Musk stick
Musk sticks are a popular confection in Australia, available from many different suppliers. They consist of a semi-soft stick of fondant, usually pink, and often extruded with a ridged cross-section in the shape of a star. Their flavour and aroma is quite floral, and, as the name suggests, also reminiscent of the smell of musk. They are also called "musk sweets" and "musk lollies".
The origin of musk sticks is uncertain, but they date back at least as far as 1873, when The Guardian and North and North-Eastern Advertiser reported the theft of three jars of musk lollies from the shop of importer Mrs Bock in Kooringa.[1] In 1887 the Launceston Examiner reported that the confectioner J. Beaumont imported "rose and musk lozenges". In the December 17, 1918 issue of The Sydney Morning Herald there was an auction notice which included "45 boxes of musk sticks".[2] Another early reference from 1927 in the Australian Worker, talks about the "pink curly musk sticks" from 25 years earlier, which were still available.[3] Total sales are not tracked centrally, but supermarket chain Woolworths is reported as selling about 24 million musk sticks per year.[3]
Opinion about the confection is strongly polarised.[4][5] ABC News said that "musk sticks manage to disgust tourists as much as they delight Australians",[3] and in October 2018, the Disgusting Food Museum in Malmö, Sweden included musk sticks.[6]
The popularity of Musk sticks has led to many other Musk flavoured confectioneries in Australia. Darrel Lea, under the Life Savers brand, produces a popular Musk flavour, and in 2023 introduced a limited edition Musk and raspberry jelly chocolate bar.[7] Zooper Dooper released a line of musk flavoured ice blocks in 2025.[8]
References
[edit]- ↑ The Guardian and Northern and North-Eastern Advertiser. 5 July 1873 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article294789264. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
{{cite news}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ Kriewaldt, Kit. "Love it or hate it, the musk stick is one of Australia's most misunderstood treats". ABC Australia. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
- 1 2 3 Kriewaldt, Kit (31 March 2019). "You have probably eaten Australia's 'most disgusting' food. You may even love it". ABC News. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
- ↑ Digges, Mariam. "Musk sticks: the lolly that divides a nation". SBS News: Food. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
- ↑ "The Candy That Tastes Like Musk". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
- ↑ Pedrana, Lydia (1 November 2018). "Two Aussie favourites land in Disgusting Food Museum". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
- ↑ "A musk stick chocolate block is here and we're suddenly feeling very nostalgic". Taste. 8 February 2023. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
- ↑ "Zooper Dooper launches carnival of new flavours for summer - Food & Drink Business". www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au. 15 September 2025. Retrieved 22 September 2026.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Musk sticks at Wikimedia Commons
