The first flying saucers were produced in the early 1950s when an Antwerp-based producer of communion wafers, Belgica, faced a decline in demand for their product. Astra Sweets, which purchased the Belgica brand, continues to manufacture flying saucers in the present day.
Flying saucers are officially registered as a traditional product of Flanders.[3] They are also well-known in the United Kingdom; their popularity in the country from the 1960s to the 1970s was attributed to the Space Race and an increased interest in science fiction.[2]
They remain a popular sweet in Belgium and the United Kingdom. Flying saucers came 12th in a 2009 poll among adults for 'Britain's top sweets'[4] and experienced a resurgence in popularity, along with other traditional sweets, in the 2010s.[5][6] They have also been featured on lists of vegan sweets for Halloween.[7] They were also a popular sweet in Ireland.[8]
