Papabubble Candy

My daughter was visiting her cousin in New York City when she discovered Papabubble which she pronounced “Papa Booblay,”  a candy store that looks more like a chemists storefront from the exterior in Greenwich Village.  Inside, the store retains its character with elegant two-tone bags with silver backing and transparent fronts bursting with colorful candies, all neatly lined up in rows along the wall.

Chemistry lab beakers line another wall and the talented candy makers provide in-store demonstrations on the art of making hard candy with sugar, glucose, water, and flavorings behind a glass window. Papabubble is the place for the hard candy enthusiast; for those that prefer old-fashioned candy that reveals itself while dissolving in your mouth; that is if you don’t give into temptation and bite into the little gem first.

Papabubble is a Barcelona-based candy operation that opened its doors in 2004 as “caramel artesans” in the Gothic Quarter known as “Gotico” – an area of Barcelona known for its historic significance.

The store started selling handmade hard candies, lollipops, and novelty shaped sweets in a variety of fruit flavors:  melon, orange, peach, strawberry, banana, mango, raspberry, blueberry, passion fruit, guava, watermelon, lemon, and lime. In addition, the candy makers blend spices with fruits to create special flavors: pear bergamot, lemon lavender, strawberry pine, raspberry sage, and orange cardamon.  Offerings also include butterscotch, sour fruits, cherry cola, root beer, peppermint, cinnamon and more.

Eight years later and the company has 11 stores open all over the world (Amsterdam, Moscow, Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong, Lisbon, Taipei, Sao Paulo, New York, and Barcelona) with a 12th store opening soon in another part of Barcelona.  The only US-based store is in New York City but the candy can be ordered on-line through the company’s website listed below.  Custom orders are also possible by calling the store directly.

The hard candies can be ordered in the small elegant bags with 60 grams of candies (2 ounces) for $5 or in 200 gram jars (7 ounces) for $14 or 390 gram jars (14 ounces) for $25. The small bags are perfect to keep in your purse for a treat while on the run with my preference the melon or butterscotch mix.  Or, send a selection of the small bags as a gift. The store will also ship their novelty candies – lollipops, rings, flowers, and more. For a complete description of the candies available, refer to the company website below.

Papabubble
380 Broome Street
New York City, NY
212-966-2599
www.papabubbleny.com
www.papabubble.com