Old Fashioned Sweets UK Trivia Quiz

Answer: Sweets

Yes, this is what the UK folk call it. In Scotland they occasionally get called the informal word sweeties.

Candy is an American name for sweets.
Teetys is fabricated by the author of this quiz.
Sugar is what is normally in the sweets.

Answer: Soor Plooms

Yes, this is a popular old fashioned Scottish sweet, rumoured to have been around since 1337. Apparently they were produced as a commemorative symbol of a small fight with some English border raiders, who were noticed whilst eating some unripe plums and who were subsequently severely dealt with by the locals.

Soor plooms are, as their name suggest, extremely sour but yummy. It fair draws the cheeks in (all four of them!), as they say in Scotland.

There is no Scottish confectionery with the names Sooky Bogies (I hope, yuk!), Greeny Weenys or Wee Peas.

Answer: Bulls Eyes

Yup! Yuk, hehe, they are also known by this name, but they are so delicious that one could ignore that rather unusual name. The actual origins of this sweet are not known but they still can be purchased from various old fashioned type sweet shops through out the UK.

Black and Whiters and Zebra Feet are not names of boiled sweets. Mint Humbugs are another boiled sweet product.

Answer: Mint Humbugs

This is a famous British classic sweet that keeps the jaws working for a while. Once the first one is eaten they are addictive! The only reference found on the origins of this sweet was that the word "humbug" is the northern term for a peppermint flavoured toffee lump.

Kola Cubes, Black Striped Balls and Sherbet Lemons or Lemon Sherbets are all delicious other sweets.

Answer: Sweet Peanuts

These delicious sweets are shaped like a yellowy peanut and take a while to melt. Eventually the scrummy buttery middle with crunchy peanut bits is revealed. The actual origins of this sweet are not known but they still can be purchased from various old fashioned type sweet shops through out the UK and online.

There are no known sweets in UK with the names Nutty Gnashers, Peanut Sugars or Monkey Nutters.

Answer: Sherbet Lemons

It is well worth waiting for the sweet to melt to get into the sherbet part. Originally produced by John Pearson, they are now mainly made by the company Cadbury Schweppes. There is also a book written called 'Sucking Sherbet Lemons' by the excellent author Michael Carson. 'Lemony Snicket' is in a book written by the excellent author Daniel Handler. Fizzy Wizzy Lemmys is a fabricated name and no known UK sweets are named this. Lemon Drops are other lemon flavoured sweets and also a cocktail drink invented in Henry Africa's in California.

Answer: True

This delicious sweet is chewy in the middle, tastes of cola and is shaped like a cube. The origins of this sweet are not known but the manufacturing of boiled sweets stems from the days when sugar was big trade in Britain.

Answer: Barley Sugars

Yes, these sweets are transparent, amber coloured and have a delicate flavour of sweetened barley. This sweet was first produced in England in the 17th century. Where as there are more sweets and remedies for this purpose, that these particular sweets have helped numerous people to avoid travel sickness. However, when I personally smell one of these sweets I get car sick even when I am stationary! It is all in the mind!

Cola Cubes, Sherbet Lemons and Soor Plooms may be OK to suck whilst travelling but they are not one of the many traditional remedies or sweets for this purpose. Barley apparently sooths upset tummies amongst other things.

A little snippet of further information: Australia has a yearly charitable event named the 40 Hour Famine to bring attention to world hunger. Barley Sugars are the only food allowed to be consumed during this and one is allowed per person every 4 hours.

Answer: Chelsea Whopper

This sweet tastes like absolute heaven. Bought and eaten by many a school kid on lunch break in Scotland. Glickman's of Glasgow, who make a whole host of nostalgic confectionery, also make Mayfair Whoppers which are said to be similar.

Caledonian Chewy is a made up name, Macaroon is a different confection coated in Coconut. Penny Caramel is an individually wrapped, large caramel toffee. It kept folk quiet for a while!

Answer: Pontefract Cakes

These sweets are made of solid cakes of liquorice and were originally hand made in the town of Pontefract in Yorkshire and stamped with an impression of Pontefract Castle. Nowadays this product is machine produced but just as delicious as ever.
There was an article some time ago about a woman who was hospitalised after eating too many Pontefract Cakes at once, so do not over indulge! Apparently, whilst liquorice has good properties, it is bad to eat too much as it is also recorded to cause the blood pressure rise.

In the olden days the Pontefract Cakes were named Pomfret Cakes as the old Norman name for the town of Pontefract was Pomfret.

Fairy Cakes are sponge cakes and not sweets. Country Pancakes are, uhm, cowpats, yuk! Mud Cakes, in the true sense, are slightly better than than cowpats, but not much! Either way these last two items are not sweets and would most likely make a person vomit!