Traditions – the secret sauce that adds meaning to our lives


Today we would have made a visit to Sømod’s Bolscher, an old fashion, traditional hard candy factory in the center of Copenhagen.  This store holds a very special place in my heart, but I want you to focus on the generations old tradition and craftmanship of making candy.  
This family owned store was founded in 1891 and has for five generations continued to use its traditional manufacturing process, making hard candy by hand using only natural ingredients. The business has survived two world wars and the relentless competition from industrialization that can produce more for less. It has been visited by people from all over the world and is the official supplier to the Danish Royal Court (this is a very special appointment bestowed on a handful of Danish companies).

As you walk in, you will see an old fashion candy store where you can purchase more flavors and shapes of candy than you can imagine.  And in the back, through the old windows, you see family members working in the old factory. The boiler used to make the candy mass is the original boiler from the opening days of this manufacturer.

Why is this so special? Why would we not just let machines make candy? After all, we buy candy for the flavor, right? Yet, there is something different about a piece of candy that has been made with century old recipes, knowledge and techniques passed on from one generation to the next. It is not just the incredible quality that cannot be reproduced by a machine; it is the shared history it represents.  Each piece of candy is a piece of art. It tells the story of this family, of the hardships this factory withstood, and the joy it has brought to people from all over the world. And each piece of candy speaks of a memory you have that in some way is connected with this experience.  It is the memories and traditions we pass on that add value and make our lives meaningful.

Sømod’s was the last place I stopped at before my mom took me to the airport many, many years ago. She and I used to go to this store, and she would buy me my favorite candy – King of Denmark. It was expensive, but I cherished each piece so much more than any mass-produced bag of candy. Each piece reminded me of the precious time I had with my mom and her sweet spirit.

To continue my connection with Sømod’s, I have learned to make hard candy after moving to the United States, including my favorite King of Denmark. And once my daughter was old enough, I taught her the craft of candy making and told her stories of her grandmother.

So in the spirit of today’s tour, I made candy  😊 

(If you decide to make candy, please be very careful not to burn yourself!  It is a super hot, sticky mass that can give you third degree burns in you are not careful.  However, do not live your lives in fear. Just be smart. You can use some new dishwashing gloves until the mass is cold enough to handle).




















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