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August 2010

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Endangered Species Organic Chocolate

Endangered Species Organic Dark ChocolateEndangered Species Chocolate’s hook is that the packages feature attractive, threatened animals and their profits go towards education about and protection of the environment.

They recently reformulated all their bars when they got a new cacao source (which does change the flavor profile for high end chocolate), so they sent me an array of bars to try. Today I thought I’d start with their simplest offerings, their single serving bars in Organic Dark Chocolate 70% Cocoa and Organic Milk Chocolate 43% Cocoa.

The chocolate in the bars is Rainforest Alliance Certified as well as gluten free, Kosher, organic and ethically trade. The dark chocolate bar is also vegan (though made on equipment that also processes diary, peanuts and tree nuts). The package is made of 30% post-consumer recycled material yet it’s pretty nice to look at. The 70% Dark bar features the Karner Blue Butterfly, which is only about 3/4 of an inch across but a sparkling iridescent blue that draws the eye.

Endangered Species Organic Dark Chocolate

The bars are nicely proportioned. They’re slender - about 5.25” long and only 1.5” wide. Each is divided into three segments that are slightly domed and thick enough to provide a satisfying snap when broken.

The melt is smooth for the most part, though I did get an occasional spot of grit (fibery bits of cacao). It’s thick and lightly acidic with some bitter cherry notes. There’s coffee and anise and maybe some light citrus peel plus a strong note of vanilla. It puddles like pudding on the tongue and though I think there’s a smidge too much cocoa butter in it, the ratios support the flavor profile well. There are a lot of flavors going on and at times the finish is dry while other pieces I’m noticing a much lighter green tea note at the end.

Sometimes very dark chocolate isn’t as munchable as milk or milder stuff. It’s as if it’s too complex; this bar is dark and has a good mix of flavors but doesn’t feel too sophisticated for snacking. It pairs well with salty foods as well as nuts and dried fruits.

Endangered Species Organic Milk ChocolateThe second bar is the Organic Milk Chocolate 43% Cocoa Bar. I have to say that 43% is a pretty dark shade of milk chocolate. Some are as low as 20% cocoa content and there are those that go as high as 68% - but the low 30% range is what I think we’re most accustomed to.

This package features a lion. The package tells me that lions spend up to 21 hours a day sleeping. The rest of that time is spent in search of food, though they don’t eat every day. The package also says that lions are the only felines that live in social groups, maybe meaning that society leads to such high levels of cooperation that 21 hours of sleep are possible ... maybe we could learn something from that.

Endangered Species Organic

I stuck the milk on top of the dark here to show you the difference in color.

Endangered Species Organic Milk Chocolate

The main dairy ingredient in this bar is organic milk powder. It smells just like that - like sweet powdered milk.

The snap is much softer than the dark chocolate, though not fudgy like some milk bars like Cadbury can be. The melt is smooth, though not light and slick like Dove. It’s much thicker and velvety. The dairy notes fade and there’s a stronger caramelized sugar flavor along with the stronger bitter cocoa notes. There’s a hint of coffee, toffee and cedar in there.

This wasn’t my style of milk chocolate, it’s just too powdered milk flavored to me. I don’t know quite what that flavor is, but it reminds me of nutrition, which is not what I want in my treat. I’m guessing that this is just the profile that others prefer. The fact that it’s organic will also have appeal for folks who are looking to avoid hormones in their dairy products.

Related Candies

  1. NewTree Dark Milk
  2. Scharffen Berger Dark Milk (68%)
  3. Lake Champlain Organic Dark Bars
  4. Endangered Species: Milk Chocolate with Peanut Butter
  5. Endangered Species Halloween Treats
  6. Endangered Species Chocolate
  7. Thompson’s Organic Chocolate


Name: Organic Dark Chocolate (70%)
    RATING:
  • SUPERB
  • YUMMY
  • TASTY
  • WORTH IT
  • TEMPTING
  • PLEASANT
  • BENIGN
  • UNAPPEALING
  • APPALLING
  • INEDIBLE
Brand: Endangered Species
Place Purchased: samples from Endangered Species
Price: $1.99 retail
Size: 1.4 ounces
Calories per ounce: 143
Categories: All Natural, Candy, Endangered Species, Chocolate, Ethically Sourced, Kosher, Organic, 7-Worth It, United States


Name: Organic Milk Chocolate (43%)
    RATING:
  • SUPERB
  • YUMMY
  • TASTY
  • WORTH IT
  • TEMPTING
  • PLEASANT
  • BENIGN
  • UNAPPEALING
  • APPALLING
  • INEDIBLE
Brand: Endangered Species
Place Purchased: samples from Endangered Species
Price: $1.99 retail
Size: 1.4 ounces
Calories per ounce: 157
Categories: All Natural, Candy, Endangered Species, Chocolate, Ethically Sourced, Kosher, Organic, 7-Worth It, United States

POSTED BY Cybele AT 2:32 pm     All NaturalCandyReviewEndangered SpeciesChocolateKosherOrganic7-Worth ItUnited States

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Eat with your Eyes: Advanced Turtle Stacking

Advanced Turtle Stacking

“If I could sit high, how much greater I’d be!
What a king! I’d be ruler of all I could see!”
So Yertle, the Turtle King, lifted his hand
And Yertle, the Turtle King, gave a command.
He ordered nine turtles to swim to his stone
And, using these turtles, he built a new throne.

from Yertle the Turtle by Dr. Seuss (link)

POSTED BY Cybele AT 3:56 pm     CandyHighlightFeatured NewsFun StuffPhotography

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Ritter Sport Olympia

Ritter Sport OlympiaI enjoy following candy companies on Twitter and visiting their Facebook pages; they often point out interesting information about products and manufacturing that I wouldn’t have known about on their websites.

Last week Ritter Sport mentioned an article about the nine different kinds of chocolate. That’s not different bars, that’s nine different kinds of chocolate used for different purposes in their wide variety of bars, including four different milk chocolates.

Last week I also got a package from the Ritter Sport representatives in the United States of some of their new bars and even a few Europe-only varieties. The Ritter Sport Olympia is one of those bars not available in the United States. It was first introduced in the 1980 to coincide with the Olympics. Then it was brought back last year. It’s an interesting description for a bar: Joghurt - Honig - Nuss - Traubenzucker which is Yogurt - Honey - Hazelnuts - Grape Sugar.

Ritter Sport Olympia

The bar looks like most other Ritter Sport bars. 100 grams in a 4x4 array of pieces. Easy to portion and nicely sized bites.

Ritter Sport Olympia

The bar simply smells sweet and a little like cocoa breakfast cereal. There’s no hint of the honey or hazelnuts within.

Biting it, I was immediately struck with the taste of tangy goat cheese. It wasn’t a great initial flavor, it was like it was a little salty and gamey. But I kept at it, you know, because this is my job.

The milk chocolate is completely dominated by the dairy notes of the yogurt cream center. The cream is soft and fudgy, but pretty creamy overall. There’s a tangy note to it, like, well yogurt or buttermilk/sour cream. There are two kinds of crunches studded within - little bits of hazelnut and then little honeycomb crunches. There’s a light hint of honey from time to time that lingers at the end.

It’s vastly different from anything I’ve had in the United States but it reminds me of some of the dairy heavy Kinder products (though they’re rarely yogurty). It was hearty and satisfying and not too sweet. I liked the idea that it was like a Greek yogurt candy bar, but then I remembered, I like the idea of the Greek yogurt lifestyle more than the actuality. I can see why this isn’t sold in the US, but it might be fun for them to release it as a Limited Edition during Olympics years.

Related Candies

  1. Gimbal’s Honey Lovers
  2. Ritter Sport Fruhlingsspezialitaten 2010
  3. HiCHEW Aloe Yogurt
  4. Ritter Sport White Chocolate with Hazelnuts
  5. Zotter Candy Bars
  6. Ritter Schokowurfel
  7. Katjes Tropical Gummis & Yogurt Gums


Name: Olympia
    RATING:
  • SUPERB
  • YUMMY
  • TASTY
  • WORTH IT
  • TEMPTING
  • PLEASANT
  • BENIGN
  • UNAPPEALING
  • APPALLING
  • INEDIBLE
Brand: Ritter Sport
Place Purchased: samples from Ritter Sport
Price: $2.50 retail
Size: 3.5 ounces
Calories per ounce: 160
Categories: Candy, Ritter Sport, Chocolate, Nuts, 7-Worth It, Germany

POSTED BY Cybele AT 3:20 pm     CandyRitter SportChocolateNuts7-Worth ItGermany

Monday, August 16, 2010

Demet’s Hazelnut Turtles

DeMets Turtles HazelnutI think one of the best comfort confections out there has to be a fresh Pecan Turtle, especially if it’s made with dark chocolate. But when I saw this box of Demet’s Hazelnut Turtles at the 99 Cent Store on Friday I was willing to entertain the notion that hazelnuts would be equally delicious.

I have to say, I’m surprised that I haven’t seen hazelnut turtles before. I’m even more surprised to see them from DeMets, especially since their website makes no mention of their existence at all. The other weird thing about the package is that it doesn’t say “made with Nestle chocolate” on the front. Not that this is a bad thing, I don’t really care much for the chocolate on DeMet’s turtles, so the lack of it brought the possibility that it was better.

Hazelnut Turtle Stack

The box is huge but clearly says that there are 6 pieces and they weigh 3.5 ounces. Since I purchased them at the 99 Cent Only Store they were only a buck, which I think is a great deal for a real hazelnut and real chocolate confection. The box was shrink-wrapped, so they were definitely fresh though I couldn’t find a freshness date on them. Each little turtle is about 1.5” inches around but sits in a larger slot in the box. They’re just plain over-packaged.

They smell sweet and a little like caramel and fresh oatmeal. Biting into them it was clear that these were mostly caramels and not that studded with nuts at all. The caramel had a nice chew, a good stringy pull and light salty note. The hazelnuts are chopped pretty small but still have a good crunch and grassy/roasted flavor. The chocolate is fair; it’s very sweet and has a strong dairy flavor but not much cocoa really.

I would have loved a good quality, hazelnut rich chew here, but I shouldn’t have expected so much for a buck. Still, it’s better than many candy bars and hazelnuts are pretty hard to find in mainstream confections.

Related Candies

  1. DeMet’s Turtles: Pecan & Cashew
  2. Fannie May Pixie
  3. Walkers Nonsuch Roasted Hazelnut Toffee
  4. Robitaille’s Presidential Inaugural Mints & Turtles
  5. Storck Toffifay


Name: Hazelnut Turtles
    RATING:
  • SUPERB
  • YUMMY
  • TASTY
  • WORTH IT
  • TEMPTING
  • PLEASANT
  • BENIGN
  • UNAPPEALING
  • APPALLING
  • INEDIBLE
Brand: Demet’s Candy Company
Place Purchased: 99 Cent Only (Miracle Mile)
Price: $1.00
Size: 3.5 ounces
Calories per ounce: 146
Categories: Candy, Demet's Candy Company, Caramel, Chocolate, Nuts, 6-Tempting, United States, 99 Cent Only Store

POSTED BY Cybele AT 3:26 pm     CandyDemet's Candy CompanyCaramelChocolateNuts7-Worth ItUnited States99 Cent Only Store

Friday, August 13, 2010

Crazy Candy Co Candy Laces

Crazy Candy Co. Candy LacesI love playing with my candy. It’s fun to see candy companies recognize that part of the experience.

I found this small bag of Crazy Candy Co Candy Laces at Aldi. They have a few sugar-based candies from this Crazy Candy Co on the shelves, like gummi bears and sour neon worms. Though Aldi sells Haribo, this Crazy Candy Co is one of their house brands.

The Candy Laces are like fruity licorice; they’re made from wheat and come in four flavors: Strawberry, Apple Peach, Raspberry, Peach. The package says they use no artificial flavors or colors. The package is cute and inviting and would certainly appeal to juveniles. The price is pretty good at 79 cents for three ounces - it’s not a lot of candy or a lot of money for a little treat.

Crazy Candy Co. Candy Laces

The laces are about 18-20 inches long each. Though it’s natural coloring, they’re bold and bright.

Crazy Candy Co. Candy Laces

The laces are soft and flexible, but still strong enough to take a little tugging and pulling. They have a light beeswax coating on them to keep them from sticking and drying out, but it’s not oily or sticky. I found it easy to twist and braid the laces together. Let’s face it, one of the reasons I bought them was because I thought they’d be fun to play with and photograph.

Crazy Candy Co. Candy LacesThe light orange laces are Apple-Peach. First, I was a little surprised that this was a flavor. It seemed odd to have two peach flavors in one package that only had four flavors to begin with.

The laces are lightly translucent and well made. Not bumps, tacky or chalky spots.

The peach and apple flavors are authentic. It’s like a lightly sweet glass of juice. The texture of the chew is a little sticky but since the cords are so thin to begin with, it’s not like big gobs can get stuck in my teeth.

Crazy Candy Co. Candy LacesThe yellow laces are Peach which is much more of a bold flavor than the apple mix version.

The color is bright and the laces sometimes look like a heap of curry ramen to me.

The peach flavor is a little tart and has a little pine note to it, like peach skins. It’s not overwhelming or artificial, though still not quite authentic.

Crazy Candy Co. Candy LacesThe maroon laces are Raspberry.

I was hoping for something really intense and jammy. Instead it’s just a little tart, vaguely floral and mildly berry-flavored.

One thing that I noticed about the Raspberry laces is that they’re slightly smaller in diameter from the other flavors. Still the same texture though.

Crazy Candy Co. Candy LacesThe dark pink laces are Strawberry.

Strawberry is a common flavor for red licorice, so I went into this with a lot of experience with red laces. My first impression: nicely done.

The flavor is tart and good mix of floral, berry and tangy notes. The chew is firm, like an al dente pasta and it’s not as leathery or doughy as some other American and Australian versions.

I found that they kept fresh even without sealing the bag up inside a zippered plastic bag like I do with many of my opened candies. After about a week they got a little firmer, but never tacky or dry.

The package is nicely designed and the candy itself is well made. I don’t care personally for the flavor mix much, but I know that children would probably be drawn to the bright colors and mainstream flavors. (They might be disappointed that the apple isn’t more like the Jolly Rancher Green Apple.) These would be great for decorating as well.

Related Candies

  1. Godis Gula Snoren (Toffee Laces)
  2. Broadway Strawberry Rolls
  3. Young & Smylie Traditional Licorice
  4. Cinnamon Fire Twizzlers
  5. Kenny’s Licorice Pastels & Root Beer Twists
  6. Twizted Paradise


Name: Candy Laces
    RATING:
  • SUPERB
  • YUMMY
  • TASTY
  • WORTH IT
  • TEMPTING
  • PLEASANT
  • BENIGN
  • UNAPPEALING
  • APPALLING
  • INEDIBLE
Brand: Aldi
Place Purchased: Aldi (Youngstown, OH)
Price: $.79
Size: 3 ounces
Calories per ounce: 101
Categories: All Natural, Candy, Aldi, Chews, 6-Tempting, Netherlands

POSTED BY Cybele AT 11:35 am     CandyAldiChews6-TemptingNetherlands

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