The 5 best shops for Swedish sweets in Stockholm

The Swedes discovered liquorice in the late 1800s and since then it has become very popular. Salmiak, liquorice flavoured with salty ammonium chloride, especially is a favourite in the Nordic countries. At Sveavägen the liquorice root has its own specialist store with over 700 products.

You must stop at Pärlans if you decide to take a stroll around Nytorget. In fact, it is even worth a detour. The people working at this lovely sweet shop wear thirties retro uniforms, play jazz tunes and cook the most delicious caramels in classic flavours and seasonal combinations. All is packed in cute boxes.

Visit Gamla Stans Polkagriskokeri for some unique Swedish candy. The traditional red and white polkagris candy stick is peppermint flavoured and was invented in Sweden back in 1859. This charming shop sells colourful handmade candy sticks, caramels, lollipops and you can peek into the kitchen and see them boil the sweets.

Stockholm’s first shop for crunchy cookies is called Krümel. Kaja, its founder, admits it takes a lot of self-restraint on her behalf not to tuck into the cookie dough all day. The hand-rolled cookies are baked until gooey inside with a crispy surface. Enjoy the cookies on site or take some to go in a cute little box.

Ingrid is a bit of a family affair. Today it’s run by second-generation bun baker Julia Holknekt, who took over from her mother. Their vanilla buns are worth a detour and if you arrive early in the morning, you might even be able to score one that’s still hot, straight from the oven.