The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Coming all the way from London, Spun Candy landed in Cairo in January of this year, offering what many candy shops around town lack; 100% vegetarian, gelatine and gluten-free candy.

Located on the first floor of phase two at Citystars, Spun Candy’s booth boasts a spectrum of colourful candy that come in all shapes and sizes, as well as a corner where customers get a glimpse of the sweet world of candy-making.

Opting for a little bit of everything, we chose the Dragees (85LE), Raspberry Marshmallow (70LE), Honeycomb (60LE) and Crunchy Toffee Peanut (70LE), which came in air-tight plastic bags placed in cardboard boxes, in addition to a box of Peanut Butter Fudge (100LE) and a jar of Fruit Mix (95LE).

The Dragees are chocolate-covered almonds that come with confectioner’s sugar dusted on top; while the almonds were crunchy and fresh, the sugar-dusted chocolate coating was excessively sweet. Despite having a pleasingly dissoluble, fluffy texture, the raspberry marshmallows had a slight artificial raspberry taste, which was too sharp and tangy for what is usually a very creamy and milky candy.

On the other hand, the honeycomb was sweet and crunchy, with a taste that resembles that of the traditional asaleya, but made with honey instead of molasses, while the crunchy toffee peanuts had a creamy caramel aftertaste with a hint of butterscotch. Packed in a cute little tin box with four pieces, meanwhile, the peanut butter fudge boasted a smooth texture and rich flavour that would be more than satisfy any peanut butter lover.

But fruity flavours lovers will find what they’re looking for in the Fruit Mix jar, whose assortment of flavours ranges from coconut to watermelon. Compared to the artificial flavour of something like the raspberry marshmallows, the hard candy had a nicely balanced, natural flavour.

We could have spent all day trying the huge array of candy, but for one thing – Spun Candy’s prices aren’t the most wallet-friendly, making it an occasional luxury for most, rather than a staple. But whether you’re satisfying your own sweet-tooth, or looking for cute gift, Spun Candy isn’t a bad option. Just be careful that you don’t get addicted.