Nói Síríus
Encyclopedia
Nói Síríus (ˈnoːuɪ ˈsiːriʏs) is a family-owned chocolate
and confection manufacturer in Iceland
that was founded in 1920. Hallgrímur Benediktsson took over as main owner in the 1920s, and his grandson, Finnur Geirsson, is the company's current president. Nói Síríus is Iceland's biggest candy producer and its candies have been a traditional part of camping trips since 1933, along with stockfish
.
The company produces Tópas and Ópal, "fresh breath products" known for being somewhat bitter and soothing a sore throat with menthol and eucalyptus, as well as pastille
s, sugar twists, assorted chocolates (a Christmas tradition) and Easter eggs. The chocolates come in dark and milk chocolate varieties as well as bars with nuts and raisins, whole hazelnuts, raisins and liquorice chips. The company also produces a "Little Imps" lines for children that includes "candy covered chocolate drops, hot and spicy pepper drops, fruity jellies with a candy shell or colourful little gum drops".
Nói Síríus candies are sold domestically in Iceland and exported, primarily to Russia
and the United States
, including Whole Foods Market
stores. Smaller quantities are shipped to Denmark
and The Netherlands under the Oxydent and Fakta
brands.
, Latvia
's largest candy manufacturer, but sold the stake a few years later. In March 2006 the company bought English chocolate company, Elizabeth Shaw
.
plant, and a note with a saying is put into each egg.
Icelandic liqueur
s bearing the Tópas and Ópal name have also been introduced, achieving some acclaim, with filmmaker Quentin Tarantino
's description of them as "the worst drink on earth" after an evening imbibing them.
The company also made news for a controversial marketing campaign and promotion stunt that had people join a Labor Day
demonstration with signs labeled with Nói-Síríus-produced Tópas candy while shouting advertising slogans.
Chocolate
Chocolate is a raw or processed food produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America. Its earliest documented use is around 1100 BC...
and confection manufacturer in Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
that was founded in 1920. Hallgrímur Benediktsson took over as main owner in the 1920s, and his grandson, Finnur Geirsson, is the company's current president. Nói Síríus is Iceland's biggest candy producer and its candies have been a traditional part of camping trips since 1933, along with stockfish
Stockfish
Stockfish is unsalted fish, especially cod, dried by cold air and wind on wooden racks on the foreshore, called "hjell". The drying of food is the world's oldest known preservation method, and dried fish has a storage life of several years...
.
The company produces Tópas and Ópal, "fresh breath products" known for being somewhat bitter and soothing a sore throat with menthol and eucalyptus, as well as pastille
Pastille
Pastilles are a type of candy or medicinal pill made of a thick liquid that has been solidified and is meant to be consumed by light chewing and allowing it to dissolve in the mouth...
s, sugar twists, assorted chocolates (a Christmas tradition) and Easter eggs. The chocolates come in dark and milk chocolate varieties as well as bars with nuts and raisins, whole hazelnuts, raisins and liquorice chips. The company also produces a "Little Imps" lines for children that includes "candy covered chocolate drops, hot and spicy pepper drops, fruity jellies with a candy shell or colourful little gum drops".
Nói Síríus candies are sold domestically in Iceland and exported, primarily to Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, including Whole Foods Market
Whole Foods Market
Whole Foods Market is a foods supermarket chain based in Austin, Texas which emphasizes "natural and organic products." The company has been ranked among the most socially responsible businesses and placed third on the U.S...
stores. Smaller quantities are shipped to Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and The Netherlands under the Oxydent and Fakta
Fakta
Fakta is a Danish chain of discount stores. It is owned by FDB and was founded in 1981 as Dansk Discount A/S. Fakta has been the fastest growing discount chain in Denmark. In 2006 fakta earned 8.1 billion Danish Kroner...
brands.
International expansion
In the late 1990s the company purchased LaimaLaima (confectioner)
Laima is the largest producer of confectionery in Latvia. Its headquarters are in Riga. It is named for Laima, the feminine deity of fate in Latvian mythology.- Company history :...
, Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
's largest candy manufacturer, but sold the stake a few years later. In March 2006 the company bought English chocolate company, Elizabeth Shaw
Elizabeth Shaw (Confectionery Company)
Elizabeth Shaw is the trading name of a Greenbank, Bristol based company that markets chocolate-based confectionery, which includes the internationally known brands Famous Names chocolate liqueurs and Elizabeth Shaw after dinner mints...
.
Candy culture
While Iceland isn't renowned for being a chocolate-loving country, a visitor concluded it is a mainstay of the culture and had never seen so many "people over 12" eat so much candy. Eating a chocolate bar at 9 a.m. was culturally acceptable, "intellectuals offer bowls of candy as an appetizer before dinner", and Nói Síríus produces 300,000 chocolate easter eggs in a nation of 290,000 people. The Easter Eggs are made at the company's ReykjavíkReykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
plant, and a note with a saying is put into each egg.
Icelandic liqueur
Liqueur
A liqueur is an alcoholic beverage that has been flavored with fruit, herbs, nuts, spices, flowers, or cream and bottled with added sugar. Liqueurs are typically quite sweet; they are usually not aged for long but may have resting periods during their production to allow flavors to marry.The...
s bearing the Tópas and Ópal name have also been introduced, achieving some acclaim, with filmmaker Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
's description of them as "the worst drink on earth" after an evening imbibing them.
The company also made news for a controversial marketing campaign and promotion stunt that had people join a Labor Day
Labor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
demonstration with signs labeled with Nói-Síríus-produced Tópas candy while shouting advertising slogans.