Pulling another mystery bag out of the mule-transported stash I recently got, I present to you “Haribo Fruity-Bussi”:

I love the idea of German confectioners sitting around a dull, German looking board room, brainstorming on new candy ideas. Suddenly, the really German looking old dude with the coke bottle spectacles stands up, and announces “I’ve got it! Little gem-like bumpy goo filled yet partly creamy things!”. The rest of the crew all high-five each other, jumping around the table, while Starship’s “We Built This City (On Rock & Roll)” plays in the background. Suddenly, another candy classic is born.

That’s gotta be the way this stuff goes down, right? Or is there some bored dude who just kinds of changes the shapes of the candy molds a bit, changes the flavor a little bit, and then calls it something fantastically fey like “Fruity-Bussi”, slaps a new bag together, and viola! Another regurgitated candy retread?

For the most part, I think it’s the latter. But not with Haribo (for the most part). The good lads in Germany know what they’re doing. So when they decide to jump in to the “goo filled” candy world, you know they’re gonna do it better than most.

Look at them. They’re pretty damn gorgeous, right? They’re made with real fruit juice, and they’re good. Damn good. And here’s why:

You can see from this photo, a couple of things:

1. The candy has three very distinct areas: the gummy top, the creamy yogurt-style bottom, and the goo. All 3 have consistencies and flavors that are different from one another.

2. The goo isn’t dripping all over the place. It’s thick. This thickness helps it meld more with the other textures and flavors. And there’s not that much of it, so it really plays more like an accent to the gummy flavor. This is a good thing.

3. My fingers are pretty much repulsive.

Speaking of the flavors, let’s touch on them real quick. Since I don’t read German, I have to guess for the most part. But again, being Haribo, that’s not difficult. There’s pear, orange, and raspberry, all pretty darn delish. Their fruit flavors are by far the best of any candy company I know. They taste most like the actual candies, while at the same time giving them an extra tart zing or sweet depth of flavor. Pear is the bomb, just bursting with pear-errific flavor.

I’m not saying that everyone will like these. Traditionally, I’ve hated most goo-filled gummies I’ve tried, but that’s because they’ve (for the most part) been sickly sweet runny liquid inside a sweet, nondescript gummy. Not interesting. Not good. Fruity-Bussi however are a bit different-better consistency (of course), more accurate flavors, and most importantly, the goo itself isn’t problematic. It’s just a little burst, with matching fruit flavor to help accent the gummy. The white “yogurt” style bottom of the gummy provides just a bit of richness and creamy flavor to offset the tanginess of the gummy. Overall, a good combo.

Would I buy these again? Well, if I’m ever in a store that stocks European Haribo and these are there, odds are that many other flavors would be there too, so I’m not sure. But I like these, and I’d definitely be open to having them again. If you’re at all a fan of the goo filled gummies, then you need to track these down. Best bet is probably on Ebay or on an uber-expensive Euro online grocery store.

Good luck.