sugar snax

an end to the hiatus

2010-10-18T13:59:00.000-07:00

yes, it's true. with the addition of a new candy-taster (or two!) i can finally bring myself to continue this candy blog without fearing for my health (candy is not great for you, you know). so hopefully in the weeks to come we will have some halloween candies posted, and maybe a special post about things that julia hates that everyone else loves. until then...

Trader Joe's Milk Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Eggs

2010-04-03T15:26:00.000-07:00

parent co.: Trader Joe's

net wt.: 3.8 oz.

qty.: 3

country: united states

description: three milk chocolate eggs, each with a natural peanut butter center

another unexpected treat from b.paul: chocolate peanut butter eggs - one of my favorite candy combos (along with chocolate and hazelnut, of course). naturally, one would expect these to be similar to Reese's peanut butter eggs, and they are, to a point. the package makes a point (several times, as a matter of fact) of telling us that these eggs contain natural peanut butter filling, just peanuts and nothing else. that it definitely a good thing in several respects. it has a rich, roasted peanut flavor; a nice smooth yet grainy texture; and an excellent earthy aftertaste (possibly due to the fact that there's no salt added). the slight grit in the filling goes wonderfully with the creaminess of the milk chocolate. here is a situation i think the milk chocolate is preferable to dark; the bitterness of the dark might clash with the peanut butter. these are pretty hefty eggs, almost 1.5 oz. apiece, but they aren't overly sweet so they're manageable. a nice alternative to Reese's (that isn't Palmer's, because Palmer's sucks). (more photos)

rating: 7

ingredients: milk chocolate (cane sugar, cocoa butter, whole milk powder, chocolate liquor, nonfat dry milk, butter oil, soy lecithin [an emulsifier], vanilla extract), peanut butter (peanuts), coconut oil

allergy information: contains milk, soy peanuts, coconut. may contain traces of other tree nuts.

Lindt Chocolate Carrots

2010-04-03T14:36:00.000-07:00

parent co.: Lindt

net wt.: 1.8 oz.

qty.: 4

country: switzerland

description: solid milk chocolate blended with hazelnut

yes, it is indeed another easter candy. these little carrots caught my eye firstly because they are little carrots, and secondly because they are gianduja (that's chocolate with hazelnut paste, for you laypersons), a personal favorite. Lindt is a generally pretty tasty when it comes to milk chocolate, definitely one of my preferred brands in that department. their chocolate has a smooth, creamy texture and a nice milky taste without tasting chalky or sour. these carrots are no exception: the hazelnut paste adds a delicate, nutty flavor and because it's a paste it doesn't affect the creaminess of the chocolate. the carrots are a pretty decent size, a good chunk of chocolate but not so much that you feel like a big fat fatty eating one of them. there's no detail on the chocolate so out of the wrapper they look more like little chocolate umbrellas, which is cute also and the little handle makes them great for sucking on. (more photos)

rating: 9

ingredients: sugar, cocoa butter, milk, chocolate, hazelnut paste, skim milk, soya lecithin (emulsifier), butterfat

allergy information: may contain traces of peanuts/tree nuts

Trader Joe's Bunny Gummy Tummies

2010-03-23T19:21:00.000-07:00

parent co.: Trader Joe's

net wt.: 7 oz.

qty.: 30-35

country: united states

description: soft candy with natural strawberry, orange, lemon and blackberry flavors

b.paul brought these home from TJ's, much to my surprise and delight. it seems that they've decided to expand their Gummy Tummy line to incorporate all the major holidays. i've had the regular Gummy Tummies and the Lovey Gummy Tummies, as well as the Ghoulie Gummy Tummies but these Bunny Gummy Tummies are a new addition. the flavors included here are orange, strawberry, lemon and blackberry. the original gummies include strawberry and the halloween gummies have orange and blackberry, so the lemon is the only "new" flavor here. the first noticeable difference in these is the fact that they're opaque whereas the previous gummy tummies have all been translucent. i'd guess this is to give them a pastel look for easter. as far as taste goes, the actual gummies do seem to have a yogurty taste which is a very nice contrast to the tangy liquid filling. the blackberry is probably my favorite, it definitely has the most yogurt flavor - it seems that only the liquid is blackberry flavored as the gummi itself tastes like straight up yogurt. the strawberry also has a strong yogurt taste; the filling is identical to the original strawberry gummies - sweet and tangy with a berry aftertaste. i'd say that orange has the most zazz, it's very tangy, almost mouth-puckeringly so, and it has a slight bitterness to it reminiscent of orange peels. the lemon was surprisingly good, not overpowering, yet tart and sweet. i didn't get the furniture polish taste that so often accompanies lemon candies, and it was probably the least tart of the bunch. it was also the most prevalent flavor in the package, by far. these are definitely a step up from the Lovey Gummies as far as flavor and filling (the hearts have so little filling it's almost hard to tell it's there), and i also like them a bit better than the halloween version. i think the original might still be my favorite, but these are definitely giving them a run for their money. i'm quite fond of the creaminess and i can't wait to see what other holiday gummies Trader Joe's will come up with.

more photos

rating: 9

ingredients: glucose syrup, sugar, water, animal gelatin, modified corn starch, citric acid, pectin, natural flavors (strawberry, orange, lemon, blackberry), glazing agent (vegetable oil [palm kernel, coconut], carnauba wax), fruit and vegetable color (aronia juice concentrate, elderberry juice concentrate, curcumin, paprika extract, anthocyanins), titanium dioxide (for color), wheat starch

allergy information: contains wheat

Jelly Belly Spring Mix

2010-03-20T11:42:00.000-07:00

parent co.: Jelly Belly
net wt.: 1.6 oz.

qty.: 40-45

country: united states

yes, i gave in and bought easter candy before easter. i know i should have waited until after so that it would be really cheap, but costplus world market made me do it. with their strange selection of easter candy. i generally hate easter candy because it's all jelly beans and normal crappy candy shaped like bunnies and eggs, but i knew Jelly Belly would have some kind of easter-related packaging, so i was specifically looking for this. technically, it's a spring mix not an easter mix, but that bean has bunny ears and a basket so i think it counts. this little box contains a smattering of springy flavors: berry blue, cantaloupe, cotton candy, island punch, Sunkist lemon, lemon lime, piña colada, Sunkist pink grapefruit and Sunkist tangerine. i'm not too disappointed with the selection, mostly because it contains cantaloupe and grapefruit. Jelly Belly beans don't have gelatin in them, which makes them ok for vegans. all of the flavors in this mix are available year round, but they are pretty pastels which makes them good for easter. also, jelly beans look like eggs, i think that's why they're so popular around this time of year even though most of them are gross and just end up sitting in the bottom of your easter basket, getting all melty and stuck to the fake grass. here's a rundown of the flavors:

berry blue - at first it just tasted like blue kool-aid, but after a second i noticed a definite blueberry flavor. tangy and sweet.

cantaloupe - probably my favorite of the flavors here; super melon-y and not too sweet. the cantaloupe and tangerine were really hard to tell apart, yet somehow i managed to guess right every time i picked one. but they really look exactly the same to me (i have bad eyesight).

cotton candy - i'm not a big fan of cotton candy as a flavoring (the actual candy is ok), it's generally cloyingly sweet. this bean is actually much less sweet than i had expected. it still has the generic pink taste you expect from cotton candy: kind of a mix between strawberry and cherry. not at all terrible.

island punch - has that "tropical" taste that's kind of sweet, tart and acrid all at the same time. i'm not much for tropical fruits or flavors, so this was one of my least favorites.

Sunkist lemon - pretty much like every other lemon jelly bean i've ever had. also like lemon Pledge. you know, the furniture polish.

lemon lime - this tastes similar to limeade. it's not that exciting to me, but then again, most citrus flavors are not that exciting to me. it's on par with the lemon i suppose.

piña colada - i don't like pineapple or coconut, so i already knew i wouldn't care for this. i actually don't taste too much pineapple, just a hint at the end, but the coconut is very strong. this one was also similar in color to the lemon, but slightly more opaque so a little easier to tell apart.

Sunkist pink grapefruit - definitely one of the better flavors in the mix. it's tart and sweet, but i do think it could stand to be a bit more sour. it does have a good grapefruit flavor though.

Sunkist tangerine - this tastes pretty much like orange to me. i've had many different tangerines and this doesn't really taste like any of them. pretty disappointing actually.

whew. so that's my completely biased report of the flavors, the one thing i did have a bit of problem with was the ratio of flavors. the package states that it may not contain every flavor, thankfully mine did, but there were way more lemon lime and island punch than the other flavors, and only three of the berry blue and the tangerine. i feel that it shouldn't be that hard to just throw four of each flavor in a box, but i guess i don't really know much about the candy industry. maybe that's too much work. so overall, not a bad box, but i'd probably stick with just buying the flavors i like.

rating: 5

ingredients: sugar, corn syrup, modified food starch, contains 2% or less of the following: coconut, lemon puree, tangerine juice concentrate, grapefruit juice concentrate, passion fruit juice concentrate, cantaloupe juice concentrate, lime juice concentrate, citric acid, sodium lactate, ascorbic acid, natural and artificial flavors, color added, yellow 5 & 6, yellow 5 & 6 lake, blue 1 & 2 lake, red 40, red 40 lake, blue 1, beeswax, carnuba wax, confectioner's glaze

Super Lemon

2010-03-17T12:51:00.000-07:00

parent co.: Nobel

pkg. size: 7 1/2"x5"

candy size: 1/2" d.

weight: 3.10 oz.

quantity: 10-15

country: japan

description: a lemon hard candy with a shockingly sour first taste

my first thought about these (after, "wow, these are super cool looking with that girl on the front screaming like Super Lemon is some hero coming to save her.") was that they would taste like WarHeads. they do, but i think that they might be a touch more sour. and a little less sweet, at that. they have a much more realistic sour lemon flavor without the sugary candy aftertaste of other sour lemon candies (WarHeads, Lemonheads, etc). after the initial super-sour coating disappears these candies still maintain their sour, instead of lunging straight into sugarysweetland. each candy is individually wrapped inside the package, i'd guess to keep them from congealing into one hard, sour lemon lump, but it seems a bit wasteful (what are they, Trader Joe's?). for some reason i don't have a shot of the actual candy, which is weird, but it looks eerily similar to a Lemonhead. if you like sour candies, these are definitely worth your time. they certainly are "powerful candy."

rating: 8

ingredients: sugar, glucose syrup, lemon juice, erythritol, citric acid, artificial flavor (contains soybean), vitamin c, guar gum, xantham gum, turmeric color

allergy information: contains soy

2010-03-10T11:37:00.000-08:00

hello again. it's been so long since we've spoken. i've gone back and filled in some reviews for the valentine's day candy. there are some more great reviews in the works, so stay tuned. maybe something easter-related? after easter of course.

Hi-Chew Hokkaido Lemon Cheesecake

2010-02-20T11:17:00.000-08:00

parent co.: Morinaga

pkg. size: 5"x1.25"

candy size: 1.1"x.6"

weight: 1.9 oz.

quantity: 12

country: japan

description: chewy, creamy, lemon cheesecake-flavored candy

this may be the first Hi-Chew that i don't really care for. opening the wrapper, one is immediately presented with a very strong cheese smell which eventually gives way to a hint of lemon. upon popping this little bugger in my mouth i was so overwhelmed by the cheesiness of it i nearly fainted. seriously, this is a cheesy chew. while i'm not familiar with the specifics of cheesecake in japan, if i were to base it off of this candy i could only assume that they use a cheddar/swiss amalgam in their version. there's also a slight hint of cottage cheese and sour milk. not really to my liking with the lemon, but i would be interested to try the strawberry cheesecake variation. maybe the berry will do more for the cheese than the citrus did (kind of made it stinky).

rating: 2

ingredients: n/a

allergy information: n/a

Kit Kat Soy Sauce

2010-02-19T12:02:00.000-08:00

parent co: Nestle

pkg. size: 3.5"x1.6"

candy size: 2.5"x1.25"

weight: .8 oz

quantity: 2 mini bars

country: japan

description: shouyu (soy sauce) flavored chocolate surrounds the classic kit kat wafer with more sweet soy sauce chocolate cream between the wafers

i can always get behind a japanese KitKat, they have awesome flavors and i love wafers. the soy sauce variation is quite a thing to behold. while it looks like white chocolate, the taste is far from that blandest of the bland-tasting chocolates. while i definitely taste the saltiness of the soy sauce, there is also the distinct taste of maple in here. i never thought soy sauce had a maple taste, but since eating this and trying real soy sauce again, i can say that i see where that would come from. it's definitely a good thing as far as the candy goes - a straight up salty soy sauce flavor would probably be too much, but taking the maple undertones in with it really gives it a robust, sweet n' salty taste. i like it. the nice thing about the limited edition flavors is that they're limited, so you're pretty much guaranteed freshness, which is important when consuming candies containing wafers - they go stale, you know.

rating: 9

ingredients: sugar, vegetable fat, lactose, wheat flour, whole milk powder, cocoa butter, soy sauce powder, processed sugar, cocoa powder, yeast, cocoa mass, salt, emulsifiers (including soybeans), caramel pigment, flavoring, food yeast, baking soda

allergy information: includes egg, soy and flour

KitKat Banana

2010-02-19T10:24:00.000-08:00

parent co.: Nestle

pkg. size: 3.5"x1.6"

candy size: 2.5"x1.25"

weight: .8 oz

quantity: 2 mini bars

country: japan

description: brown banana flavored chocolate surrounds the classic kit kat wafer with more banana cream between the wafers

every time i tell people about japanese Kit Kats and all the fun flavors, they want to know why we don't get them over here in the states. the funny thing about Kit Kat is that in the united states it is produced by Hershey, whereas in the rest of the world it is produced by Nestle. this is all due to a licensing agreement between Hershey and Nestle that has been in effect since 1969. while this might seem trivial to the average consumer, true candy enthusiasts will know the difference between Hershey's sour milk chocolate and the much more enjoyable milk chocolate of Nestle. i don't much care for Hershey's milk chocolate (with a few exceptions, of course), but that's a personal preference; i know many americans prefer Hershey's to other brands. at any rate, that licensing agreement is why we don't get the cool flavors that Nestle produces: Hershey is lame and unimaginative. but enough of that, back to the real issue at hand: banana Kit Kats. they are delicious. banana is a tough flavor to recreate without it tasting really phony; it's often too strong whereas real bananas are subtle. while this Kit Kat does have a bit of a phony banana taste to it, it's much better than other banana candies i've tried. of course, i love banana, so this was bound to be good for me. i really love that they chose to keep the chocolate flavor in play here, often i feel it gets abandoned completely for the other flavors (which i generally have no complaints about), here it helps balance the strong banana flavor (not to mention the brown is much more appealing than a bright yellow would be). again, crispy wafers and creamy, smooth filling - another successful Kit Kat.

rating: 9

ingredients: n/a

allergy information: n/a

VD2010 Recap: Chocolate Covered Honeycomb

2010-02-19T00:17:00.001-08:00

parent co.: maud borup; route 29

pkg. size: 2.6"x2.6"x8.5"

candy size: n/a

weight: 6 oz.

quantity: 10-15

country: united states

description: rich milk chocolate over a crisp caramelized candy center

more photos

even though i purchased this at wal-mart, and even though the Chocolate Covered Potato Chips were gross, i had high hopes for these Chocolate Covered Honeycomb pieces. i've tried the Cadbury Crunchie, which i liked (even though mine was past date and a little funny tasting), so i was expecting to enjoy these as well. and i did. even more, in fact. the nice thing about these Maud Borup confections is that they're using real milk chocolate, not mockolate (which is gross). while i prefer dark chocolate, the ratio of chocolate to honeycomb is great, so the milk chocolate doesn't offend me at all really. i can tell these are fresh (fresher than my Crunchie, at least) because they lack the strange sour taste that the old stuff had. the "honeycomb" center is crunchy, almost flaky, with an intensely sweet honey taste. i would still be interested to try real honeycomb covered in chocolate, but these are quite tasty.

rating: 6

ingredients: milk chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter, milk, chocolate liquor, soy lecithin - an emulsifier, vanilla, salt), sugar, corn syrup, honey, sodium bicarbonate, salt, soy lecithin

allergy information: contains milk and soy. may contain peanut, tree nuts and wheat

VD2010 Recap: Chocolate Covered Potato Chips

2010-02-19T00:07:00.000-08:00

parent co.: maud borup; route 29

pkg. size: 2.6"x2.6"x8.5"

candy size: n/a

weight: 5 oz.

quantity: 10-15

country: united states

description: potato chips covered in premium milk chocolate

i've had chocolate covered chips on one other occasion and they were delicious. kind of like Pringles covered in chocolate. they were salty and sweet and delicious. based on that experience i was really excited for these. alas, they did not live up to my expectations. where the other chips i had reminded me of salty, delicious Pringles, these were more like greasy, non-salted Ruffles. if Ruffles were not salted they would be gross, kind of like these Chocolate Covered Potato Chips, which also happen to have a slightly dirty taste. another issue is the ratio of chocolate to chip - way too much chocolate for such a thin chip. although actually, the chips are rather thick, the chocolate is just so overloaded. all in all, not a good thing. i'll have to find those other chips i tried and see if they're as good as i remember.

rating: 3

ingredients: milk chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter, milk, chocolate liquor, soy lecithin, vanilla salt), potatoes, vegetable oil (contains one or more of the following: corn, cottonseed, soybean), salt

allergy information: contains milk and soy. may contain peanuts, tree nuts and wheat

VD2010 Recap: Yum Dilly S'mores

2010-02-18T23:34:00.000-08:00

parent co.: maud borup; route 29

pkg. size: 4"x4"(d.)

candy size: 1.25"x2" d.

weight: 5.5 oz.

quantity: 10-15

country: united states

description: nibble-sized grahams topped with a fluffy marshmallow and drenched in creamy milk chocolate

i love s'mores in real life. i love s'mores cupcakes (when i make them). i love the combination of chocolate and marshmallow, even without the graham cracker. and i must admit, i really like these little s'mores bites. the marshmallow and graham are wonderful, the marshmallow has a great chewy, nougat-y denseness and the graham has a nice soft crunch. not so much a crunch as a crumble. it's good, though. the only issue here is the mockolate coating. if this were covered in really good chocolate it would be phenomenal. but even with the fake chocolate i like it, and i ate the whole tub. and it was good.

rating: 7

ingredients: sugar, partially hydrogenated palm kernel oil, cocoa powder, nonfat dry milk solids, whole milk solids, reduced mineral whey powder, soy lecithin, salt, artificial flavor, corn syrup, dextrose, modified cornstarch, water, gelatin, artificial color (includes blue #1), natural and artificial flavor, tetrasodium pyrosphosphate, enriched wheat flour, graham flour, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, shortening, brown sugar, high fructose corn syrup, honey, sodium bicarbonate, salt, molasses, soy lecithin, malted cereal syrup, vanilla, artificial flavor

allergy information: contains milk, soy, wheat

VD2010 Recap: Palmer Double Crisp Hearts

2010-02-18T23:26:00.000-08:00

parent co.: r.m. palmer co.

pkg. size: 7.5"x4.5"

candy size: 1.25" d.

weight: 5 oz.

quantity: 10-15

country: united states

description: crisp 'n crunchy chocolaty 'n smooth

another Palmer disaster. while these are undoubtedly better than the Cookies'n' Creme hearts, they still have the greasy texture of mockolate and the chewiness of stale crispies. i had actually expected them to be a bit worse, but compared to, say, Nestle Crunch hearts, these taste bland. i'll probably continue to try more Palmer candies, but so far i am not impressed.

rating: 3

ingredients: sugar, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (palm kernel and/or palm), whey, lactose, crisp rice (rice, sugar, salt, barley malt), cocoa, skim milk, soy lecithin (an emulsifier), vanillin (an artificial flavor), and may contain peanuts/tree nuts

VD2010 Recap: Palmer Cookies'n'Creme Hearts

2010-02-18T23:01:00.000-08:00

parent co.: r.m.palmer co.

pkg. size: 7.5"x 4.5"

candy size: 1.25" d.

weight: 5 oz.

quantity: 10-15

country: united states

description: creamy candy with cookie bits

while i am not a fan of white chocolate, i often think that cookies will save everything. unfortunately that is just not true. cookies can save many things, but Palmer white chocolate is not one of them. i don't even like Hershey's cookies n' cream, which i think this is a knock-off of, so this didn't really stand a chance. as far as i'm concerned this candy is the equivalent of candle wax with bits of burnt wick in it. shaped like a heart.

rating: 1

ingredients: sugar, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (palm kernel and/or palm), cookies (made from bleached wheat flour, sugar, cocoa processed with alkali, palm oil, corn syrup, corn flour, soy lecithin, baking soda, salt and natural and artificial flavors), whole milk, skim milk, soy lecithin (an emulsifier), vanillin (an artificial flavor)

allergy information: manufactured on equipment which also processes wheat, peanut butter and tree nuts

Valentine's Day 2010 Recap: SweeTarts Hearts Gummies

2010-02-18T22:09:00.001-08:00

parent co.: Wonka; Nestle

pkg. size: L-7.5" x H-6"

candy size: 1" diam.

weight: 11 oz.

quantity: 70-75

country: united states

description: tangy candy

more photos

these are kind of gross. they are cloying and way too sticky in my teeth. perhaps the most disappointing thing is the fact that they have no specific flavor. just sweet and sour, which can be good in some cases, but not this one. after eating a few i felt the need to brush my teeth, and possibly get a good cleaning from the dentist. i've already made my appointment.

rating: 2

ingredients: glucose syrup, sugar, water, potato starch, gelatin, and less than 2% of tartaric acid, malic acid, sorbitol, fumaric acid, lactic acid, calcium lactate, sodium ascorbate, artificial flavors, citric acid, fruit and vegetable juice colors, color added, sulfiting agent (for color retention), wheat and corn starch

allergy information: made on equipment that also processes milk

Boyer Mallo Cup

2010-02-17T11:35:00.000-08:00

parent company: boyer
package size: n/a
individual candy size: n/a
weight: 3.2 oz
quantity: 4
country: united states
description: milk chocolate whipped creme center
more photos

i have to say that i find these Mallo Cups to be a little misleading. judging from the package i thought the inside would be marshmallow fluff, which is delicious, but it's really more like a gooey coconut marshmallow filling. the milk chocolate is pretty good, and the ratio of filling to chocolate is decent. i also really like the texture of the filling: smooth and gooey, slightly oozing but not runny. if i was more into coconut i would definitely love these, but being the coconut-hater that i am i'll just have to hold out for a plain marshmallow fluff cup.

rating: 5

ingredients: milk chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter, milk chocolate, soya lecithin-an emulsifier, salt, vanillin-an artificial flavoring), corn syrup, sugar, coconut, dextrin, egg whites, salt, vegetable stabilizer, natural and artificial flavors, potassium sorbate (to preserve freshness) and lecithin (an emulsifier)

allergy information: manufactured in a facility that uses peanuts

apologies

2010-02-15T09:28:00.000-08:00

well, as you can see i did not get the rest of the Valentine's Day candy up. mostly due to lack of sleep and time, but also because there are some things in the works for sugar snax: some formatting changes that will probably be taking place in the next week or two, and also new content and layout. for now the reviews will still be a part of this blog, but i'm going to incorporate much more data about each candy in an effort to create a Candy Compendium (a concise, yet thorough, database of all the candy in the world!). therefore not every candy will have a review, but i will be uploading the data, with the intent of reviewing it at some point in the future. hopefully this will help me to get more content up quicker and to create an unbiased place for candy information (with the occasional slanted review). yes, this is a daunting and ambitious task, but that's the way i like things. any feedback is much appreciated, and never fear - sugar snax will not lose it's quirk.

Valentine's Day 2010: Part 1

2010-02-06T20:34:00.000-08:00

there weren't nearly as many candies for Valentine's Day as i had anticipated. whether that's due to a rise in health consciousness, or possibly because Valentine's Day falls on a weekend this year (supposedly people rely less on candy-related gifts and focus more on going out), i do not know. either way, here is a selection of what i came across.

these Lovey Gummy Tummies from Trader Joe's are a cute take on the classic Gummy Tummies. i wasn't that excited about them, partially because i hadn't heard great things and partially because they are cherry flavored, but i was kind of hoping for them to be unexpectedly good. too bad they're not. the gummi isn't that bad, there's a distinct cherry flavor and they are the right amount of chewy. the gooey inside is where these are lacking. each piece is a pretty good size (roughly the size of a quarter), yet there's only a little dot of liquid inside. i definitely wish there was more in there, that's why i like the penguins with their super-gooey tummies. so far none of the seasonal variations have lived up to the penguins, which is so sad considering how good those are.

rating: 4

i was so happy when i saw this Milk Chocolate Strawberry from Ferrara Chocolate. since i just reviewed the Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Orange, i thought this was a great follow up, not to mention that it's marketed for Valentine's Day with cute imprints on each wedge with little sayings and pictures. there are quite a few differences between this and the TJ's orange. first of all the flavor, obviously this tastes like strawberry as opposed to orange, but i think the chocolate is actually quite good. there is a slight dairy taste to it which i like; it doesn't have the tang that Hershey's milk chocolate has. the strawberry flavor is prevalent but it doesn't outshine the chocolate. i also think this orange broke a little easier, but there are so many factors to take into account with the smashing that it's hard to say that one orange is better than another. regardless, i definitely prefer this chocolate orange to the Trader Joe's brand.

view the individual slices here

rating: 8

the last item on today's post are these Peeps Chocolate Mousse Bears. while i've never been a huge fan of Peeps, i thought i'd give these a try. the chocolate mousse flavor sounds interesting, perhaps it will help to mute the overpoweringly sugary taste of the regular Peeps. as soon as i opened the package a strong scent of cocoa wafted out. it reminds me of Nestle Quik in a can. makes sense since the chocolate mousse flavor comes almost completely from cocoa powder (plus a few natural and artificial flavors). i really like the little tray they come in, and i also like the way they are all stuck together at the hands so they look like those little accordion-style cutouts. although they smell strongly of cocoa, they don't really taste any different than the way i remember regular Peeps tasting, with the exception of a slight chocolate milk aftertaste. i have to say that i really don't dislike these at all. they aren't quite as puffy as classic Peeps; i think i prefer the flatness of these bears. side note, as the package has informed me, these are gluten free. so that's pretty cool.

rating: 6

i'll be out of town for the week without internet access, so i'll post the remainder of my Valentine's Day haul (and maybe some others that i find on my journey!) when i return. hopefully i'll get it up in time for the actual holiday...

Fun Dip Tropical

2010-02-04T11:18:00.000-08:00

when i spotted this "new" Fun Dip Tropical i immediately grabbed it, since b.paul loves the original Fun Dip, plus how can you go wrong with mango? the flavored sugars are actually really good. where the original has cherry, grape and blue raspberry-lime, the tropical flavors are strawberry, mango and watermelon. i probably wouldn't consider strawberry to be a tropical flavor, but it's an improvement on cherry, so i won't complain. the mango was definitely my favorite, it's got a nice mango flavor, with a slightly tart aftertaste. the watermelon tastes a lot like a powdered Jolly Rancher, which isn't bad. a little phony, but still good. the strawberry tastes pretty much like what you'd expect from artificial strawberry flavor. what i didn't notice before was that the sticks in this version aren't the classic white calcium-flavored sticks, but a "tropical" lime-flavored replacement. if it weren't for these sticks this Fun Dip would be a huge improvement on the original. but alas, these sticks taste like bitter lime peel and lemongrass. i don't know what flavors they're using (the package just says artificial flavoring), but they are not working in their favor. fortunately i had an original Fun Dip also, so i took one of the sticks out of that and used it. my advice to Wonka: use the regular sticks and not the crappy lime.

rating: 7

Kasugai Gummy Candy Mix

2010-02-04T10:52:00.000-08:00

these are some of my favorite gummies (with the exception of the Gummy Tummies). they come in lots of flavors but this time i just grabbed the mixed bag, even though it has grape and muscat in it. the gummies are each individually packaged in the bag, with the flavor marked, so there's no chance of eating a muscat and thinking you're getting a grape. i understand that can be a big problem. as far as texture goes, these gummies get a 10 - they're chewy and stretchy; you could chew on one of these babies for at least 4 1/2 minutes. that's a big chew. as for flavor, this mixed bag contains my two least favorite flavors: grape and muscat. fortunately there is also apple in here, which (kind of) makes up for it. the apple has a similar flavor to that of the Meiji Gummy Choco. it's light and juicy, without too much of a sugary aftertaste. the grape is pretty much what you'd expect from a grape-flavored candy (gross), but if you like that sort of thing, you'd love these. and lastly we have the muscat. for those of you who aren't aware, muscat is another type of grape, which makes me wonder why both grape and muscat are in this mixed bag. i would've preferred a kiwi or orange or peach in there, but hey, what can you do? while muscat doesn't taste like traditional grape flavoring (at least not to me) it really isn't much of a step up. it has a bit of a sour taste, and it's kind of musky. it almost has a dirty flavor. i've never been too impressed with muscat, and these gummies are no exception. overall, this mixed fruit bag is a little disappointing considering how many flavors they make (kiwi, mango, strawberry, pineapple, melon, orange, litchi, etc.).

rating: 4

Ritter Sport Cornflakes

2010-02-01T18:52:00.000-08:00

just a preface: this candy gets a 10. here are some reasons why: 1) chocolate, 2) cornflakes. those are pretty good reasons if you ask me. i wasn't quite sold on this when i bought it, but i actually love it so much that i ate the whole thing before i could even photograph it, so i had to go out and buy another one! but it was worth it just to have the smooth milk chocolate and the crunchy cornflakes in my mouth for a second time. the bar is pretty big (3.5 oz.) and chock full of flakes. not just a few sprinkles of flakes or a clump here and there, no, these flakes are evenly distributed throughout the entire bar, and amply. the crunch is phenomenal, better than any crispies i've had. so far i haven't had a Ritter Sport that i haven't liked (although i think they make marzipan and i don't know if i like that), and with this i just think i may have found heaven. in a candy bar. with cornflakes. do yourself a favor and eat this candy, because you can eat it for breakfast and not feel all that bad.

rating: 10

Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Orange

2010-01-31T16:40:00.000-08:00

as i'm sure i've mentioned before, i'm a big fan of the chocolate/orange combination. and i have always loved the chocolate oranges for whatever reason - they're fun to smash, they taste delicious, and really, there's a lot of chocolate in those giant oranges. i mean jeezer, it's a solid ball of chocolate and it weighs over 6 oz., that's almost half a pound! i used to love getting Terry's Oranges at big lots (only 99 cents, what?!), and they were definitely my first foray into the world of flavored chocolate that didn't taste like fruity butts. so really, what i'm saying is that chocolate oranges are what made me love orange-flavored chocolate. for some reason i haven't thought about chocolate oranges in awhile, but when i saw this at Trader Joe's, it brought back fond memories of whacking and unwrapping. while some other brands have many different flavors of oranges, i only saw these available in dark or milk chocolate, so i went for the dark (of course). the packaging is nearly identical to the Florida Tropics orange; even the individual slices have the same (or extremely similar) imprints on them.

there's no clever saying on these, just a seal keeping the orange foil closed that says something unimaginative that i can't even remember. the thing that can be annoying about chocolate oranges is that they don't always have a clean break. i haven't really paid enough attention to know if the cleanness varies according to brand, but this one definitely did not break very easily, or evenly. there is a nice, mild citrus scent when you open it. the chocolate itself is pretty good but it had a slight waxiness to it, which is a little disconcerting; the orange flavor is apparent but not overpowering. as i said before, it's been awhile since i've eaten one, but i remember them being much better, which leads me to believe that this is not as good as the others i've tried. in order to prove that, i will be getting some of the other brands and reviewing them shortly. until then...

rating: 5

McKeever & Danlee Mango & Kiwi Drops

2010-01-30T21:08:00.000-08:00

what to say, what to say. quite simply, i am in love with these drops. the flavor is incredible and i love the tins they come in. so, they come covered in some white powder, which i assume is just confectioners' sugar; i'm not really sure what the point of that is, whether it's purely for show and/or flavor or if there's some packaging or shelf-life concern. either way, it doesn't really affect the taste or texture, since the powder dissolves immediately in your mouth. these drops contain only natural flavors and taste remarkably like their respective fruits. while they are pretty sweet, they have a tartness to them that balances it out well. these are available in several different flavors; i chose this one because the combination of mango and kiwi was just too good to pass up but i'll be getting more as soon as this tin is gone (which might be awhile, there are quite a few pieces in there).

rating: 10

Droste Milk/Bittersweet Pastilles

2010-01-30T20:04:00.000-08:00

finally, some decent chocolate. i don't mean to get down on all of the crappy chocolate companies out there, but come on. there really is nothing i don't like about these little morsels; the packaging is fresh (as in innovative, not overly forward), they're pretty inexpensive for the amount of candy you get, and they're delicious to boot. oddly enough i obtained these at the asian market, although they are clearly produced in europe. inside the octagonal package the pieces are stacked and sheathed in a foil tube. each candy is a little larger than a quarter and about an 1/8" thick, half milk chocolate and half bittersweet chocolate. the chocolate itself is smooth and creamy, and the two types blend together effortlessly to create a milky-but-not-too-sweet concoction. i also tried each half separately - because i had to - and they both stand alone equally well. while generally i prefer a bittersweet or dark chocolate over the milk variety, this is quality chocolate without the milky aftertaste, chalky texture or sour flavor we've all come to expect in milk chocolate. Droste does offer these pastilles in a variety of flavors, though i've only tried these and the orange ones (also delicious). this is some quality chocolate folks, check out their site to see how they produce their chocolate. mm...mm...informative!

rating: 9