Pastellfiskar: The Real Swedish Pastel Fish
Pastellfiskar are the pastel fish Swedes actually buy loose at home, and they are not the American Swedish Fish brand. Here is the difference.
Pastellfiskar are the pastel-coloured, fish-shaped candies Swedes actually buy at home: soft, mild and sold loose by weight from the pick-and-mix wall. They are not the same thing as the American "Swedish Fish" brand, which is best known as a single firm red piece sold in a bag.
We ran candy shops in Sweden before we started importing, and the fish bin was never the red American piece. It was pastellfiskar: pale pink, yellow, green and orange fish, scooped into a paper bag alongside everything else. This is the version most Americans have never actually tasted, so here is what it is, how it differs from the brand you know, and how to sell it.
What pastellfiskar are
The word breaks down the way most Swedish candy names do: pastell (pastel) plus fiskar (fish). One is a pastellfisk. They are small moulded fish in soft, chalky-pale colours, and the whole point of them is gentleness. The texture is softer and springier than a firm American gummy, the flavour is mild and fruity rather than punchy, and there is no sour coating.
That mildness is deliberate. Pastellfiskar sit in the same part of the Swedish wall as foam bananas and other starter candy, the pieces children reach for first and adults keep reaching for out of habit. They are a volume item, not a statement item.
They are also a colour tool. On a wall of bright reds and neon sours, a bin of pale pastel fish creates visual relief. Swedish shops use pastels to break up the wall the same way a florist uses white flowers.
Pastellfiskar versus the American "Swedish Fish" brand
This is the confusion we spend the most time clearing up with American buyers, so let us be precise about it.
The American brand. "Swedish Fish" is a trademarked confectionery brand sold in North America, most recognisable as a firm, chewy red fish in a printed bag. It is a real product with real Swedish roots, and we unpack that whole story in are Swedish fish actually Swedish.
The Swedish reality. In Sweden there is no single famous "Swedish fish." There are fish shapes, plural, made by several confectioners, sold loose by weight, and the pastel version is the everyday one. Nobody in Sweden asks for "Swedish fish" any more than someone in Italy asks for "Italian pasta." We wrote the full picture in real Swedish fish: what Swedes actually eat.
The practical difference at the counter. The American piece is firmer, chewier and sold pre-packed in one dominant colour and flavour. Pastellfiskar are softer, milder, multi-coloured and sold loose. If a customer picks up pastel fish expecting the American texture, they will notice immediately, which is why we suggest a small sign. "Swedish pastel fish, softer and milder than the American kind" answers the question before it is asked and turns a possible complaint into a story.
The pastel fish we import
The one in our catalog is simply called Pastel Fish, and it is the classic soft pastel assortment. Worth noting for your dietary signage: Pastel Fish is gelatin-free. That single fact opens doors, because gelatin is the most common reason a fish-shaped candy gets rejected by a customer, and fish shapes get asked about constantly.
The sour fish, and other fish-adjacent shapes
If pastellfiskar are the mild end of the shape, the sour end also sells. Sour Swedish Fish is the sour-coated fish in a 7.16 lb case, and it is also gelatin-free. Running both is a neat merchandising trick: same shape, two intensities, and customers who reject one usually take the other.
Two more pieces round out a soft Swedish set nicely. Grahns Raspberry Twins from Grahns is a two-tone raspberry piece, gelatin-free, and it plays well next to pastels because it shares the same soft register. BUBS Banana from BUBS is the foam banana, gelatin-free and vegan, and it is the shape Swedes most often pair with fish in a mixed bag.
A soft Swedish set built around the fish
How to merchandise pastel fish in a US or Canadian shop
Lead with the contrast, not the similarity. Every American customer arrives with the brand in their head. Rather than competing with it, sell the difference. The phrase that works in our accounts is "the fish Swedes actually buy," which is accurate and instantly interesting.
Put them in the loose mix. Pastel fish are a pick-and-mix piece first. They scoop cleanly, they do not stick badly to a scoop, and the colours lift the whole bag. Our guide to the lösgodis pick-and-mix bag covers how Swedes actually build a bag if you want to model your bins on it.
Use them for events. Pastel colours are the reason this SKU gets pulled for baby showers, weddings and spring displays. A gelatin-free pastel candy that photographs well is a genuinely useful thing to have in a case, and it is one of the few candy shapes people request by colour rather than by flavour.
Pair the mild and the sour. Keeping Pastel Fish and Sour Swedish Fish adjacent lets one shape serve two shoppers. Kids and nostalgia buyers take the pastels, teenagers take the sours.
For the wider soft-candy picture, our Swedish gummy candy guide maps the textures around the fish.
Buying pastellfiskar wholesale
We import direct from Sweden and Europe, so case prices land under most US distributors, and we ship from our Santa Fe Springs, California warehouse to retailers across the US and Canada. Stock arrives DDP with US labels and duties already paid, so there is nothing for you to clear.
Order by the case, mix and match, with no order minimum. Tier 1 list pricing is public on every product page, and approved volume or strategic buyers move to Tier 2 or Tier 3. Wholesale accounts approve automatically when you apply. Checkout offers UPS Ground, UPS Express and UPS Ground Saver, with pallet freight available on orders over $2,000, agreed by email.
Want the real pastel fish on your wall? Browse the catalog or apply for a wholesale account, which approves automatically. Building a fish set and want a second opinion? Talk to us.
Frequently asked questions
What does pastellfiskar mean?+
It is Swedish for "pastel fish," from pastell (pastel) and fiskar (fish). A single one is a pastellfisk. It describes the pale, soft-coloured fish-shaped candies sold loose in Swedish pick-and-mix.
Are pastellfiskar the same as Swedish Fish?+
No. "Swedish Fish" is a North American trademarked brand, best known as a firm red chewy fish in a bag. Pastellfiskar are the softer, milder, multi-coloured fish Swedes buy loose by weight at home. Same idea, different candy.
Are pastel fish gelatin-free?+
The Pastel Fish we import is gelatin-free, and so is Sour Swedish Fish. Always check the flag on the individual product page, because it varies by maker across the fish category.
What do pastellfiskar taste like?+
Mild and fruity rather than intense, with a soft, springy bite. They are noticeably softer than a firm American gummy and have no sour coating, which is why they are often a child's first candy in Sweden.
Do Swedes actually eat Swedish Fish?+
Not under that name. Swedes eat fish-shaped candy, including pastellfiskar, from the loose wall. The single branded red fish is a North American product, which we explain in are Swedish fish actually Swedish.
What sizes do pastel fish come in for retail?+
We sell them as wholesale cases for pick-and-mix bins and repacking. Because there is no order minimum, you can add one case of pastel fish to an order and see how it moves before scaling up.
Keep reading
Gustav Lindqvist · Candy Master
Gustav grew up in Sweden on a strict Saturday-candy schedule, mixing his lördagsgodis bag at the lösgodis wall before he could spell salmiak. He has spent years tasting his way across Scandinavian candy, and now curates the range at TheSweetsTruck, from BUBS sour skulls to the saltiest licorice most people cannot finish.
Last updated 8/6/2026