Ricola sweets are a uniquely Swiss confectionary which extraordinarily, has nothing to do with chocolate, and whilst they are made in Switzerland, they are widely available in some 50 other countries.
Loved by celebrities
The Swiss sweets are loved by celebrities – particularly singers – for their throat-soothing properties. Their official website includes Bruno Mars, Nicky Minaj, Hugh Jackman, Mariah Carey and Placido Domingo among their fans.
Robbie Williams apparently used Ricola sweets to help his voice when singing at altitude at Ischgl last year.
Robbie Williams performing in Ischgl
History
The company was founded in 1930 by Emil Richterich after he acquired a small bakery business in Lauften near the northern Swiss city of Basel. What was to become the Ricola sweet company initially produced a sort of caramel sweet called Fünfermocken.
The original Ricola sweet drop
However, in 1940 Richterich conceived the sweet drop incorporating 13 different herbs which is so familiar today.
The modern range of Ricola products not only includes its herbal drops in a variety of flavours, both with sugar and sugar-free, but also herbal soft pastilles and chewing gum as well as a selection of teas.
Ricola chewing gum
A blend of 13 herbs
Amongst the ingredients used in Ricola’s recipe are Elder, Horehound, Mallow, Peppermint, Sage, Thyme, Cowslip, Burnet, Yarrow, Marsh Mallow, Lady’s Mantle, Veronica and Plantain.
These can be sampled at the company’s six public herb gardens in Switzerland, one of which is sited in Zermatt at Blatten (shown below).
The herbs used in the production of Ricola’s sweets are grown elsewhere at various private mountain plantations around Switzerland, far from industrial centres and main roads and in accordance with strict organic standards.
Ricola Herb garden in Zermatt
Article by Ed Mannix, owner of www.matterhornchalets.com