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April 2010

Monday, April 12, 2010

Panda Soft Herb Licorice and Licorice Cremes

Panda Soft Herb LicoriceIt’s National Licorice Day and I’m always up for some good black licorice.

I picked up the Panda Soft Herb Licorice after seeing Gigi Reviews coverage of the product.

First, I like the box that Panda uses. It’s foil lined and completely sealed, after opening the tab top there’s a little plastic film that keeps the contents fresh. Then I just tuck in the double tab top to keep it soft. The contents were soft for weeks, though there is some toughening after that.

This version of Panda’s licorice bites are all natural black licorice tubes made with molasses and wheat flour with an added punch of 18 herbal extracts. They include peppermint, blackberry, plantain, torch weed, sage, star anise and thyme. Sniffing the box it’s like a tea shop: minty, woodsy and clean.

Panda Soft Herb Licorice

The pieces are soft but separate easily. I like the aerated tubes, it makes it easier to chew them if they do get a little stale. The color is nice, it’s dark but not artificially colored.

The taste isn’t licorice immediately and it’s not molasses either. It’s more like brown sugar in peppermint and chamomile tea. The licorice and woodsier notes come in later. It’s delicate and not as overwhelmingly dark and charcoal-like as Panda’s usual far. There’s a cool menthol aftertaste that makes this kind of like a mint.

There’s a little sticking to the teeth, but it’s not as bad as some other Aussie-style brands. Overall, I enjoyed it a lot. It’s mellow and might be a good “starter” licorice for folks who don’t care for the bitter, smoky and overwhelming licorice of Panda.

Panda Licorice CremesAs a little change of pace I picked up Panda Cremes as well. The stand up bag holds the same amount as the box but has a zipper lock to keep it fresh. I have to admit that it’s not as eco friendly but did a better job of keeping these soft and fresh. A bonus is that the bag is collapsible, so it takes up less space the more you eat. The box is always the size of the box.

Cremes are the same shape as the bites but inside those little tubes are creme fillings. They come in three flavors: Banana, Caramel and Strawberry. I can’t say that any of these were ever really on my mind as great complements to the flavor of black licorice, but Panda usually knows what they’re doing.

The bag says that they’re all natural and suitable for vegetarians (but not vegans, as there’s some milk in there). The creme center is made from palm oil and there’s no indication of the source of it. A 39 gram serving (9 pieces) has 160 calories and 4 grams of fat (3.5 of those are saturated). In case you’re curious, 40 grams of the Soft Herb are 130 calories and no fat. It’s not like either is calorie-dense but still, it’s notable.

Panda Licorice Cremes

The package smelled like strawberries and banana, like some sort of smoothie or yogurt.

The Strawberry were easy to pick out as they were pink. The Caramel and Banana were the same color as far as I could tell.

The creme isn’t soft and flowing, it’s kind of crunchy at first - but at mouth temperature it softens up. It’s cool on the tongue and not too sweet. The Strawberry is fresh and floral. Banana is actually pretty fun, it’s strong banana flavoring but the sweet notes go well. The Caramel had a slightly darker note but the toasted sugar was missing or maybe overshadowed by the strength of the licorice itself.

I don’t think I need this much fat for something that didn’t really satisfy me the same way that a creamy chocolate product does. I think I’ll stick to the regular Panda licorice products. These are pretty enough to put in a clear jar and as compelling as Allsorts (especially if you’re not a coconut fan).

Related Candies

  1. The 110 Essential Candies for Candivores
  2. Organic Finnska Soft Licorice
  3. Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Filled with Creamy Peanut Butter
  4. Anis de Flavigny
  5. Dutch Licorice
  6. Panda Bars
  7. Fazer Lemon Lakritsi


Name: Soft Herb Licorice
    RATING:
  • SUPERB
  • YUMMY
  • TASTY
  • WORTH IT
  • TEMPTING
  • PLEASANT
  • BENIGN
  • UNAPPEALING
  • APPALLING
  • INEDIBLE
Brand: Panda Licorice
Place Purchased: Whole Foods (Pasadena)
Price: $2.99
Size: 7 ounces
Calories per ounce: 92
Categories: All Natural, Candy, Panda, Kosher, Licorice Candy, 8-Tasty, Finland


Name: Licorice Cremes
    RATING:
  • SUPERB
  • YUMMY
  • TASTY
  • WORTH IT
  • TEMPTING
  • PLEASANT
  • BENIGN
  • UNAPPEALING
  • APPALLING
  • INEDIBLE
Brand: Panda Licorice
Place Purchased: Whole Foods (Pasadena)
Price: $3.99
Size: 7 ounces
Calories per ounce: 116
Categories: Kosher, Licorice Candy, 6-Tempting

POSTED BY Cybele AT 12:35 pm     All NaturalCandyReviewPandaKosherLicorice Candy6-Tempting8-TastyFinlandWhole Foods

Eat with your Eyes: Coco Chocolate

Coco Chocolate - Artist's Collection

Coco Chocolate - Artist's Collection

I picked up these artisan candy coated chocolate lentils at the Fancy Food Show. They’re from the Artist’s Collection at Coco Chocolate from the United Kingdom. The box is clever and attractive and of course the lentils are made with good quality chocolate. They’re kind of like a flattened version of Cadbury Mini Eggs.

POSTED BY Cybele AT 9:07 am     CandyFeatured NewsFun StuffPhotography

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Eat with your Eyes: Pink Pop

DSC_2651rcropb

Pink, pink, pink and pink.

I reviewed these Hammond Pops before (this one was cherry).

POSTED BY Cybele AT 10:26 am     CandyFeatured NewsFun StuffPhotography

Friday, April 9, 2010

Tic Tac Pink Grapefruit

It’s so frustrating when I know that there’s a candy out there I want to try but I just can’t get a hold of it. The Pink Grapefruit Tic Tac have been around for a couple of years, but as far as I knew they were sold only as a “big pack” and only at WalMart.

Pink Grapefruit TicTacs

I’ve been scouring eBay and the discount dollar stores ever since, hoping they’d turn up. Thankfully last weekend I found them at the 99 Cent Only Store - and for only 59 cents a package. I bought two, because I knew I’d love them.

The box holds exactly one ounce, which sounds like a single portion to me, the way I eat Tic Tacs. (I eat them like they’re candy.)

Pink Grapefruit TicTacs

They’re a beautiful shade of pink (carmine but at least the ingredients are all natural). They don’t smell like much, but they sound great in the package when I shake it.

They’re soft and smooth, a little slick on the tongue at first. Then they give up the flavor. The grapefruit is a good zesty blast, especially after the pink outside coating comes off. It’s tangy but I wouldn’t call it sour. I usually chew mine, so I was getting a big dose of grapefruit. It’s pretty intense if you eat a lot of them in a row since they use real dry pink grapefruit juice. In fact, after about half the package it was making my tongue vibrate a little bit from the citrus oils. There’s also a little bit of a mentholated after taste, it doesn’t really make them minty, but it does make my breath feel fresher when I inhale.

I would definitely buy these on a regular basis if I can find them reliably.

I saw that Ebidebby found them and Candy for Dinner also The Candy Enthusiast had the Citrus Punch Limited Edition version that included Pink Grapefruit.

Ferrero has changed the packaging just slightly. The old polystyrene that made such a satisfying rattling sound is gone and now they’re using polypropylene which cuts energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions. Of course it’s also important to reuse and then recycle the packaging when you’re done. The polypropylene is a little softer so the candy boxes don’t crack as easily as they used to. Do you have any tips on what to do with the boxes when you’re done?

Related Candies

  1. Bissinger’s Pink Grapefruit Gummy Pandas
  2. Jelly Belly Sunkist Citrus Mix
  3. Dr. Doolittle’s Pastilles (Lemon, Grapefruit & Wild Berry)
  4. Grapefruit Mentos (Japan)
  5. HiCHEW Grapefruit
  6. Tic Tac Bold!
  7. Pink Grapefruit Mentos


Name: Tic Tac Pink Grapefruit
    RATING:
  • SUPERB
  • YUMMY
  • TASTY
  • WORTH IT
  • TEMPTING
  • PLEASANT
  • BENIGN
  • UNAPPEALING
  • APPALLING
  • INEDIBLE
Brand: Ferrero
Place Purchased: 99 Cent Only Store (Silver Lake)
Price: $.59
Size: 1 ounce
Calories per ounce: 114
Categories: Candy, Ferrero, Mints, 9-Yummy, Canada, 99 Cent Only Store

POSTED BY Cybele AT 2:27 pm     CandyReviewFerreroMints9-YummyCanada99 Cent Only Store

Candy Blog Turns 5 Years Old

Five years ago some good friends exchanged their vows. During the reception I was talking with some of the other guests at our table about chocolate. Someone remarked that I seemed really passionate about candy and I should blog about it.

I went home that night and started a blog. Here it is, five years later and I’ve reviewed at least 1,500 individual candies and tasted probably 5,000 during my travels and attendance at trade shows. There’s still lots more to see, taste and review.

Thank You Bananas

So thank you, sweet readers. I probably wouldn’t have continued if the blog did not grow as it has, the fact that you’re here, reading and responding really makes it worthwhile.

As a big thank you I’m doing some redesign work that I think you will enjoy (such as adding a spot where you can give candies your own 1-10 rating, make custom lists in your profile of favorite candies and better search features).

As a small thank you, I have a $50 gift certificate for Think Geek where you can spend way too much for novelty candy.

To enter the drawing just leave a comment here by Monday, April 12, 2010 at 9 AM Pacific PDT telling me what your favorite post on the blog is. A random commenter will be chosen and will receive a digital gift certificate valued at $50. Anyone can win though I don’t know how useful it’d be if you’re outside of North America.

Oh, and happy 5th anniversary to Robin & Amy!

UPDATE April 12, 2010 5:32 PM PDT: Congratulations to Jeny! She was chosen at random from all unique comments received. I’ve already sent her the digital gift certificate for Think Geek.

POSTED BY Cybele AT 8:50 am     Behind the ScenesCandyCANDY BLOGFun Stuff

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Meticulously photographed and documented reviews of candy from around the world. And the occasional other sweet adventures. Open your mouth, expand your mind.

 

 

 

 

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