15 Of The Most Sour Candies In The World

Candy: A sweet treat to make you feel warm and fuzzy, loaded to the brim with gummy or crystalized sugar. So why on earth would anyone want to be puckering their lips, wincing in pain, and dripping with saliva when they take a lick? Well, We're here to tell you that some people love the sour experience when it comes to candy munching. But unless you're a Sour Patch Kid, you may never fully understand the draw. Sour candy promotes salivation, making you intently susceptible to flavor and causing you to pucker even harder. It's a vicious, or for some, pleasurable cycle. 

So why does your tongue burn after eating sour candy? That, our dear friend, is the burn of citric acid. Most foods that contain citric acid as a preservative have it fairly diluted, while sour candy contains an intense concentration. Sour is one of the five basic flavors, and it's a very stimulating one. Folks enjoy the bold sensory feeling of the sting of flavor. So, if you fall into that category, we've compiled a list of the most sour candies in the world for you to try. Just keep in mind that some of these are so intense they could cause damage to your tongue. You've been forewarned.

Time and time again, Toxic Waste has been deemed the No. 1 sour candy in the world. The unboxing experience is just as ludicrous as the name implies. The candies come in mini-sized orange toxic waste drums with colorful "toxins" seeping from the lids. Brace yourself because the candy is just as intense as you might imagine something called "toxic waste" would be. We can assure you that your eyes will water, your face will tighten, your lips will pucker, and you may even have trouble going back for seconds.

We recommend Toxic Waste to experienced sour candy eaters, although it might be something to try once for bragging rights. Toxic Waste Hazardous Sour Candy has a few types of candy, including Smog Balls, Atomz, and, of course, its famous orange drums, Nuclear Fusion Drum. The Slime Licker was discontinued after the rolling ball dislodged and became a choking concern, so if you see it on the back shelf of a gas station, grab another treat. This is not the kind of candy you'll want to slip into children's Halloween baskets; you have to know what to expect in the flavor department before diving in.

Barnetts claims it has "the world's most sour sweets." You will find a huge variety of sour candies on its website, but many deem the Mega Sour Sweets the most intense. Its candies are so incredibly sour that the company has a challenge for those brave enough to try them. Use #megasourchallenge to share your experience if you dare. You could even be featured on its website or social platforms.

It seems this English company knows a thing or two about sour, as some claim its products are more intense than Toxic Waste or Warheads. Now, what do these bad boys even taste like? Barnetts Mega Sour Sweets come in 10 assorted fruit flavors; however, you can purchase a big bag comprising one flavor, like Barnetts' Mega Sour Raspberry Bon Bons. We hear that if you can get past the initial tart shock of flavor, the candies are sweet and fruity. If pain is your game, and you actively seek this kind of thrill, there's no better place to look than Barnetts Mega Sour Sweets.

Don't be a crybaby. Instead, try Cry Baby Gum or Cry Baby Tears. You'll be shocked at who produces such intense candy because its flagship product is rather mild. Tootsie Roll Industries makes this colorful, tear-shaped candy for those who like a sour punch but want to survive past the first piece. It's mild enough to eat more than one, perhaps even a whole bag, but you will definitely do so with a puckered face. They come in six tangy fruit flavors and can be consumed by nearly anyone, as they are gluten-free, nut-free, and Kosher.

Tootsie Roll Industries' Cry Baby bubble gum starts intensely sour, and then, like most gum, the flavor loses intensity as it's chewed. This is a great option for someone who enjoys an initial jolt of flavor but is ready to enjoy some lasting fruity undertones afterward. The gum comes in six fruity flavors: cherry, watermelon, lemon, apple, berry, and orange. The company calls its gum line "America's favorite sour gum," Is it right? Only one way to find out.

Unlike some of the more fun and friendly appearances of sour candies on this list, Black Death Mega Sour Candy targets a more mature demographic. Its candies do not come with cartooned puckered faces on the packaging or in bright, fun colors and shapes. The manufacturer means business. However, apart from Black Death, it carries sour candies with more refined flavors, like Dr. Pepper, Strawberry Cream Pie, and Green Apple. Black Death Mega Sour Candy is black but has a lemon flavor, which is rather unexpected given its appearance. 

These candies are not recommended for children under 8 years old and come with a warning on its website, "Excessive consumption within a brief time frame may cause temporary mouth and/or stomach irritation." The extremely sour coating on the outside lasts about 20 seconds, but you're not out of the woods just yet; the inner core is also sour. Not sure if you can handle it? You can purchase just one Black Death Mega Sour Candy at a time on its website. Talk about dipping your toes in before you commit.

We've seen sour balls, sour sticks, sour worms, and sour tears, but sour toilets and plungers must be one of the most unique ways to package candy on the market. It's a great marketing strategy because what child isn't going to grab the bright and colorful candy toilet and plunger off the shelf at checkout? The consumption strategy here is to dip one of the two plungers into the toilet and coat it with sour powder. Then suck on the plunger, pucker, and repeat. Remember baby bottle pops? Same concept. Kidsmania produces Sour Flush candy.

So, if you can get past the concept of eating from a mini-toilet and enjoy the intensity of sour candy, then you are certainly open-minded. Kudos! Depending on the color of the toilet, the candy has a multitude of fruit flavorings. The plungers are sweet, much like a standard lollipop, while the powder is tangy and sour.

Do you remember Altoids Sours? Perhaps your parents offered them to you in a tin when you were a child, as it was marketed more towards adults than children. Well, they are back and are now produced by Mars instead of Altoids. They've been rebranded as Retro Sours, which tracks, as they have the potential to produce some serious nostalgia for any '90s kid.

Retro Sours come in a few different top-tier flavors, like tangerine, which was widely popular in its day, mango, and citrus. Although quite sour, these candies won't produce the face-twisting effect that some of the sourest candies in the world might. The sweetness of the candy is prevalent, and the flavors are true to their name. Most of the sour flavor comes from the initial taste; from there, you're free to enjoy mellow, sweet flavors that are just as mouth-watering. Retro sours are a blast from the past and an enjoyable way to experience sour candy without burning your taste buds off.

Gummy worms have always been intriguing. Why worms? Well, Trolli wanted to make something a little more attention-grabbing or weird, and we have to say it nailed it. Most of us grew up with them and never really questioned why eating something shaped like a worm was so out of left field, and now do so by the handful without a second thought. Gummy worms, or Sour Bright Crawlers, are known for having several colors and flavors per worm and being intensely sour. These candies won't do major damage to your tongue like some of the other sour candies in the world, but they certainly conjure a pucker.

Trolli's combo flavors include cherry-lemon, strawberry-grape, and orange-lime. It also has a line of "very berry" and "fruit punch" crawlers. These bright and colorful worms are covered with a sugary, sour coating that packs an initial punch, while the insides are sweeter and more mellow. If you enjoy gummy worms but want more intense flavors, consider Sour Bright Crawlers.

You may have been enjoying Rainbow Sour Punch Straws since the '90s and watched the evolution as the American Licorice Company started producing other sour candy shapes. However, we think it nailed it on the first go-around, and our sour enthusiasts should give the ropes a try. These noodles of candy get sandblasted with a "sour shower," as they call it, of sweet and sour flavor, which sticks to the gummy portion of the candy as a coating.

The straws are colorful, delightful, and flavored with strawberry, blue raspberry, green apple, and lemon. Tie them into a knot, decorate your gingerbread house with them, or wrap them around your finger like a ring. Their fun design is arguably more interesting than most standard rounded sour candies on shelves and will ensure sticky fingers and puckered lips. The American Licorice Company promotes self-love and kindness, so you can feel good about ordering its candy. Bring back the '90s and grab a few packages of Rainbow Sour Punch Straws for your next road trip or evening at the movie theater.

If you're a fan of sour candy, it's likely you've heard of Atomic Warheads. Their packaging is iconic, with the puckered cartoon face of someone who may be either suffering or enjoying a super sour candy. Impact Confections has deemed itself the "candy of choice for the super sour seekers" as it has a history dating back to the '80s(via Redstone Foods). They are often considered one of the most sour candies out there, so customers must agree.

Atomic Warheads come in different flavors and shapes, with Extreme Sours and Atomic Fizz Warheads being the most intense of them all. They are conveniently sold at Dollar General, Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, Walmart, and Walgreens, so feel free to stash up. These candies are not for the light-hearted because of their extremely sour flavor, which eventually backs off to let you enjoy the fruitier, more mellow flavor. You can't go wrong with Warheads, an original Taiwanese candy now produced in the United States.

Although Jolly Ranchers are slightly sour, they are not one of the most sour candies in the world. However, the line from its Sour Lemonade Stand produced by Hershey certainly meets the criteria. We love these flavors because they are based on classic variations of lemonade, including sour cherry lemonade, sour lime lemonade, and sour strawberry lemonade. Unlike your typical Jolly Ranchers, these sour flavors come in gummy form, making each bite extra intense.

When it comes to popular gummy candies rankings, Jolly Ranchers Sour Lemonade candies make the list with flying colors. Prepare to have these gummies stick to your teeth, as they are ultra chewy and sticky. Their sour flavor can be described as over the top, so only sour candy veterans should take a swing at these Jolly Ranchers gone wild. While some of us may need to stop at one, we know some of you can eat the whole bag in one sitting.

Skittles are everywhere and are definitely a classic. They are a very popular candy, known for their colorful chewy disks that look quite a bit like M&M's. Mars, which produces the small rainbow candies, is very much into tasting the rainbow. The beautiful candies pop with springtime vibes and are fun to eat. Its Sour Skittles are a less leisurely eating experience, as they are super intense and tongue-twisting.

Unfortunately, most of that color comes from a potentially harmful substance called titanium dioxide, which is why Skittles is being sued over its candy colors. While nobody expected neon color candy to be good for us, a lawsuit certainly raises an eyebrow about the ingredient's impact on human health. However, most artificial coloring is harmful, so Mars is not alone in the fight between making a beautiful product and looking out for its consumers. Regardless of health concerns, these sour treats live up to the hype and will have you popping the rainbow into your mouth all day long.

When it comes to variety, Zweet really knows what it's doing. Its Zweet Sour Belts has dozens of flavors, varying from the classic rainbow to passion fruit. If you haven't tried its Unicorn Kiss Belts, have you truly experienced the magic of sour candy? However, Zweet's sourest variety is the Insanely Sour Belts, which come in green apple and strawberry. This line is even more sour than its already intense classic sour line. You can distinguish these from the hazard signs on their packaging, so take caution when enjoying.

These are called belts because they are shaped like, well, belts. They are thin, flat, and have wide strips coated with a super sweet and sour powder. Stretch them, chew them, and pucker up because the Insanely Sour Belts are hard to handle. If you're looking for a more mellow but still tantalizingly sour fix, stick to its regular Sour Belt line and get lost in the unique flavors.

A classic movie theater candy, SweeTARTS, has been around since the early 1960s and has remained a popular choice for those who enjoy sweet candy with a twist. Produced by Ferrara, a massive candy corporation with humble origins, SweeTARTS is one of many popular products that has stood the test of time. It is known for uniting sweet and tart into one loveable candy. The candy is so lovable that it contains fun words that make it a wonderful non-chocolate Valentine's Day candy gift idea. SweeTarts now comes in more than just tablets: Original, Gummy, Chewy, and Ropes.

When it comes to face-twisting intensity, SweeTARTS is not the boldest. The candy can be classified as more enjoyable — leaning heavily into sweet and punching with tart notes instead of downright sour. It is still one of the most sour candies in the world, but it doesn't make the top five. SweeTARTS, however, serves another purpose. It delivers an enjoyable and palatable treat you can eat throughout a movie without scrunching your face.

While most sour candies in the world come in hard or gummy candy form, Pucker Powder dares to be different. When purchasing Pucker Powder Toppings, you're committing to a large amount of sour and sweet powder. This is not meant to be eaten with a spoon but more so used as a dessert topping or at a froyo stand. It has an extensive variety of flavors, but if you seek the sourest of them all, turn to Super Sour Wild Cherry or Super Sour Blue Raspberry.

If you love a festive cocktail, consider Pucker Powder Toppings as a sour candy garnish for your adult beverage. Alternatively, make a beautiful mocktail with this super sour dust around the rim. Just be sure whatever you have in the glass won't be terribly overpowered by the pucker powder, which makes quite a bold statement. When you purchase Pucker Powder, you'll receive a large container filled to the brim. Luckily, there are plenty of fun ways to use it all up.

Experienced sour candy enthusiasts gather 'round. While many of the most sour candies in the world are relatively tolerable, with a few exceptions, Nobel Super Lemon Candy will blow you out of the water. If you're looking for sour, you've found it. This Japanese candy comes in individually wrapped portions, and it's clear why: One is simply enough to get your sour fix.

These lemon-flavored hard candies have a distinct jolt of citric acid that is not for the faint of heart. Those of us in the United States don't have to miss out on this exceptional candy because Nobel Super Lemon Candy is sold on Amazon. Its retro packaging may be eye-catching, but the wow factor is most prevalent in the hurricane of flavor.