Many might be surprised to learn that the sweet in Haribo Tangfastics, which resembles a ‘key’, is actually intended to be something else entirely.
The beloved sour, fizzy, and gummy sweets from Haribo come in a range of shapes and flavors, including fizzy cola bottles, sour cherries, and green crocodiles.
The hoop-shaped sweet, however, has been the subject of some debate, leading to discussions online.
On Reddit, fans humorously speculated about what the sweet is supposed to be, with several suggesting it looked like a key or a magnifying glass.
One user remarked: “After 5 years of marriage, we’ve just discovered that my wife and I refer to this particular Haribo sweet as something different to each other.”
Another user commented: “I always thought they were meant to be a fizzy version of the ‘ring’ Haribo’s.”
Some individuals even offered some cheeky NSFW interpretations.
According to Haribo’s website, the sweet is intended to be a pacifier, known as a ‘dummy’ in the UK.
The website explains: “The original tangy mix, HARIBO Tangfastics provides a fun tangy taste sensation with a perfect hit of sweet and sour. Containing our popular fizzy cola bottles, sour cherries, dummies and crocodiles.”
Numerous social media users echoed this, referring to it as a ‘sugar dummy’.
One person admitted, “Dummy makes sense now that I look at it.”
A parent even shared a unique way to eat it: “My son taught me that you should put the long bit through the hole (yes I know that sounds bad!) to make the dummy.”
Evidently, the packaging even labels the shape as a dummy.
However, this isn’t the only time Haribo has puzzled its fans. Another incident arose when people discovered that the green gummy bear in the classic mix isn’t lime or apple-flavored as its color might suggest.
Instead, it’s actually strawberry-flavored, which traditionally would be colored red.
On Twitter, a frustrated fan expressed: “We, as a society, agreed a long time ago that strawberry-flavored sweets would always be a shade of red. Haribo is breaking the agreement, and I, for one, am *furious.*”
Another joked: “This is why I have trust issues.”
Another user added: “Just learnt that green Haribo gummy bears are strawberry flavored and not the red ones. Adulthood hits hard.”
Despite the flavors and information being clearly listed on Haribo packaging and its website, it’s clear that many have been caught off guard by these surprises.
Regardless, it’s evident that Haribo enjoys keeping its fans guessing, which is part of the charm of the brand we ‘love it so’.