When we found out about the amazing candy making process at Papabubble, we knew we had to make a stop during our first Nod Bus Tour at their location in Pasadena, CA. We were even more excited after we discussed partnering with them to create some exclusive custom candy to hand out on our #nodtourbus stops around California in April.

We sat down with Mike from Papabubble LA to find out a little more about their delicious and creative candy.

What exactly is Papabubble?

We are a handmade candy shop that specializes in hard candy with images or words inside, the perfect candy for weddings, parties and special events.

When did Papabubble begin?

Papabubble was founded in Barcelona in 2004 with the goal of bringing back the charm of hand crafted sweets. Since then, it has grown to more than 23 stores throughout the world. The stores are independently owned, and each store is free to create delicious flavors that suit their market.

How is Papabubble candy made?

Our candy is made from 5 simple ingredients: water, sugar, glucose, flavor and color. We do not use corn syrup or preservatives in any of our products.

After boiling and melting all the ingredients, we pour the molten sugar onto our water cooled table. It is then cooled down and colors are “painted” into the candy.

After further cooling, we cut the candy into different pieces according to color. We then move to our heated table where we assemble all the pieces together and form a big roll of candy.

The big roll of candy is then stretched out by hand, and cut into arm’s length. After rolling and cooling down the smaller rods, we hand chop them into smaller, bite-sized candy. The entire process is done by hand, similar to making glass. Except that in our case, the finished product is edible.

Check out this video on how Papabubble candy is made:

papabubble from Pilgrim on Vimeo.

How long has your shop been up in Pasadena? Where are the other locations?

The Pasadena shop opened May 11, 2013. There are Papabubble shops in New York, Tokyo, Taipei, Seoul, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Amsterdam, Lisbon, Brussels, Kuwait, Qatar, Jakarta and Sao Paulo.

P.S. There will be a store opening up in San Francisco this summer!

What’s your personal favorite Papabubble flavor?

My personal favorites are the mango and cinnamon apple.

Do you have any special events in your shop?

We have a candy making show every Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m. It lasts between an hour to an hour and half depending on what design we are making that day. It’s a family friendly event with lots of samples given out!

Be sure to follow us on Instagram @papabubblela to see what we’ll be making that weekend.

Thanks, Mike for telling us more about Papabubble. Be sure to join us at the #nodtourbus stop on Tuesday, April 15 from 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. at Papabubble LA Candy Shop in Pasadena. We will be bringing along tons of giveaways, a photo booth and of course, free exclusive Papabubble candy!