At this point, my obsession with fruit jellies is well documented. I even tried to make them-6 times- and failed every time. Damn that damn pectin!  One day I’ll figure it out, but for now, I get my fruit jellies on the outside, and trust me-I get them whenever I can.

Our friends at Candyhero.com sent us some that we’d never seen or heard of before. And as it turns out, they have a pretty amazing history.

Fazed is a Finnish company, and our story takes us back.  Way back.  Like…1902 back.  To congratulate King Edward II, the Fazer family decided to send him these jellies in a big wood box, stamped with the royal crown on the outside.  After that, whenever there was a royal coronation, the box of jellies would show up as a gift.  Now, even when a royal newborn starts their time on earth, they get a box too. In 1948, the actual name of the jelly was changed to Finlandia (although the name on this particular box translates to….”green balls”), basically making it the best and coolest Finnish gift ever.

So these jellies have to be legit, right?  Well…you don’t know that yet, that’s the point of reading the review. We’ll get there, just hold tight.

When you open the box, it’s like a bizarre crate of green tennis balls. But then it becomes clear that each of these balls is actually two jellies put together.

Before we get to the money shot, take a stab at guessing the flavor. Got something in mind?

If you guessed pear, then give yourself a pat on the back.  These fall on the more firm side of the fruit jelly world. Firm, but not too firm, with amazing texture and flavor. They’re not extreme or intense, but the smoothness of the pear flavor is really nice.   I really like these. As is the case with most jellies, the smooth, cool interior plays amazingly well against the tougher, crunchy exterior.

Seeing as as how these have a royal history AND they taste great…you might want to pick up a box for yourself. Unless you’re a prince or a queen-if so, I’m guessing you already have some.  This particular variety is seasonal, and isn’t widely available, but when it is, check out Candyhero.com for some of your own.  For now, you can buy the Finlandia Jellies, which have assorted flavors.  Link is below.