Haribo gummy candy is known for its firm chew. It’s, like, their whole thing—gummies you have to fight with a little bit. Frankly, I love it. Sure, every now and then I relish the soft chew of Albanese gummy bears, but I’m always going to reach for Haribo Goldbears first (I’m especially addicted to the clear pineapple ones).
New Haribo Sour Sodas are different. In fact, right there on the bag it says “soft & sour.” Sour was a given, but…how soft is “soft” in Haribo speak? We tried these new lil’ sugar-coated pop bottles to find out.
Pros: Haribo Sour Sodas are shaped like adorable soda bottles (much like Happy Cola and Fizzy Cola), and they come in three flavors: Cherry-Cola, Lemon-Strawberry, and Peach-Blue Raspberry. They’re all delicious, but I’m a sucker for a cola-flavored gummy that’s shaped like a cola bottle. Irresistible. And, yes, these are much softer than the Haribo gummies you’re used to. These suckers have serious squish. And unlike several other varieties of Haribo sours, which have citric acid in the gummy itself (like the sour side of Twin Snakes), these are heavily coated in sour sugar. It’s a highly pleasant textural experience. I ate two whole bags of these. Help.
Cons: If you love the very firm chew of Haribo and HATE a squashier gummy, you might not like these. I mean, I think you’re nuts, but you do you. Also, I suppose they could have made all three flavors align with real soda flavors. How about lemon-lime? Or GINGER ALE?? Just something to think about…
Howdy! I’m Gwynedd, Sporked’s managing editor. I live in Los Angeles and have access to the best tacos the U.S. has to offer—but I’m a sucker for a crunchy Old El Paso taco night every now and then. I’ve been at Sporked since 2022 and I’m still searching frozen mozzarella sticks that can hold a candle to restaurant sticks.
Why you should trust me: I’ve been a journalist for 20 years (yikes), a consumer of food for 40-plus years, and I’m truly hard pressed to think of foods I don’t like (or that I can’t tolerate at the very least). Oh and one time I cooked my way through Guy Fieri’s cookbook and wrote about the journey through Flavortown.
What I buy every week: Trader Joe’s Original Savory Thins. Fat free plain yogurt (usually Fage or Nancy’s). Honeycrisp apples. Sweet cream coffee creamer for my at-home Americanos. A frozen cauliflower crust pizza and some jarred mushrooms to top it with. Old El Paso Stand ‘N Stuff taco shells and Gardein Ground Be’f, even though I think “be’f” is a nightmarish contraction.
Favorite ranking: Stouffer’s frozen dinners. I don’t own a microwave (I get my cancers the old fashioned way!), so I love taste testing things that I don’t really buy to eat at home.
Least favorite ranking: Soy sauce. Don’t get me wrong, I love soy sauce—but consuming that much sodium in one sitting is probably illegal in some countries. Our frozen enchilada taste test was a close second; the smell of microwaved corn tortillas still haunts me.
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Gwynedd Stuart
Griffin Parker
Will Morgan
