A taste of French nostalgia, these colorful hard candies called “berlingots” are made of cooked sugar and flavored with blackcurrant, lemon, strawberry, orange, mint extract, aniseed, or coffee. These candies are cylindrical-shaped with pinched ends and are presented in a very charming tin box. (5.29 oz)

Nantes is a city in western France, situated on the Loire River, 31 miles from the Atlantic coast. According to some sources, the berlingot de Nantes appeared in the 1830s. The confection apparently came from Italy and was brought to the region by a woman who sold caramel candies called “berlingozzo”. In the 19th century the candy-makers of the region prospered quickly as the city of Nantes imported huge quantities of sugar from the West Indies. The berlingot then became the specialty of the city of Nantes. According to others, the berlingot de Nantes was created under the reign of Louis 16th (1774-1789). Evidence shows that in 1780, a small candy-shop settled on Place Royale in Nantes sold the berlingots. The recipe, invented by a certain madame Couet, was such a success that the small candy shop became a beautiful shop that took on the name “A la Renommée des Vrais Berlingots Nantais”, the same title one can see on the tin box.