Drops "Temenujka" 90g

Deep purple. Faceted like a small gemstone. A faint, floral-anise sweetness that dissolves slowly on the tongue. Temenujka — the violet drop — is Bulgaria’s most iconic hard candy. Zaharni Zavodi has been making it for nearly a century, and every Bulgarian who grew up in the country carries the memory of it.

About Drops Temenujka

Zaharni Zavodi (Захарни Заводи — “Sugar WorksÝ) was founded in Sofia in 1928 and remains Bulgaria’s oldest and most beloved confectionery company. Their Drops (Дропс) line is a family of faceted hard candy drops in various fruit and floral flavors. The Temenujka — the violet — is the original and the most iconic: the one that has been in the range longest and the one that every Bulgarian child knows by sight before they can read the label.

The word temenujka (теменужка) is the Bulgarian diminutive for the violet flower — viola odorata, the delicate spring flower with the distinctive sweet-floral scent. The candy’s flavour at 0.2% violet essence is described as mild, floral, and slightly anise-like — the classic old-school European violet candy note that is immediately recognisable to anyone who grew up in the region. The deep purple colour comes from a combination of carmine (E120) and brilliant blue (E133), giving each drop a jewel-like appearance that is as much a part of its identity as its flavour.

How to Enjoy Them

Let them dissolve slowly — the violet flavour builds gradually as the hard candy shell gives way, releasing the sweet-floral note at the centre. They are best eaten one at a time, undistracted, when you want something gentle and nostalgic. Place a small bowl on the table after coffee or dinner, or keep a bag in the car for a long drive. For the diaspora shopper, the act of eating a Temenujka is itself the point: the flavour is a direct sensory line to childhood in Bulgaria.

What Makes Them Special

Violet flavor in confectionery is rare outside of Central and Eastern Europe. In the West, candy tends toward fruit, mint, or chocolate; in Bulgaria, the violet drop has held its place as a beloved classic through decades of social change, from the communist era through to the present. Zaharni Zavodi continues to produce the Temenujka in exactly the format that made it famous: small, faceted, intensely purple, gently floral. There is nothing quite like it in the American candy market.

Quick Facts

✓  Brand: Zaharni Zavodi (Захарни Заводи), Sofia, Bulgaria — founded 1928
✓  Type: Drops Temenujka — violet-flavour faceted hard candy
✓  Flavour: Violet flower (viola) 0.2% — floral, mildly anise-like
✓  Colour: Deep purple — E120 (carmine) + E133 (Brilliant Blue FCF)
✓  Net weight: 90g
✓  Origin: Bulgaria (imported)
✓  Ingredients: Sugar, glucose syrup, citric acid, violet flavour 0.2%, E120 (carmine), E133 (Brilliant Blue FCF). May contain traces of dairy.
✓  Not suitable for vegans or vegetarians — contains E120 (carmine, insect-derived). Verify on current packaging.
✓  Energy: approx. 396 kcal per 100g
✓  SKU: Svio

Bulgarian Sweets Table

Set the Temenujka drops in a small purple bowl next to a plate of Turkish Delight (lokum) and a bowl of Lukcheta Classic — three colours, three candy traditions, one Bulgarian sweets table. The violet-floral character of the Temenujka, the rosewater-and-sugar softness of the lokum, and the cool mint of the Lukcheta each offer a completely different sensory register. Together they represent what Zaharni Zavodi has been making in Sofia for nearly a century.

Pairs with: Turkish Delight Lokum (SKU: SLok1), Lukcheta Classic (SKU: SL0090).

Frequently Asked Questions

What does “TemenujkaÝ mean?
Temenujka (теменужка) is the Bulgarian diminutive form of teменуга — the violet flower (viola odorata). The candy is named for the flower whose scent and flavour it captures: small, purple, and gently fragrant. It is one of the most recognisable words in the Bulgarian confectionery vocabulary.

What does violet candy taste like?
The violet flavour in these drops is described as mild, floral, and slightly anise-like — the characteristic note of viola odorata, the sweet violet. It is not grape, not perfume, and not berry. It is a distinctly old-school European candy flavour, gentle and slightly sweet, with a faint floral bitterness at the finish. If you have never tasted violet candy before, these drops are one of the finest introductions to the tradition.

Are these suitable for vegetarians or vegans?
No. The purple colour comes partly from E120 (carmine) — a red dye derived from cochineal insects. This product is not suitable for vegans or vegetarians. It also may contain traces of dairy. Always verify the current ingredient and allergen declaration on the physical packaging.

Why are these so purple?
The deep violet-purple colour is achieved by combining two food colorants: E120 (carmine), a natural red derived from cochineal insects, and E133 (Brilliant Blue FCF), a synthetic blue. Red + blue = the vivid purple that makes the Temenujka drops so instantly recognisable. The jewel-like, faceted shape catches the light and enhances the colour further.

Who makes these and how long have they been around?
Made by Zaharni Zavodi AD (Захарни Заводи — “Sugar WorksÝ), founded in Sofia in 1928. The Temenujka drops have been part of the Bulgarian confectionery landscape since at least the mid-20th century, surviving through the communist era and into the present largely unchanged. They are frequently described as one of the defining nostalgic candies of the Bulgarian childhood experience.