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Parma Violets are an iconic British violet-flavoured tablet confectionery manufactured by the Derbyshire company Swizzels Matlow. The sweets are hard, biconcave disc-shaped sweets, similar to the Fizzers product from the same company but without their fizziness. Swizzels Matlow have also released a line of Giant Parma Violets.
Contents
Ingredients include sugar, stearic acid, modified starch, glucose syrup, and anthocyanin.
Precursors
The petals of violets have long been used in homeopathy for their medicinal properties. During the 18th century, crushed violet petals, rosewater and sugar were combined to make an early type of candy known as flower pastry. These could be used for flavouring a cake, or moulded into pastils and eaten as sweets. In the Edwardian era, violet flavored chocolate and liquor were used to relieve sickness.
Description
Parma Violets were created in 1946 by the Derbyshire company Swizzels Matlow. They are sweets that are hard, biconcave discs, based on similar aniseed candy traditionally consumed in India after a spicy meal. Their flavour has been described as sweet with a soapy or floral taste. The current recipe includes sugar, stearic acid, modified starch, glucose syrup, and anthocyanin.
In 2016, Swizzels Matlow released a special Parma Violets flavored cheese to celebrate their 70th birthday. Cocktails that replicate the flavor of the candy are also available in some UK bars.