Mamma mia! But what is this? The sugar first, very fine, like fairy dust on the tongue. And then, Madonna! The flesh of the fruit reveals itself! The cube is supple, almost tender; it gives way without sticking. Three families of flavors, three little countries to discover. Here, the citrus fruits: zesty lemon, warm orange, sweet mandarin—a sun that wakes up my jaw! Here, the forest fruits: blueberry, strawberry, raspberry; it smells like the undergrowth after the rain, I swear I can see the leaves! And there, oh my, the pulpy fruits: peach, pear, apricot—a sweetness as round as a summer holiday. Each cube is a surprise, and I am here, moved, wondering which one I will pick next. The fragrance rises from the back, up to the nose, and it lingers, long, long after everything has melted. Another. Just one more. Per favore

A small cube of jelly, dusted with fine sugar, slides out of the box and lands in the palm of your hand: orange, pink, or golden, you don't yet know which one. Like Alice before the bottle labeled "Drink Me," you hesitate for a second... then you bite into the adventure.

It is five o'clock somewhere in Italy. On a café table, cups clink, a tablecloth is slightly crooked, and no one seems in a hurry. It's the time for a leisurely snack, the kind where you chatter about anything and everything while laughing, like at a tea party with the Mad Hatter. In the middle of the table, a flat tin, illustrated like a page from an old book. You don't put it away. You leave it there, open, so everyone can help themselves.

This box is Alice in Wonderland, the tale that Lewis Carroll brought to life in 1865 and that every generation rediscovers with the same wide-open eyes. It belongs to the "C'era Una Volta" ("Once Upon a Time") collection by Pastiglie Leone, a company that has been crafting pastilles and jellies since 1857, using real fruit pulp and fruit pectin for a tender texture. Sixteen tales, sixteen collectible boxes, and Alice is one of the dreamiest.

And that is where it all happens: you don't buy this box just to eat jellies. You buy it to find Wonderland again. The candies disappear quickly, but the box remains: on a desk, on a shelf, in a drawer where you hide your little treasures. It waits, ready to become the door to a rabbit hole once more.

A Wednesday in January, somewhere in Canada, between a snowstorm and a pile of files, you open the box. For a few moments, there is no more cold, no more lateness, no more "I have to." There is a garden of talking flowers, a smiling cat, and a fruit cube slowly melting on your tongue.

Gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian

These jellies are gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian, so that everyone can sit at the Mad Hatter's table.

Why our customers love it

• A flat metal tin illustrated with Alice in Wonderland, to collect and reuse for hiding your little treasures
• Three fruit blends in the same box: citrus, forest fruits, and pulpy fruits
• Jellies made with real fruit pulp, set with fruit pectin for a tender texture and authentic taste
• Gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian
• A gift that is always just right, for a little girl, a grown woman, or for yourself
• 100g format, perfect for the office, handbag, or bedside drawer
• A little break of dolce vita right in the middle of the week