Acacia gum,Sugar,Glucose syrup,Salmiak,Licorice, Salt, Sorbitol, Fragrance, Beeswax, Coloring
3" x 1.5" x .5"
Turku

Sisu is a Finnish word that translates roughly to strength of will, determination, perseverance and acting rationally in the face of adversity. The equivalent in English is "to have guts". I think you have to have guts to be Finnish, just the winters alone can be devastating. Sisu is an important part of the Finnish character; it was something I read about before we visited Finland and something I actively looked for in the people. I think I witnessed it, although it’s hard to pinpoint as it is not just a moment but an existence. Perhaps it shined through when the farmer was telling me how it was in Karelia in the 1930s or when the Finnish winter and the giant icebreakers in the distance were described to me. I could, by the end of our trip, feel it in the Finnish people. It is a bit sad, plenty admirable and full of promise. It is said that without sisu (not the candy but the state of being) the Finnish people would have never survived the years of occupation by Sweden and Russia or the Winter War not to mention the winter in general. It is hard to imagine Finland has only been independent for 90 years and all the time they knew they were Fins. Sisu cannot be described but only witnessed, the character of the people is a strong, honorable one, oh yeah; it is a candy too.