Austerity-stricken Brits drown their sorrows in American candy

Cultural exports often take the shape of a nation’s pride, pushing high culture or value-added products to other countries’ consumers. Think high-performance cars from Germany, Danish furniture, Swedish murder mysteries, Korean electronics, or British period dramas. Imagine my shock, then, upon discovering that one of the hottest US exports to the UK market: sugary snacks. Eager young Brits looking for an imported sugar high can now get their fix, sold by one of several new retailers specializing in the import of crates of sweet cereals like Cap’n Crunch and Lucky Charms, Mountain Dew soda and Sugar Daddy candies, all a riot of color and corn syrup. It’s all meant to appeal to the tastes of those who might have experienced American candy on vacation, for example, and want more of it at home for their personal stash.