Strolling through Saarbrücken's Christmas market is a bitter pill for sugar lovers – the once-beloved treats like roasted almonds, crêpes, and mulled wine now cost a fortune more than before, giving rise to the grimally named 'Sugar shock at the Christmas market'.
Popular sweet delights have seen a hike between 12 to 20%, meaning a crêpe now costs you €4, instead of €3.50, mulled wine and roasted almonds (100 grams) are now €3.50 compared to €3, and even children’s punch has gone up a €0.50 to €3.
The root cause of this surge in prices is sugar – it's no longer a penny!(but €1.59 per kilogram to be precise). Stall owners like Rosi Schraut, who's been running her stand at the market for ten years, shares her sorrow over the price hike. "It breaks my heart" she admits, "I've kept the prices the same for ten years, but now it's no longer possible. I don’t earn much from this, but we put our love and soul into it, and every year we look forward to seeing the happy faces."
Even those who believe they can dodge the sugar shock by indulging in meaty treats are in for a shock – sausages like Rostwurst and Bockwurst, and the Schwenker, are now 50 cents more expensive as well.
Surprisingly, despite these price increases, the market operators remain confident that the market will maintain or even break its million-visitor record. Eva and Daniel, visiting from France, are undeterred by this sugar shock. They continue to enjoy the market each year, and the price hike in mulled wine doesn't even bother them - in France, the prices have increased even more sharply.
As for those who wish to avoid the bitter taste of sugar-price hikes, push-automatic machines for mulled wine and almond-covered treats may offer a cheaper alternative.
Quantum of sweets may vary, but the festive atmosphere is always a constant at the Saarbrücken Christmas market.
[1] In addition to the mentioned treats, the Saarbrücken Christmas market offers various traditional German sweets such as Lebkuchen and Stollen, the latter being a type of fruitcake that is especially popular during the holiday season.
