I was contemplating the 'ingredients' in the packet you see above and suddenly came to the realisation that this interesting little sweet might be something unique to Australia. I'm not sure about this, so I posting an entry on this blog is the best way to find out; I'm sure I haven't seen anything like it overseas (but haven't searched very hard).
It's a small paper envelope filled with what looks like heroin or some nasty banned drug; a white powder anyway and a tiny little plastic spoon. Raelly tiny; the size of a toothpick with a little bowl. Basically it's just icing (powdered) sugar with things added to make it fizzy and tickle your tongue. I remember the lollies called sherbert bombs we bought at the milkbar were the same sort of thing; a nasty waxy lolly filled with fizzy sherbert.
It's such a totally healthy little snack. Just look!
Ingredients: Icing Sugar; Mineral Salts (500, 502); Food Acid (296); Flavour.
Mmmm....look at those numbers. Additives and chemicals. And this mysterious "flavour"? What's that?? And yet, underneath this list it reads Fyna foods: Quality is our finest ingredient. Mmm, yes...no doubt they source finest quality chemicals and additives. It's the very least us discerning shoppers expect!
My uncle occasionally brings some over when he visits, as a memory of childhood and a few days ago I found a few when I was rummaging for a sugar hit. I went through 2 packets (they're very small!) before I thought to look at the ingredients, and then felt a bit ill. Bleeeachh; I'd just been eating pure processed sugar and chemicals...and we sell this to little kiddies?? No wonder they're always hyped up! I did like the scary picture on the front; Neil is such a totally nerdy name that it really makes me laugh (is nerdy an Aussie term??).
So, to in answer to my curiosity, is this a uniquely Australian unhealthy little snack, or are there similar things around the world? What kind of completely unhealthy, processed, refined, empty-energy sugary treats do you have where you're from?
(This stuff could be the perfect addition to Anne's Is My Blog Taboo entry...yummy additives!)
A comment from Mike in Florida noted that cans of steak and onions must be a Aussie thing, as they couldn't be found in the US (Florida at least) which prompted me to take a photo of a can and post it. Here it is - more Australian trashy processed food, but this time this one's really yummy. This is the key ingredient when we make our meat pies in our pie maker. It's very tasty and quite salty (which I like). Again, the salt and fat contents are probably sky high, but it's not an everyday sort of food for us. Even around here cans of this stuff are not regarded very highly as a desirable food! So again, is this another uniquely Australian type of processed food, or can you find cans of cooked steak and onion in gravy in other countries? (I imagine the UK would have something similar.)
Ah, a lolly by another name! My cousin used to bring me Dip Pops = Sherbet Bombs. Your Fizz Wizz seems to be our Pop Rocks. I don't see them anymore. However, they may have just changed names.
ReplyDeleteSpace Dust (UK defunct = same as fizz whizz?) PLUS Sherbert dip dabs and
ReplyDeletesherbert fountains
We had something called Pixie Stix when I was growing up- lots of sugar and chemicals, but no spoon required...they were in long thin paper tubes that you just tore the end off and poured into your mouth!
ReplyDeleteWait,wait- did you ever see 'The Breakfast Club'? That's Pixie Stix that the Ally Sheedy's character pours all over her sandwich and eats!
Moira
I remember having similar packages brought over by my father from Germany (I used to live in Turkey as a child). They were fun, all this fizzling and popping in your mouth... Now I live in Germany but am not aware of these.... will go looking for them in the supermarket!
ReplyDeleteWow -it's really interesting to hear what sugary foods are similar around the world. Long live the packet of flavoured sugar!
ReplyDeleteSam - I remember those sherbert fountains here in Aust when I was a child...I never liked them much because of the licorice stick, which was always hard and chewy. Bleaach.
Moira - yes, I remember that scene in the movie; so *that's* what she was eating!
The Wizz Fizz package looks familiar is there a grape flavor? I'm smack in the middle of Washington state and we have a tiny little market around the corner that has all that great candy... Pop Rocks, Pixie Sticks (paper and 2 foot long plastic tubes) every flavor of Mike and Ikes, Dots, gummy breakfast complete with tiny little gummy croissant and you can still get some kind of sweetness for only a penny...oh and the best part...they also sell beer. If heaven were a market it would be Ernie's Mini.
ReplyDeleteNo, wizz fizz isn't the same as pop rocks, but I think it's like pixie stix. Pop rocks actually seem to pop in your mouth, but wizz fizz is just a brand of sherbet.
ReplyDeleteHmm... I feel like getting some sour wizz fizz... Gotta love aussie sugar treats. :P