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CANDY RATINGS

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April 2005

Tuesday, April 26, 2005

Ginger Delight

Name: Ginger Delight
Brand: The Ginger People
Place Purchased: Whole Foods
Price: $4.99
Size: 8.5 oz
Calories per ounce: 80
Type: Turkish Delight

When I was a kid I read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis. In it, Edmund is lured into the White Witch’s carriage with promises of Turkish delight. I found something called Turkish Paste at Middle Eastern markets and decided that’s what was in the book.

Turkish Delight is basically jellied sugar. Usually just a mixture of sugar, a dash of corn starch and a little flavor. Typical flavors for Turkish Delight are aromatic in nature (there’s no sour tang, just sweetness, smooth texture and scent). Most common are rose and lemon.

At Whole Foods over the weekend I found that The Ginger People have created a Turkish Delight with the scent of ginger and even smooth little ginger pieces. First thing to know about Turkish Delight is that it’s very messy. The little jelly squares are usually cut into cubes and then dusted generously in confectioners sugar and corn starch to keep them from sticking. You can’t help but get it everywhere, so I recommend wearing white when consuming Turkish Delight so as not to look like a slob.

The cubes are not heavily fragranced, but upon biting into them they’re smooth and delicately flavored with ginger. Occasionally there’s a little treat of a smooth pieces of ginger in there. There’s no bite to it, which I was a little disappointed with, but that’s not really Turkish Delight’s style.

Turkish Delight is not an everyday snacking candy, it’s a special treat or for specific occasions. I’ll probably buy this again, but not anytime soon.

Rating: 7 out of 10.

POSTED BY Cybele AT 10:50 am     CandyReviewThe Ginger PeopleGingerJelly Candy7-Worth ItUnited States

Monday, April 25, 2005

Violet Crumble

Name: Violet Crumble
Brand: Nestle (Australia)
Place Purchased: Convenience Store (Hollywood)
Price: $.75
Size: 1.25 oz
Calories per ounce: 150
Type: Candy (Chocolate)

The package says “It’s the way that it shatters that matters.” Of course the other side calls it “Australia’s Crisp Golden Honeycomb.” I’ve had this bar once before and was not terribly impressed. I was hoping it would be malt, but it’s not.

What is it? Think of that dense chalky styrofoam and then add some flavor and a sweet aroma similar to toasted marshmallows. One of my problems with this bar is the noise the honeycomb makes when you bite into it. Like biting into a piece of balsa wood or stiff styro. The ingredients also do not lend one to be drawn to the bar (there’s no honey), it’s mostly sugar and hydrogenated palm oil (yee! I have a cholesterol test coming up!).

That said, I actually like it. I can get beyond the sqeaky sound on my teeth because the crumble is really satisfying, it crackles and yields in the mouth, melting into a blissful sweet puddle. The chocolate coat is actually chocolate, which helps. The coating, I found, is a tad sweet, but I expect that from Aussie and Brit sweets, I suppose. Also, at only a little over an ounce, it’s a very satisfying bar because it’s so stuffed with air, it looks formidable. It’s the trans fat content that has me worried, so I’m going to stick to monosaturated treats for a while.

Rating: 6 out of 10.

POSTED BY Cybele AT 3:13 pm     CandyReviewNestleChocolate6-TemptingAustralia

Saturday, April 23, 2005

Meiji Chelsea Yogurt Scotch

Name: Chelsea Yogurt Scotch
Brand: Meiji
Place Purchased: Mitsuwa Marketplace (Little Tokyo, LA)
Price: $.99
Size: 1.58 oz
Calories per ounce: 120
Type: Toffee/Hard Candy

The Taste of Old Scotland! the candy heralds down the side of the tray inside the calico printed box. What Chelsea has to do with Scotland is beyond me. This is a candy blog, after all, not a geography one.

I’m not sure I know what old Scotland tastes like. But these hard toffees are unlike any other toffee I’ve ever had. First, they’re opaque white and glossy when I unwrapped the piece, unlike the toasty cream color I’m used to.

Putting it in my mouth I found it initially tart. Not in a citrus way, but in the way that yogurt is tart. It’s smooth and creamy, but with a little bite to it.

I found them pleasant, but a little bland. I plan to finish the box, but it’s unlikely I’ll buy yogurt scotch again. However, there is another flavor that I saw at the market, regular butterscotch ... that sounds more my speed.

Rating: 7 out of 10

POSTED BY Cybele AT 8:48 pm     CandyReviewMeijiHard Candy & LollipopsToffee7-Worth ItJapan

Friday, April 22, 2005

Noir au Grue de Cacao

Name: Noir au Grue de Cacao
Brand: Michel Cluizel
Place Purchased: Garden of Eden (Manhattan)
Price: $5.45 (yow!)
Size: 3.5 oz
Calories per ounce: 180
Type: Chocolate

Michel Cluizel has been mentioned to me a few times as the epitome of fine, dense chocolate. I’ve looked at it quite a few times in the shops but have always been hesitant because of the price. Really, at $1.55 per ounce, this stuff better be pretty good.

It’s nicely packaged, I like things in boxes instead of flimsy paper, especially for something that I’m not going to finish in one sitting. The scent of the chocolate is positively gorgeous. Chocolately, rich and with a hint of coffee.

The bar I chose is a standard dark chocolate with bits of cocoa nibs in it. I’ve had this sort of bar before (I’ll try to find that bar again, because I really liked it) and was looking forward to the mix of textures and taste density.

My first two squares were disappointing. I think I hit a bad patch of nibs, because they tasted very musty. But, upon revisiting it the next day, I found that the chocolate was very smooth with an excellent contrast of the crunchy nibs. Overall I think that the addition of the nibs if more of a novelty than an actual enhancement. I like nuts in my chocolate, or raisins or, jeeze, just about anything. But I don’t like things in my chocolate that don’t add to the experience.

Rating: 6 out of 10.

POSTED BY Cybele AT 10:08 am     CandyReviewMichel CluizelChocolateNibs6-TemptingFrance

Thursday, April 21, 2005

So Wonderful Sour

Name: Super Lemon Candy
Brand: Santa Trading Co.
Place Purchased: Mitsuwa Marketplace (Little Tokyo, LA)
Price: $1.49
Size: 2.64 oz
Type: Hard Candy (Sour)

Of course I’m a sucker for packaging. How could you resist this sassy lady with her cherry lips and surprised expression heralding “It’s So Wonderful Candy!”

What’s even better are the pictographic description on the back:

And is it ever sour. Taking them out of the individual packet, you’ll find a little round ball, about the size of a marble, distinctly yellow with a powdery dusting on it. Pop it in your mouth and you’re gonna definitely feel that “Oh! Super Candy” feeling. It’s sour. I’m serious. It’s painfully, numbingly sour.

After the salty, toxic waste sourness dissolves away, you’ve got a lemon drop. It’s a good lemon drop, smooth and without too many airgaps. It’s got good essense flavor to it, too. If you like the megasours that have been on the market for years without the novelty that goes with them, this is a solidly good sour lemon ball.

I’m unable to find much about the company that makes it, though it’s a common import and obviously packaged for the overseas market as much of the package is in English.

Other reviews: Super Lemon has Awesome Power & Candy Critic.

 

Rating: 8 out of 10

POSTED BY Cybele AT 1:56 pm     CandyReviewHard Candy & LollipopsSour8-TastyJapan

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