Monday, August 17, 2009
Short & Sweet: Summer BitesYou may be disappointed to hear that I only cover about half of the candy I eat hear on Candy Blog. For some reason I can’t always muster a whole review on every candy. Here are a few of those items that I can at least tell you a little about. Blood Orange HiCHEW from Morinaga are tasty little taffy-like chews I picked up in Little Tokyo about a month ago. Like most HiCHEW, they’re individually wrapped and come in a single flavor pack. They also have a different color center. The blood orange flavor wasn’t distinctively different from the other orange flavors I’ve had like Tangerine and Orange. It was juicy and had a nice mix of zest and tang ... but ultimately it wasn’t quite as exotic as I’d hoped. Not that it kept me from finishing the package. Rating: 7 out of 10 I went to Munchies on Pico a few weeks ago looking for some Israeli candy (reviews to come). I was pleased to find these little Paskesz Nutty Chews which were available in the bulk bins in these little individually wrapped pieces. I thought, How cool! They sound like Goldenberg’s Peanut Chews! (They were also available in a “bar format” which held I think five or six of these in a package.) At about 25 cents each, it was a nice little chewy morsel, a vegan caramel with a good note of molasses with very dark roasted peanuts all covered in a dark mockolate. After reading the ingredients, and noting that they’re made in the United States I’ve concluded that these ARE simply repackaged Goldenberg’s Peanut Chews. sigh Rating: 8 out of 10 (same as Goldenberg’s) I’ve been craving butter and sugar ever since my vacation when I started thinking about Bananas Foster. What doesn’t help is that Littlejohn Toffee is at the Farmers Market ... walking distance from my office. So one day I was over there and decided to pick up a couple of their Pecan Pralines for review. They’re large puddles over four inches across (shaped in a shallow fluted cup) studded with pecans. Instead of the chewy style of praline, these are the sandy style. The recipe tastes pretty simple, butter, sugar and pecans (though I can’t be sure). They melt in my mouth and the pecan provide a nice chewy, even fattier punch to the whole thing. You’d think it’d be too sweet, but the nuts seem to moderate it. It sandy and crumbly and doesn’t even look that good, but it smells like sweet buttery caramel sauce. Something about the texture wins me over. After my first purchase of them (and failed photo shoot because I had my camera settings wrong) I had to go back and buy another one. And I’m sure it won’t be the last - it sounds like they’re expensive at $2.50 each, but after having one I’d probably pay double. Rating: 9 out of 10 This was an impulse purchase at Robitaille’s Fine Candies while on vacation. As you can see, it’s a deviled egg ... made of white confection. It was packaged in a tiny plastic bag with a curl of ribbon. No name, no ingredients ... the appearance was really all I needed. (I think I paid $1.85 for it ... more than I think I’d pay for a real deviled egg.) The egg white is really white, something now found in real white chocolate (and knowing what they put into their Inaugural Mints, I’m going to guess that I’ve been eating all sorts of partially hydrogenated tropical oils). It’s smooth and rather pleasant. The egg white is sweet, sweet with a touch of fake vanilla. The yolk cream is minted (with a few little nonpariels). The only issue with the verisimilitude is the half egg doesn’t actually have a little depression for the yolk ... small quibble. The Cafe Society - Candy Girls reviewed a similar version of this made with a crisped rice mixed in, which sounds much better. Of course best would be some really good quality white chocolate ... but I’m still swooning over my LEGOLAND white chocolate blocks and savoring the last few. Rating: 4 out of 10 Related Candies |
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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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Oh, what a great review. I have two different comments.
I also got one of the HiCHEW “World Fruits” series, but because it had a picture of saguaro cactus from the desert in Arizona/Mexico and the flavor is dragon fruit (I’m from Tucson). I’d thought it was a strange combo, but learned that dragon fruit are native to Mexico. Never thought I’d learn about my region of the world from a Japanese candy. I still have not tried it, as I had to show my family first.
And I am so envious that you work near that Farmer’s Market and Littlejohn. I went there last year and loved everything I purchased from them. They have such classic, homemade confections. Unfortunately it was 100+ degrees and the Market was baking hot that day. I wanted to explore and eat more there. I think I may have gotten lost a few times, it is so oddly designed.
I don’t see how you verified that the peanut chews are the same product. The Goldenberg’s packages say they are Kosher dairy, and the Paskesz packages above clearly show Kosher pareve. Pareve = no meat, no dairy, in case you aren’t familiar.
I do know (from my kosher-keeping grandparents and my own grocery shopping) that Paskesz chocolate chips are the only pareve chocolate chips available around here. I would assume they have a small monopoly on the pareve chocolate market. Last time I checked, they were using real cocoa butter, too.
Andy - I hadn’t noticed that part.
The ingredients, shape & taste were the tip off.
Nutty Chews: Peanuts, corn syrup, partially hydrogenated palm kernel oil, molasses, cocoa processed with alkali, dextrose, cocoa powder, salt, sorbitan tristearate, soy lecithin, citric acid.
Chew-Ets: Peanuts, Corn Syrup, Sugar, Molasses, Dextrose, Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (Cottonseed, Soybean and/or Palm Oil) Glycerine, Cocoa Powder, Soya Lecithin, Salt, TBHQ, Citric Acid.
They’re not precisely the same, but contract manufacturers often change the ingredients slightly for house brands.
But you’re right, it’s not a slam dunk without a statement from either company.
I felt the same about the Blood Orange Hi Chews. Did you try any others from the world series? I really liked the Dragonfruit, and the American Cherry was good, too (though I don’t think it was any different from their previous American Cherry except in the packaging). I just got the Camu Camu yesterday, but haven’t tried it yet.
Oh those Pecan Pralines sound like a taste of heaven! I’m not much for chocolate and caramel sticks to my dental work too much to bother with… but pecans, butter and sugar… mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!
I hope I can find something similar at our state fair next month.
Looks so yummy…Those Nutty Chews remind me of Peanut Chews…
That deviled egg startled me! At first I thought the candy was just the yellow and I couldn’t understand why you were calling in an egg, haha!
Hmm, interesting (on the ingredient lists). I’m not familiar with the intricacies of contract manufacturing, but I also notice that both products use different certifying agencies for their kosher status. OU for Goldenberg’s, but I’m not familiar with the symbol on the Paskesz above (and can’t make it out on flickr). I would think, if they were made in the same factory, that they would at least use the same kosher certifying agency.
Everything looks yummy! I really would love to try the Nutty Chew!
Thanks for reminding me I need to head back to a local Asian store to try that flavor of HiChew. I’ve tried one that was Strawberry Shortcake a month or so ago and loved it.
Thanks for the Hi Chew reviews…
I tried the Dragon Fruit review mentioned above in Kate C’s
comment. I like it! The slight crunchy texture, and semi artificial
flavor suit my imagination fine. The packaging of the
‘World Series” is very cool.
I am an Artist/Designer and i think the combination of
photography and graphics is a step ahead for candy packaging.
Nice!
I am currently trying American Cherry Hi Chew. The packaging gets the same NICE ONE from me, but i think the flavor is not
as distinctive as the Dragon Fruit. But its still on my shelf.
Actually i am selling both of the ones i mention here in a
snack box i have made in my staffroom at Uni where i teach design.
CyAz. Greetings from Melbourne, Australia,. ;p
“You may be disappointed to hear that I only cover about half of the candy I eat >>>hear<< on Candy Blog.”
Oh my God, Littlejohn’s! I used to live in Park La Brea and would go there quite a bit. Now that I’ve moved, I’ve missed it quite a lot. I kind of took it for granted at Park La Brea, it was only walking distance like your office.
I’ve tried pretty much everything, but my favorites are their caramels and English toffee. Oh, and their caramel apples! And their dark chocolate marshmallows! Have you tried any of those? I’m so excited just thinking about it.
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