Scandinavian Swimmers: Trader Joe's Elevated Twist On Swedish Fish

Since Swedish candy manufacturer Malaco first introduced Swedish Fish to the U.S. market in the 1950s, these colorful gummies have become a beloved treat typically found at movie theaters and your local 7-Eleven. Between the popularity of Swedish fish in the U.S. and the average American consuming about eight pounds of candy each year, it's no wonder why Trader Joe's own variation of the candy, called Scandinavian Swimmers, has become a fan-favorite.

Some Twitter users love the grocery chain's adaptation of the fish-shaped candy, with one person tweeting, "trader joe's not having sour scandinavian swimmers after i drove three & a half hours is a major tragedy." On Reddit, meanwhile, they get the in-house seal of approval from a user who writes, "I'm a crew member at Trader Joe's and the sour Scandinavian swimmers are my absolute favorite product." Redditors also enjoy discussing their favorite flavors as evidenced by the comment, "orange fish gang rise up."

On Trader Joe's YouTube channel, the chain explains how this popular twist on Swedish Fish are made. Viewers are shown colorful liquids being poured into large tins. The liquid is then processed and transformed into various shapes. According to the video, the gummies take 24 hours to set and cornstarch is added to the product as well. Eventually, the colorful sea creature-shaped gummies are mingled together and sealed into individual bags that go to TJ's stores.

If you enjoy Swedish Fish because the snack is vegan-friendly, the good news is that in addition to coming in a variety of flavors, Scandinavian Swimmers are also vegan. While gelatin is an animal-based product found in certain snacks, vegan-friendly carnauba wax is used to help both Swedish Fish and Scandinavian Swimmers achieve their gummy-like consistency. Although Swedish Fish and Scandinavian Swimmers are both gluten-free, the former isn't kosher certified, while Trader Joe's website states that Scandinavian Swimmers are kosher. 

Traditional Swedish Fish are red, fish-shaped, and allegedly meant to mimic the flavor of lingonberries, a Scandinavian fruit that almost tastes like a mix between cranberries, raspberries, and pomegranate. The candy also comes in yellow (lemon flavored), green (lime flavored), purple (grape flavored), and orange-flavored varieties. 

Unlike the original, Trader Joe's version includes an eclectic mix of sea creatures such as dolphins, lobsters, fish, and seahorses. Each sea creature also offers its own flavor, but the company jokes, "Seriously, there are no seafood flavors here." TJ's writes that "the orange rockfish are orange-flavored; the blue dolphins taste like huckleberry; the yellow sea horses manifest mango-peach in your mouth; and the red lobsters are berry-not any particular berry, mind you, but all the best berries rolled into one." Like Swedish Fish, Trader Joe's rolled out a "Just The Lobsters" variety with only red-flavored gummies.     

Trader Joe's suggests that Scandinavian Swimmers are ideal for a backpack-appropriate snack, your desk drawer, or an afternoon nosh. One backpacking Instagram user took that recommendation to heart, sharing a photo of himself chowing down on some while hiking in Mount Hood National Forest. "If I had to name one thing I don't leave home without before any run, hike, dive, shred session or weekend adventure, it would fins-down be @traderjoes Scandinavian Swimmers," he cheekily captioned the post.

A six-piece serving size clocks in at 100 calories, and a single bag costs $3.49. The chain has also introduced Super Sour Scandinavian Swimmers, which are vegan, gluten-free, and kosher too. On the Trader Joe's website, the grocery chain notes that Super Sour Scandinavian Swimmers are the "tart and tangy follow up" to its original Swedish Fish homage. The product is made by the same manufacturer and flavors include "red berry (starfish), huckleberry (dolphin), orange (tang fish), and strawberry (clam shell)." 

Previously, Redditors had questioned whether the product was discontinued, as they had not seen them in their local store for over a month, though other users were able to procure some. You may want to call your local store to see if Scandinavian Swimmers are currently available. If you're looking for other TJ's snacks to enjoy with your gummies, consider checking out the Trader Joe's crackers that were brought all the way from Germany or Trader Joe's dark chocolate peanut butter cups.