The “Sharzan” from Ukraine are the bestsellers at the “Lukas” company stand. Four employees from the company based in Tübingen’s twin town Kremenchuk are at the Tübingen chocolate fair “Chocolart”. In addition to chocolate bars filled with peanuts and caramel, they are offering customers other confectionery products.
The four saleswomen are wearing red and white woollen jumpers. They bought them especially for Tübingen. The women also stand out because they often sing along to seasonal songs—for example, the song “Snowman”. The four employees of the “Lukas” company are already familiar with the chocolate market from last year. They have travelled here again at the invitation of the Tübingen city administration.
A meeting place for Ukrainians
The stand with sweets from Ukraine became a meeting place for Ukrainians—“a place of encounters, tears and hugs. Many people miss the sweets from their homeland,” said Kira Bulik, deputy export manager.
Last year, the Kremenchuk city administration approached the Lukas company. Their proposal was that it represent Ukraine at the chocolate festival in Germany. The company is one of the five largest confectionery manufacturers in Ukraine.
No time for a stroll through the city yet
The women are enthusiastic about picturesque Tübingen. They already visited the city last year. They haven’t had time to do so this year, but are planning a stroll through the narrow streets. They like the fact that the city is very cosy and has a warm, pleasant atmosphere – it even reminds them a little of their hometown of Kremenchuk.
Around 2,200 kilometres lie between Tübingen and Kremenchuk. It took the women four days to travel from the city, around 300 kilometres south-east of Kyiv, to Tübingen. They brought some of the sweets with them themselves. Another part was supplied by a German wholesaler of Eastern European food and specialities.
Solar panels to combat power shortages
Confectionery production in Ukraine is severely hampered by Russian attacks on critical energy infrastructure. There are constant power cuts according to a fixed schedule. Generators and solar panels are used in production to keep operations running.
“Bird’s milk” brings back memories
Ukrainians often come to the stand and buy “Ptashyne moloko” (“bird’s milk”)—a confection made from milk foam and sugar. It brings back many memories. Several Germans who bought sweets from Kremenchuk last year are also returning. This year, however, the most popular sweet is the so-called “Ukrainian Snickers”. “Sharzan” is a bestseller and is exported to more than 50 countries worldwide.
New to the stand this time are festive gift boxes filled with sweets. Ukrainians give these as gifts on St. Nicholas Day or place them under the Christmas tree. They are very popular with both children and adults.
A return visit cannot be planned
The chocolate market runs until Sunday, 7 December. After that, the four women will return to Kremenchuk. They would like to come back to Tübingen for the chocolate market next year. However, it is unclear how the situation in Ukraine will develop and what it will be like in 2026.
For more information on the partnership between Tübingen and Kremenchuk and the support for this city, see the tuenews articles under the numbers tun24103010, tun24072201, tun24051406 and tun23102501.
By Nataliia Yermolenko
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