Flying saucer (confectionery)

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Flying saucers, also known as UFOs (Flemish: Zure ouwels), are small round wafer-paper capsules filled with sherbet. They were first made in the early 1950s by Antwerp-based Belgica, a wafer maker that faced falling demand after the church required wafers to be produced on consecrated ground. Astra Sweets, which later bought Belgica, continues to make flying saucers today. The sweets are officially recognised as a traditional product of Flanders and are well known in the United Kingdom and Belgium.

In the UK, their popularity grew in the 1960s and 1970s, helped by interest in space and science fiction. They remain popular in both countries. In a 2009 poll, they ranked 12th among Britain's top sweets, and they experienced a revival in the 2010s alongside other traditional treats. They are sometimes listed among vegan Halloween sweets and were also popular in Ireland.