No where in the world does the phrase "magically delicious" mean more than at Honeydukes, the spectacular candy story inside The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Orlando Resort. They treats and sweets there are not only insanely scrumptious, but they're also completely surprising. Take a peek inside...
Hogsmeade Sweet Shop
The place where Harry first sneaks into Hogsmeade (using his Marauder's Map, of course) is every bit as colorful and wondrous as JK Rowling describes. Even among all the fun shops within Hogsmeade at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort, this shop might be the pinnacle of the films and books coming to life. In fact, the shop became so popular, Universal expanded its footprint in 2014 to better serve its sugar-obsessed crowd.
"There were shelves upon shelves of the most succulent-looking sweets imaginable. Creamy chunks of nougat, shimmering pink squares of coconut ice, fat, honey-colored toffees; hundreds of different kinds of chocolate in neat rows, there was a large barrel of Every Flavour Beans, and another of Fizzing Whizbees, the levitating sherbert balls Ron had mentioned ... "— Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
When you enter the shop, you're immediately overwhelmed with bright colors and delicious smells. The shelves of incredible-looking candy seem to never end, and seem to never be empty, as if some kind of magic keeps them fully stocked.
Karen Irwin, executive vice president of global merchandise and product development for Universal Orlando Resort, says when the team was developing Honeydukes, they combed the books and movies for any and all references to sweets:
"When descriptions of the sweets were available, we developed products as closely as we could to that description," Irwin says. "Many times we had only a sweet's name and had to develop products that made sense with the product title. For instance, coming up with a bee shape for Fizzing Whizzbees was pretty straightforward, but how to make it 'fizzing' ... [we came up with] popping rock candy, and voila! The packaging for the authentic sweets was either a direct lift from the films or was designed and developed in partnership with the graphic design group that worked on the films.
Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans
A big part of the shop is devoted to Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, the Russian roulette of sweets. You can fill a bag in bulk or ...
... individual boxes that are just waiting to destroy your tastebuds. Having tried every bean in the name of journalism, I can report that these beans DO in fact taste like the flavors they purport to be—the good (cinnamon, marshmallow), and the bad (vomit, earthworm).
Chocolate Frog
The first magical sweet that Harry Potter encounters on the Hogwarts Express was one I was very excited about. And although this guy doesn't actually hop out, he does come with the patented Chocolate Frog cards. I got Albus Dumbledore and audibly squealed with delight about it. As for the actual candy, it's incredibly dense and hard to eat, but once the frog melts a little, you are gifted with a classically creamy milk chocolate.
Butterbeer Fudge
I can imagine a room full of chefs and executives who, once they realized they nailed the flavor of Butterbeer in its drinkable form, were thunderstruck when they realized they could make that flavor into countless other treats. This fudge is the drink in candy form, and yes, it's just as wonderful as drinking it (though without the fun foam mustache).
Exploding Bonbons
I was a little nervous about these, hoping/fearing that they'd explode in my mouth in some way, but it turned out to be a delightful pop rocks-like sensation. the flavor was surprising too—orange and pineapple.
Gorgeous jars of candy are everywhere you look.
[youtube ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95ZSxXlr8gg&feature=youtu.be[/youtube]
All told, Honeydukes features 66 types of candy and magical baked goods. The full list includes things you have to see in person to believe—like Acid Pops, Caramel Cobwebs, Chocolate Wands, Fudge Flies, Jelly Slugs, Pepper Imps, Sugar Quills, and Tooth-Splintering Strong Mints. Watch us taste a few....
PIN IT FOR LATER:
Follow Delish on Instagram.
Download the Delish app.
