sugar snax

Whittaker's Original Peanut Slab

2013-07-01T00:49:00.001-07:00

parent co.: J.H. Whittaker & Sons

net wt.: 50g

quantity: 1 bar

country: new zealand

description: milk chocolate bar

well my good kiwi friend zoi sent me a pack of these so i figured i might as well review them. i haven't done anything in a while on either the tumblr site or this site (which i know i said i wasn't using but i missed it!) so this is just a little update.

this is pretty much the most basic bar you can imagine, it is legitimately a big slab of chocolate with peanuts in it. pretty awesome since i love chocolate and peanuts. the chocolate could be a little bit richer but i would still eat this anytime i'm craving choco-peanut flavor - i like it better than mr. goodbar i think. thanks zoi!

rating: 8

ingredients: milk chocolate (sugar, cocoa solids 33% [cocoa mass & cocoa butter], milk powder 17%, emulsifier [soya lecithin] and flavour), roasted peanuts 35%.

allergen information: may contain traces of other nuts.

Pops Crunchy

2012-08-31T14:53:00.004-07:00

parent co.: Cloetta

net wt.: 48g

quantity: 2-24g bars

country: sweden

description: chocolate covered pops with a salty twist

more crispies! Pops is something akin to a Crunch bar in the states, although much thicker. i actually think i prefer the size/shape of the Crunch bar as the crispies tend to be a bit more evenly distributed, and the ratio of chocolate to crispies is better. this was kind of a lot of chocolate, more than i can usually take, although there are two small bars in here which makes it easier to deal with. there isn't as much crunch as i would have expected in a crispy bar; the more i have bars with crispies in them, the more i think i prefer the cornflakes for their crunch factor. and i'm not sure about the "salty twist" mentioned in the description on the package, i don't really remember there being a distinctive salty flavor although it's been a few days since i ate this. i do tend to remember saltiness in candy though as i am a pretty big fan of it. not a bad bar but i think i still prefer a thinner, crispier crunchy bar.

rating: 4

ingredients: sugar, cocoa butter, whole milk powder, skimmed milk powder, cocoa mass, corn flour, rice flour, vegetable fat, wheat flour, salt, emulsifier (soya lecithin), flavourings (vanillin).
allergen information: may contain traces of nuts and peanuts.

Kex Choklad

2012-08-30T18:24:00.001-07:00

parent co.: Cloetta

net wt.: 55g

quantity: 1 bar

country: sweden

description: filled wafers in milk chocolate

this is a pretty straight-forward wafer bar, more of the large, flat, kriss-krossy wafers than the skinny kit-kat wafers. i like it, although i think i actually prefer the small wafers since their crunch is a little more rambunctious. really this bar is pretty average; if you're craving a wafer it's worth going for but nothing to write home about (do i use that phrase a lot?). something i'm noticing about a lot of the sweets over here is that they are pretty much all made of exactly the same ingredients with a few different flavors or a nut thrown in here and there. i know that's to be said of all goodies in general but i just can't help but laugh every time i'm writing the ingredients and i barely have to change anything.

another good word learned last night: in nederlands, which i was informed is the proper name for the language spoken in the netherlands (not dutch), they call candy snoep. pronounced "snoop." awesome!

i've also been visiting the goodie stores here and they have a lot of pick-a-mix (bulk candy) which is very interesting and generally tasty. i don't really like reviewing bulk candies because i can't ever remember what the candies are called or say what's in them, but maybe i'll start to mention some once in awhile. like today i had blåögon, giant blue gummy eyes. they also had a sour version. i'm assuming they're blueberry-flavored but they were a bit off. a tad tangy, but not bad. i'd give them a 6. just because they're blue.

rating: 5

ingredients: sugar, wheat flour, vegetable fat, skimmed milk powder, cocoa butter, whey powder, whole milk powder, cocoa mass, cocoa powder, emulsifier (soy lecithin), salt, raising agent (sodium bicarbonate), flavorings (vanillin).
allergen information: none

Corny BIG

2012-08-28T18:11:00.001-07:00

parent co.: Schwaurtauer Werke

net wt.: 50g

quantity: 1 bar

country: germany

description: peanut-chocolate

this is really more of a granola bar (cereal bar), in my opinion. there is some chocolate on the bottom but the top layer is all oats, peanuts, cornflakes and such. quite good, actually and a wonderful name to boot. there isn't much more i can say about this although i would like to try some of the many other flavors: chocolate-orange, toffee, chocolate-banana, apple crumble, etc. you can see the selection here.

on an interesting side-note, i was talking with some other exchange students here and we were discussing the different terms for candy in the various english-speaking areas of the world; for example the british folk say 'sweets' while the new zealanders say 'lollies.' in the states i'd say the general term for most sugary snacks is simply 'candy', but in sweden they refer to them as 'goodies' (that might be my favorite). so anyways, a german acquaintance told me that in german the term for candy and sweets is 'süßigkeiten.' i suppose that's relevant since this is a german-made bar. and since i am a linguist i guess i find that interesting. perhaps i will post more words for candy in other languages, eh?

rating: 7

ingredients: roasted peanuts, milk chocolate (sugar, cocoa mass, cocoa butter, skimmed milk powder, butter fat, emulsifier [sunflower lecithin]), gucose-fructose syrup, roasted cereal flakes (oat-, wheat-), flour (wheat-, rice-, maize-)glucose syrup, brown sugar, cornflakes (maize, sugar, salt, malted barley), coconut fat, sugar, honey, salt, malted barley, caramelized sugar syrup, emulsifier (sunflower lecithin).

allergen information: may contain traces of almonds and hazelnuts.

Plopp Kärlek

2012-08-26T07:09:00.001-07:00

parent co.: Cloetta

net wt.: 50g

quantity: 1 bar

country: sweden

description: milk chocolate filled with caramel with taste of raspberry jelly and raspberry bits in white truffle

this Plopp is weird. the original Plopp is just chocolate sections filled with gooey caramel, and while this bar claims that is has caramel (toffee) in it i really only taste the raspberry jelly and the white "truffle." the picture also seems to lack any visual indication of caramel, so i'm going to assume that they mean the caramel is raspberry-flavored and therefore it is really more just jelly filling than caramel. that truffle is in quotations up there because i'm not really sure what makes this white stuff truffle-y, it certainly isn't truffle in the traditional sense of ganache, so i guess it's just cream filling. regardless, i don't care for the white part; the raspberry part isn't bad but overall it's just not really my kind of candy. the filling is a little too sweet and the smooth, gooey texture of the jelly contrasts with the gritty texture of the truffle in a strange way so when they combine in your mouth it just feels like there's something chunky in the jelly. not great. and i generally really like raspberry chocolates so this one was a little disappointing. i also noticed that the ingredients include pineapple fibres and while i hate to sound like a crazy person i seriously think i can taste that acidic, tropical taste that they add to the filling. it kind of makes your mouth tingle, not necessarily in a bad way but not in a good way either.

the name simply translates to "plop" and kärlek is "love" so i guess anything pinkish is considered a good gift for your sweetie?

rating: 4

ingredients: sugar, glucose syrup, milk powder, cocoa butter, whole milk powder, skimmed milk powder, vegetable fat, cocoa mass, raspberry purée, apple, emulsifier (soy lecithin), salt, dextrose, flavorings (vanillin), pineapple fibres, citric acid, gelling agent, colour, stabilizer.

allergen information: may contain traces of nuts.

Japp

2012-08-22T16:24:00.000-07:00

parent co.: Marabou/Kraft

net wt.: 30g

quantity: 2-15g bars

country: sweden

description: milk chocolate filled with soft chocolate mousse and caramel

this is so similar to a milky way (or maybe a 3 musketeers with caramel) i feel silly even saying anything about it. i will say that it tastes better, but that might just be because i'm in sweden and things are feeling all different-y. and better. the mousse inside is a bit fluffier than the milky way nougat, hence the parenthetical 3 musketeers remark. the caramel is gooey and i enjoy the fact that all of the chocolate over here is real chocolate (no mockolate coating, so far). i guess i don't have much more to say about this one, it's simple and good and the name translates to "yup".

rating: 6

ingredients (translated from swedish): sugar, glucose syrup, milk powder, vegetable fat, cocoa butter, sweetened condensed skim milk, cocoa mass, stabilizer (sorbitol), reduced-fat cocoa, malt extract from corn, invert sugar, egg white, emulsifier (soy lecithin), flavoring.

allergen information: contains milk, gluten, egg, soy. may contain traces of peanuts, almonds, other nuts and wheat.

Dubbel Nougat

2012-08-22T16:10:00.000-07:00

parent co.: Marabou/Kraft

net wt.: 50g

quantity: 1 bar

country: sweden

description: hazelnut and almond nougat in two layers

that's a bad photo but i don't feel like taking another one. this bar threw me off, big time! it's really not nougat, the hazelnut layer is basically gianduja (although technically not since it's only 23% hazelnut paste) and the almond layer is like a chocolate-almond paste. there's nothing very nougat-y about it since i expect my nougat to be chewy in some fashion and this is really creamy, but it is so delicious! i took one bite and immediately ate the entire thing. definitely my favorite one so far, the hazelnut flavor pops out and pretty much takes over so you don't even really taste the almond. i would be interested to taste the two layers separately but i somehow doubt that the taste difference would be all that noticeable since the almond layer only has 9% almond in it. such a small amount compared to the hazelnut, no wonder it tastes so hazelnut-y. the common usage of hazelnuts (and crispies) in candy over here is one of the many things i love about sweden so far, since i clearly love hazelnut (check out that sidebar over there). other things include sheep, stray cats, weird birds and fungi, tube foods and ikea.

rating: 9

ingredients (translated from swedish): sugar, hazelnuts, vegetable fat, almonds, cocoa mass, whey powder, cocoa butter, skimmed milk powder, butterfat, emulsifier (soy lecithin), flavoring.

allergen information: contains milk, almond, hazelnut, soy. may contain traces of peanuts, egg and wheat.

Pigall

2012-08-22T15:50:00.003-07:00

parent co.: Marabou/Kraft

net wt.: 20g

quantity: 2-10g bars

country: sweden

description: milk chocolate filled with hazelnut truffle

another Marabou bar (there was a sale at the ICA next to my place so there will be a few of them), this one is interesting - i can't really think of anything in the states to compare it to but the crispies are definitely good (i like how much they use them over here, rice is cheap perhaps?). i actually didn't place the hazelnut flavor until i read it in the ingredients, i kind of just thought it was a milky-chocolatey fluff filling. it's not a nougat really, it's reminiscent of a hazelnut version of the filling in the Starbar which is a tad bit more crumbly than traditional nougat but certainly not in a bad way. overall, a decent bar although i do like Starbar better. i'm always a fan of bars that come in twos so you can save one for later (yeah right).

rating: 6

ingredients (translated from swedish): sugar, vegetable fat, milk powder, cocoa butter, rice crisps [rice flour, glucose syrup, salt, malt extract from corn], cocoa mass, hazelnuts, reduced-fat cocoa, emulsifier (soy lecithin), butterfat, skimmed milk powder, whey powder, whey product, salt, flavor.

allergen information: contains milk, hazelnut, soy, gluten.

Starbar

2012-08-22T09:23:00.002-07:00

parent co.: Marabou/Kraft

net wt.: 49g

quantity: 1 bar

country: sweden

description: milk chocolate filled with caramel and roasted peanut pieces - "peanutty caramel crumble"

this swedish bar reminds me of a mix between a snickers and a 100 grand, it's actually really good. the crispies give it a nice crunch while the peanuts add a good flavor to the nougat-y middle, which isn't quite as dense as the nougat in a snickers. the caramel is really soft, although mine was a little melty from being in my bag all day, but the chocolate also has a nice texture - not that crumbly falling apart chocolate we get a lot of in the states. this is actually produced by kraft nordic for sweden, denmark and finland, quite good.

rating: 7

ingredients (translated from swedish): caramel [glucose syrup, sugar, vegetable oil, glycerol, skimmed milk powder, whey powder, emulsifier, flavor], milk chocolate [milk, sugar, cocoa butter, cocoa mass, vegetable fat, emulsifier, flavor], peanut, vegetable fat, sugar, glucose syrup, whey powder, wheat flour, rice flour, salt, corn syrup, malt extract.

allergen information: contains milk, peanut, wheat, gluten.

back in the saddle...again?

2012-08-21T04:45:00.001-07:00

hej! well i am in sweden now and since i realize that i made one post and then got sidetracked with moving and all that jazz, i decided that i will start up again with these candy reviews, maybe tonight! sweden has tons of candy, much of it similar to what we have in the states, but also much very different. a lot of the different involves marzipan (which i don't care for), as well as coconut (also not a fan). but i'm going to do my best to remain impartial, and maybe take a few other tasters' opinions into account when thinking about quality. so until then...vi ses!

Wild Ophelia 44% Cacao Beef Jerky Milk Chocolate Bar

2012-07-10T18:31:00.000-07:00

parent co.: Vosges/Wild Ophelia

net wt.: 2 oz.

quantity: 1 bar (4-.5 oz.sections)

country: united states

description: beef jerky, smoked paprika and deep milk chocolate deliver the power of the magical cacao bean

that's right, there is a beef jerky bar. and it is pretty much what you'd expect - salty, kind of beefy, overall weird but not at all bad. the chocolate is very smooth and creamy but the saltiness and the slightly salty, very beefy smell of the bar itself can be a little overpowering. it actually has a really pleasant aftertaste once the beefiness disappears. i think the hardest thing to get over is the initial smokiness; the package states that there is smoked paprika in there which probably lends to that smoky taste, but actual beef jerky is in the ingredients list (which has worcestershire sauce, soy sauce AND liquid smoke in it) so this is for reals. i do enjoy the salt-chocolate combo, and this chocolate actually has some caramel notes in it so it works, however i think it just takes some getting used to the beef aspect. i was actually very pleased to find this bar at the cost plus world market in town; this company, wild ophelia, makes wonderful and weird chocolate bars out of chicago. apparently it's an offshoot of vosges chocolate company who are well-known for their bacon chocolate bar, so i guess the jerky is the next step. wild ophelia has several other interesting flavors, one of which - southern hibiscus peach - will be the next review. so check it out, candy is back in style! also, found some swedish candy to intro the sweden scene - wait for it...

rating: 6

ingredients: milk chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter, cocoa mass, dry whole milk powder, soy lecithin, vanilla), beef jerky (beef, water, organic soy sauce [water, organic soybeans, salt, organic alcohol], worcestershire sauce [distilled vinegar, water, molasses, corn syrup, salt, flavorings], liquid smoke, flavorings), salt, smoked paprika

allergen information: contains milk, soy

seriously, something should happen

2012-07-09T23:46:00.002-07:00

i know i keep saying it but this time i mean it - more candy reviews to come!! soon! tomorrow i will be taking a trip to the special place in town where i can find unique and wondrous candies. then i will eat said candies and perhaps photograph them and then say a little blurb. all in preparation for the big haul: SWEDEN! that's right, in a little more than one month i will be living in sweden with no friends and not much idea of what to eat. so it will be candy - they have many interesting candies for me to experience, many of which have liqueur and weird things in them. so think about checking in here once in awhile. it might be fun. or gross. or a little bit of both. CANDY!

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 is 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 where 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

allergen 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

allergen 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