Haribo Elf Surprises Sweet Or Sour - 140g

In Britain, Christmas has a Haribo shelf. It sits between the selection boxes and the tins, and a bag from it usually ends up in a stocking, wedged beside the satsuma.

For anyone spending Christmas in Canada, it is one of those small things you do not realise you miss until December comes round. The elves, the sour pull, the bag torn open before breakfast. A taste of home at Christmas does not have to be a turkey.

The bag is a decent sharing size, so it does a stocking, the coffee table or the car journey to the in-laws. Kept sealed in a cool cupboard, it keeps well until the day. Tip it into a bowl and watch which ones vanish first. That tells you a lot about your family.

People tend to pick it up with a UK selection box or a tin of chocolates for after dinner, and it makes a cheerful little Christmas gift for someone who misses home and still cannot resist a gummy.