Flying saucers ( nl-BE, Zure ouwels) or UFOs are small spheroidal capsules of
sherbet-filled
rice paper.
History
The first flying saucers were produced in the early 1950s when an
Antwerp
Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504, -based producer of
communion wafers, Belgica, faced a decline in demand for their product. Astra Sweets now owns the Belgica brand and continue to make the product. Flying saucers are officially registered as a traditional product of
Flanders. Their popularity in the United Kingdom from the 1960s to the 1970s was attributed to the
Space Race and increased interest in science fiction.
They remain a popular sweet in Belgium and the United Kingdom. Flying saucers came 12th in a 2009 poll among adults for 'Britain's top sweets' and experienced a resurgence in popularity, along with other traditional sweets, in the 2010s. They have also been featured on lists of
vegan sweets for
Halloween
Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observanc ...
. They were also a popular sweet in Ireland.
See also
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Christmas wafer
References
British confectionery
Candy
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