Love Hearts

Sweets really aren't my thing any more - I moved from sweets to chocolate a long time ago. So CT was a little surprised when I accepted some for review. What have love hearts got to do with chocolate? He asked. Well what a question. Love is in the air and so is nostalgia. These take me right back to my childhood days, when every self-respecting girl would while away her time dreaming over a packet of love hearts.

And wouldn't these make great decorations for a Valentine's treat? I was hoping they would arrive in time to top the Valentine's Hearts I made last week, but sadly they were just a little bit too late. They may well be featuring, however, in a special Valentine's post on the day itself. Did you know that Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine's Day around 498 AD?

Another reason for accepting was that I just could not resist this limited edition, Valentine's special, heart shaped tin, filled with mini love hearts. I love tins, they are so useful for putting all those little bits and pieces in. And, it has to be said, I am rather in love with the colour red.

A unique sweet scent that is almost floral seduced my nostrils. I put the first love heart I'd had in many a long year "Try Me" into my mouth and I was straight back to the bittersweet memories of youth. I never did have the guts to offer an "I Love You" or any other love heart for that matter, to the boy of the moment and I sadly never received one either - not until I was an adult anyway!

I couldn't remember what love hearts tasted of, so I was a little taken aback initially at the sharp fizz of sherbet. I remembered that white ones were my favourite, but wasn't sure if each colour actually had a different flavour. But oh yes they did, fizzy fruity flavours: orange, cherry, blackcurrant, lime. I found the white ones were the sweetest but couldn't pick up a discernible flavour. I also found there was a reason I used to like Love Hearts.

Take them away, or I might get addicted!!!

Swizzles Matlow, the company behind Love Hearts has been in operation for over eighty years. It made many of the sweets I was familiar with as a child: parma violets, refreshers, drumsticks - oh what fun I had trying to decide what I would spend my pennies on. It still makes those same ones now, rather worryingly termed Retro Sweets. As well as giant fourpacks retailing at £1.09, the Valentine's collection also includes giant tubes (£1) and the aforementioned tins retail at £1.99. With only 100,000 made, you'd better get in quick.