Swedish candy is all the rage in New York City, and even Saturday Night Live star Chloe Fineman is not exempt from the craze.
“There is a Swedish candy phenomenon happening in New York,” the comedian, 36, revealed exclusively in her My Life in Food feature in the latest issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now. “There are velvet ropes like it’s a Gucci store or a Supreme sneaker drop, but it’s just for f—king candy. And so, yes, there’s BonBon Swedish candy, [which is] a big part of my life.”
Partially thanks to FoodTok, BonBon — a Scandinavian treat shop with four locations across New York City — has gone viral online, causing the store to increase production from 50 online orders at a time to thousands.
“We had to airlift candy from Sweden because we ran out!” a representative from BonBon quipped to Today earlier this year.
In addition to candy, several — more nutritious — food dishes have been important parts of Fineman’s life. Keep scrolling for more fun food anecdotes from the comedian:
What special dinner would your mom make on your birthday?
My mom makes the best roast chicken in all the land. It’s Alice Waters’ roast chicken recipe. She is the founder of Chez Panisse in Berkeley, and we worship her and her whole ethos in my family. God, I sound snobby right now, but it’s, like, the simplest French Roast Chicken recipe with carrots and onions and roast chicken. It’s delicious.
What do you order on a first date?
Ooh, something not garlicky is a biggie. I kind of like to be a little kid. It’d be, like, pasta with bread sauce, you know, something breath-friendly.
What’s the snack you’re obsessed with?
There is a Swedish candy phenomenon happening in New York. There are velvet ropes like it’s a Gucci store or a Supreme sneaker drop, but it’s just for f—king candy. And so, yes, there’s BonBon Swedish candy, [which is] a big part of my life.
What would be your last meal on Earth?
Oh, gosh, it would be a chocolate dipped soft serve. It’s my favorite food.
What’s the comfort food you eat when no one is watching?
I have a really weird obsession with Japanese sweet potatoes, which are, like, the purple sweet potatoes with the white inside. And I kind of eat them so often, but I eat them in a really gross way. I pick them apart with my hands. So I don’t want anyone to see me devour sweet potatoes.
What’s a recipe you made up?
I call it twice baked yams. So I take that Japanese sweet potato, cook it for a really long time. They kind of caramelize, and they taste like pie. It’s amazing. And then I’ll cut it up and put them on their sides, and then put it back in the oven and then they’re like these caramelized, incredible potatoes. They really taste like candy. And you don’t have to do much. Just a little salt. You don’t even need olive oil.
What food didn’t you like as a kid?
I remember I had Indian food for the first time when I was in third grade, and I was like, ‘Whoa, spice!’ And now it’s definitely my favorite food in the world.
Is there any particular Indian dish you like?
I love chana masala. I love Tandoori chicken. I mean, I don’t cook in New York. I’m always trying to force myself to eat some kind of protein.
With reporting by Sarah Jones