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The 10 forbidden tastes of an Irish childhood

*ladles Bonjela into gob*

FORBIDDEN FRUIT tastes the sweetest, as the fella says.

You knew these things weren’t really for eating, but you craved them anyway.

Bonjela

Bonjela Source: Cankerboy

“Mam! Mam! I have an ulcer!” You didn’t have an ulcer. You just wanted a squeeze of this liquorice-flavoured heaven.

Calpol

Lidoff_540x540 Source: Tesco

We’re talking about the pink Calpol for babies here, and NOT the bitter orange Six-Plus version.

If you close your eyes and really, really think about it, you can almost taste the sugary, ‘strawberry’ flavour, can’t you?

Sunny D

5020000322 Source: Retro80skid

All it took was one child turning yellow to get your mam riled up and adamant that no bottle of Sunny Delight would ever cross the threshold of your house again. No fair.

Banana antibiotic

20140410-210625 Source: Hurrah For Gin

Or Amoxcillin, to the medical professionals out there. There was no need for a spoonful of sugar to help this medicine go down.

Cooking chocolate

0319642_l Source: Thomas Greens

Hands up who knew the cooking chocolate wasn’t for eating, but still pinched a square or five from the press anyway? Everyone? Thought so.

Farley’s Rusks

farley's rusks Source: yapaa.com

It was a sad day when they decided you were too old for rusks. Does it not say ‘from six months’ on the box?

Minadex

5012335301009 Source: BetterChemist

This (sadly now discontinued) tonic was given to those in need of a boost after an illness – but more importantly, it was absolutely delicious.

Dog biscuits

dog-bones-350092_1280 Source: Pixabay

Just to SEE.

Kids’ chewable vitamins

haliborange Source: Boots.ie

One a day? What is this injustice?

Grass/potted plants/flowers

5739457336_c0084e5749_b Having a kip after a big feed of grass, she is. Source: Flickr/zbellink

Some kids just liked eating plants. We’re not going to judge.

More: 21 things that taste like every Irish person’s childhood>

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