forever!
Mammoth-Constant3005@reddit
They are called lasers
psukclipper@reddit (OP)
They do look really similar. If I am remembering right, they were a darker red, and more rigid. Those look quite flexible and the sugar is too fine. Ahhhh man, thanks for sending this… they are definitely the closest so far!
JustJoshwaa@reddit
Like these?
psukclipper@reddit (OP)
Look similar but too long and mine were not twisted. Straight lasers lol. Someone else described them well then the said that when you look at it from the top/bottom it was almost star shaped.
Crafty_Reflection410@reddit
strawberry lances?
psukclipper@reddit (OP)
Similar! But mine had a granulated sugar kind of coating. The sugar coating kind of felt… sticky almost?
DangerousDisplay7664@reddit
I know what you’re talking about!
Tesco sell the same thing but in longer lengths for 75p - I think most of the supermarkets do their own version.
You can see the cross-section on the front of the packaging.
psukclipper@reddit (OP)
Appreciate that, but I reallllly want to find the OG versions that I ate when I was a kid. These Tesco version neither taste nor have the same texture as what I am remembering. They’re too sour, have too much sugar on them, are very soft, and aren’t the same cross section.
🙁
Ok-Astronomer-4944@reddit
Was it a sort of ridged cylinder if that makes any sense
psukclipper@reddit (OP)
Kind of, yes. The centre was circular but the outer edges were kind of a flared pentagonal or hexagonal shape.
Ok-Astronomer-4944@reddit
Fizzy wands maybe? Very much still a thing.
psukclipper@reddit (OP)
I’m not convinced… they definitely weren’t “wands” per se, as they were very short.
They came in a plastic box and were either 2p or 5p.
MintyPinkDreams@reddit
Strawberry or red liquorice twists?
psukclipper@reddit (OP)
Those tend to be solid rather than hollow, and usually not coated in sugar 🤔
Ok-Astronomer-4944@reddit
They might have a different name due to branding but ive deffinately had them at primary school discos and maybe in corner shops, if were thinking of the same thing its just those wands but cut up smaller, kinda like thick strawbery laces also came with cola flavour.
psukclipper@reddit (OP)
I only ever had them at one particular corner shop, and the owners were very old when I was a child. I may have had them at a school disco… probably a decent chance cash and carry was the same as the school and the shop were in the same village as one another.
Pedantichrist@reddit
Are they hollow?
Ok-Astronomer-4944@reddit
Yes, atleast they were when i was a kid.
eehbb@reddit
Any chance it was red licorice? Pretty sure there was a hard candy called laser.
psukclipper@reddit (OP)
Those look really similar, but might be too long.
Are they still made? I would definitely try them!
The box mine came in were similar to the Vidal snap on lids that you get nowadays.
eehbb@reddit
I can only find a low quality picture but looks like there was some smaller ones sold under the "bits" name
I see them for sale on Etsy weirdly enough
psukclipper@reddit (OP)
I saw that…
Found them on eBay and on closer inspection they do not seem to be as close of a match as I first thought:
https://ebay.us/m/H7Cmdm
Also, £49 to have them shipped here is crazy.
JasonStonier@reddit
I think you’re talking about strawberry lances.
psukclipper@reddit (OP)
Nah those are too floppy. These were between 2 and 2 1/2 inches long and rigid.
JasonStonier@reddit
Story of my life, that.
psukclipper@reddit (OP)
Long as it does the trick mate 🙃
blurredlynes@reddit
I think you're thinking of a strawberry lancer, but the penny sweet version rather than the full pencil sized ones. I don't think they make the mini sherbet ones anymore.
Strawberry Lances - Strawberry Flavour Red Liquorice Sweets - treasureislandsweets.co.uk https://share.google/MYKWAQYm1PjBdUsdd
psukclipper@reddit (OP)
They are definitely a penny sweet version, yeah.
Likelihood is that they are very much discontinued but I’m so desperate to actually SEE them. It’s really frustrating 🙁
Those treasure island ones look like they might have the right bite to them, but as you said they are not the fizzy/sherbet version.
The Tesco ones I’ve had and really dislike.
SpaceTimeCapsule89@reddit
If you looked at the top or bottom of them, were they star shaped? Kind of like those red vine sweets but shorter with straight lines and covered in sugar?
psukclipper@reddit (OP)
Yes 100% you’re on the right track! I described them in another reply as sort of flared pentagonal shapes but star shaped is so much simpler and more accurate lol.
Yes, short and straight with loads of sugar and a decently hard chew. Though they were red, I’m not convinced they were strawberry flavour. Likely just red and sweet if that makes sense?
SpaceTimeCapsule89@reddit
If I'm thinking of the same thing, they didn't taste like strawberry or strawberry flavour.
This is going to drive me crazy now! The only thing I can find that is remotely similar is Kookaburra licorice but it's not hollow and doesn't have sugar on it so it wasn't those. But the shape and size is very similar?
I will keep searching 😂
psukclipper@reddit (OP)
I think you’re on the right track. No, not strawberry flavour. Very artificially flavoured actually.
Kookaburra licorice is a similar size and shape yes, but would be much softer than my mystery sweet was.
I’ll keep searching too! 😃
hutchipoos@reddit
Like the texture of American Twizzlers?
psukclipper@reddit (OP)
I have to be honest… I haven’t eaten a Twizzler for a while so I can’t be 100%
However they were probably harder rather than a softer chew.
AutoModerator@reddit
Please help keep AskUK welcoming!
When replying to submission/post please make genuine efforts to answer the question given. Please no jokes, judgements, etc. If a post is marked 'Serious Answers Only' you may receive a ban for violating this rule.
Don't be a dick to each other. If getting heated, just block and move on.
This is a strictly no-politics subreddit!
Please help us by reporting comments that break these rules.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.