Friday, March 26, 2010
Jumbo Gum Ball EggsIn my attempt to try everything this Easter I bought some pretty stupid candies. The Jumbo Gum Ball Eggs are pretty high up there. It wasn’t so much that it’s a stupid purchase (it was only 99 cents) but that it’s a stupid product. But let me go backwards a bit. I have a definition for candy. It’s kind of long and includes a list of criteria. One of them is that the product needs to be ready-to-eat. This means it doesn’t need assembly (though might benefit from it) and doesn’t require implements or tools, especially ones not provided. They are 2.25 inches tall and weigh about 1.75 ounces each. Yes, they’re hollow but they’re about a third of an inch thick. A gumball the size of a small chicken egg requires tools. I used a saw. I was able to stand on one of them without smashing it. After chewing the slice I’d cut off the top I did manage to smash and pull apart the larger piece by stomping on it and then prying it apart. It’s tough stuff. The package says that a single serving is half an egg, but of course gives no clue about how to sever it yourself. The candy shell is thick and crunchy and the gum inside is rough and leathery, kind of like playing with thick rawhide. It smells slightly like Juicyfruit gum. The overall flavor is sweet with a light fruity and tangy note that disappears quickly as the sugar dissolves with chewing. The flavor is inconsistent and has cinnamon and bubble gum notes from time to time. It’s an all sugar gum, which tend to lose their flavor quicker than the artificially sweetened ones. That’s fine with me, I like to chew mine up, make a few bubbles then toss it out and put in a new piece. It does work as a bubble gum, but certainly not very well. They’re fun to look at and would make nice decorations. For a child they’d be a frustrating mess. If you lick it the blue colored shell will run (and could stain clothing or upholstery). A parent or older child would need to help with creating manageable bites - so really I don’t recommend this for anyone under the age of 14 and of course must caution folks when using tools like saws or a serrated knife to cut this open. Again I come back to saying that these are probably better than plastic stuff for decorating, though obviously they’re not waterproof. They’re made in China under the house brand of CVS. They also came in pink (photo of them on store shelf here). I admit that I’m concerned about the safety of the food colorings because of the origin of the product but I have no facts to support that. Related Candies
POSTED BY Cybele AT 1:14 pm |
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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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I got one of these today, not that bad actually! Sure I nearly broke all of my teeth, but oh well.
I bought some of these about three years ago and put them in a nest under a cloche and they still look as good as the day I bought them. I can’t imagine actually trying to chew one of them, they weigh a ton!
At one of the shopping centre not far from where I live there is a dispenser that has tennis ball sized gum ball gobstoppers for just 20p!
I have never bought such a thing, but the machine always makes me smile - but you are right, they are a rather impractical size!
Yeah, I remember gum balls like the ones cinabar describes from when I was a kid. I haven’t seen them around lately, but I do wonder how on earth we managed to eat them, or even to penetrate their perimeters. I can’t imagine our moms were letting us out with hand saws. But then, those days were a lot more “lax” about safety, so maybe…
Yikes… should I be worried about food colors from China? That’s one I haven’t heard (and I tend to be overly paranoid about food colors in general).
I had one once. It was sort out of an office dare. press it against you desk until it starts to crack and you can fit it in your mouth, Chew vigorously, pray your teeth don’t fall out.
What’s the rating?
Its funny that you are showcasing this item on your site, as I so happen to be a part of the team responsible for creating this item as well as some of the other items on this site. if you are interested to see some very cool candy check out some of the decorated cookies on a stick in dollar tree or the upcoming 2011 Family Dollar seasonal candy. Great site by the way! I will definitely be checking it from time to time.
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