Les Rigolettes Nantaises French Fruit Bonbons
Large Tin/230 grams - France
We would stop at this wonderful international grocer in Belmont Center on the way home from town, and amongst the many things my mom cherished were these very special hard candies with soft centers from France. They were indeed special, designated and brought only when guests were to arrive. That meant not for the children. We would sneak one or two if we could, but my mom protected them with an eagle eye. Never were my father's students offered them even though they were technically guests.
In hindsight I think my Mom stashed them away for herself as they were divine and she rarely ever had treats she could call her own.
Les Rigolettes Nantaises were created in 1902 by Charles Bohu, a confectioner based in Nantes, France. Nantes is about 2 hours and 9 minutes southwest from Le Mans, of course, depending on how fast you drive.
At the time, hard candies like boiled sweets were the norm, but Bohu aimed to craft something softer and more refined.
The name "Rigolette" was inspired by the French word "rigoler," which means "to laugh" or "to have fun". It also references the operetta character Rigoletto by Jacques Offenbach, who symbolizes joy and whimsy.
Unlike traditional hard candies, Rigolettes are soft-centered. Their signature feature is their tender fruit paste filling encased in a thin sugar shell.
Original flavors included natural fruit essences such as lemon, orange, raspberry, blackcurrant, and apricot. These flavors reflected the artisanal focus on quality and natural ingredients.
Their handmade nature and unique recipe helped them stand out among other candies of the time, and they became a symbol of refined French confectionery.
Still privately owned and following the recipes that have been passed down for generations.
Ingredients: sugar (33% - wheat glucose syrup) syrup (24%), wheat glucose syrup (20%) (contains sulfits), fruit pulps (18%) (pineapple, black currant, lemon, tangerine, raspberry), sorbital (2%), citric acid (1%), glavors (1%), coloring foods: carrot, black currant, hibiscus, apple juice (concentrated), curcumin, paprika, spirulina extract (1%)
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