Swedish bakers in the village of Gränna work hard to make peppermint sticks, or “polka candy” as they are called in Swedish.

The small town is dedicated to the production and distribution of the delicacy, which has become a symbol of Christmas Worldwide.

The story of Gränna’s beloved sweets

The sugary treat was invented in 1859 by Amalia Eriksson, a poor local widow.

To begin with, she was the sole producer of the party candy and her bakery quickly became well known in the city and elsewhere.

In 1915, her bakery was even visited by Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf and his wife Margaretha.

She kept the recipe secret, and it was not released until after her death in 1923, at the age of 99.

Soon others started using her recipe, and now there are a dozen candy bar bakeries lining the city’s main streets, Brahegatan.

How is polka pig made?

The first step is to mix sugar, water and vinegar and heat them to 145 ° C (302 ° F).

The hot sugar paste is then poured onto a cooling table, where it is colored into small pieces which are separated and set aside.

When the dough has cooled, add peppermint flavor and the dough is stretched with a puller to let in air, which gives it its consistency and a white color.

The dough is then rolled and twisted until it becomes long and thin.

While the dough is still soft, it can be cut and shaped into a variety of shapes.

Today, polka pig is still a symbol of Gränna, at the same time as it is one of the most popular Swedish souvenirs.

Check out the video for a trip around the city where everything happened