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Monday, September 21, 2009
UK vs US Cadbury Dairy Milk
The second bit of news is that Kraft, the global food powerhouse that owns not only a large corner of the cheese food world but also Toblerone, Terry’s Chocolate and Cote d’Or, made a bid for Cadbury. Cadbury has chocolate factories all over the world and each one has slightly different local takes on the product. Here in the United States the Cadbury Dairy Milk products aren’t even made by Cadbury, they’re made by Hershey’s under a licensing agreement. (But it’s not like Hershey’s even makes it from scratch, the major raw material of the chocolate crumb - a mixture of dried milk and chocolate - is shipped to Hershey, Pennsylvania to be combined on site with sugar and other ingredients to form the end product.)
I found a nice single serve block of Cadbury Dairy Milk from the UK. It was in marvelous condition and looked like it had been stored well at the India Sweets & Spices where I shop - it’s kept at the end of the produce section in the refrigerated area - so it’s climate controlled. I also picked up a few of the super cute Dairy Milk Buttons, which are little chocolate disks. For the American version I found a nice back of Dairy Milk Miniatures from Hershey’s Signatures line.
It’s apparent when putting them side by side like this that the American made (on the left) is darker than the UK made one (on the right). What I liked about these two products is that they single pieces of each were similar shapes & thickness. Both have a nice sheen and are well molded.
I liked the deeply segmented bar that broke easily into pieces. Each is beveled, so it’s easy to snap off and easy to bite. The bar smells sweet and rather cheesy, like cottage cheese or maybe yogurt. The cocoa notes are sweet, more like chocolate cake than cocoa. In fact, but those together and the closest I can get is this smells like a rich chocolate cheesecake. The melt is thick and sticky; it’s sweet at first but then gives way to some deep toffee and caramel sugar notes. Then it gets sweet again ... a bit too sweet for me. After two pieces my throat was burning and I had to drink some water and eat some plain crackers. The melt is consistent. Quite smooth but not silky or buttery. It didn’t feel fatty, it felt fudgy - like the sugar wasn’t quite integrated with the cocoa. The dairy notes were decent, a little thick in the back of my throat but not as powdery tasting as some other European style milk chocolates. Overall I would have preferred a much smoother & more chocolatey punch. However, that’s not what the Dairy Milk bar is about, it’s about the milk component as much as the chocolate, since there are near equal proportions. Milk solids clock in at 23% and cocoa solids are 20%. There are also about 5% vegetable fats in there taking the place of cocoa butter. This is why the front of a Dairy Milk bar doesn’t even say chocolate - they’d have to put the vegetable statement on the front along with it by their current labeling standards.
I wanted to be as thorough as I could, so I also tasted a package of Dairy Milk Buttons which are kind of like Hershey’s Kisses in that they’re little nibbles of chocolate. They’re about the diameter as pennies (though some were dime or nickel sized). The bottom has a little embossed Cadbury logo. Each little piece is rather thin, so melts quickly on the tongue. They release the flavors quicker and taste more milky to me. There’s also a slight cool effect on the tongue. I liked them, and the little shapes are probably very easy to combine with other items like nuts, popcorn or candies for a more varied mix of textures.
The American has a sweet, slightly tangy milk scent with a hint of toasted cocoa. The bit is soft but has a good snap to it. The melt is a bit on the sticky side but not overly sweet. It has a bit of a fudgy flavor and texture, though much creamier. I wouldn’t go so far to call it silky, in fact parts of it were downright gritty. It had a good toasted & smoked taste to it, much darker in taste than the traditional Hershey’s or Mars. The overt flavors are definitely of the dairy products, not of the chocolate. It is Kosher ... the UK bar has no Kosher mark. Okay, so they’re similar but not quite the same. I did some investigating on the labels: First, it’s the ingredients. Cadbury Dairy Milk from Bournville, UK Cadbury Dairy Milk from Hershey, USA Since the portions & packages were so different, I did a little Excel magic on them and standardized it to compare:
From what I can tell, there is a just a smidge less fat in the American but slightly more sugar ... now these are tiny, tiny amounts. Not enough, as far as I know, to account for the color difference. Also, the UK labels are more precise - American standards allow rounding, UK measures in tenths. I have no preference, except to say that I don’t care much for plain Dairy Milk. I prefer it with nuts in it and they do have an ample variety of bars that have nuts. It’s just too sweet and doesn’t have enough of a cocoa punch. I’ve become spoiled by the high cocoa content of products like Scharffen Berger and Amano when it comes to just eating by the piece. For those in the United States, the British made bars can be found at import shops and places like Cost Plus World Market. For those in the UK, I’m sure it’s near impossible and pointless to get the American made stuff. So it all comes down to personal preference. There are lots of folks who prefer the American made because it’s what they’ve grown up on. It’s a little bit firmer because of the all-cocoa-butter content but not quite as milky as the classic British made bars. Have you had both? Which do you prefer? 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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COPYRIGHT NOTICEAll content (text and photos unless otherwise credited) is copyright 2005-2012 by Cybele May Please do not use my photos without prior permission directly from me, they represent what I ate in preparation for these reviews and are not to be used for other purposes. Design by Hop Studios & backend by Expression Engine
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My dad,Frank Altiere (deceasd) made candy for Peter Paul for 50 years.He left a little pad with candy recipes that were tentatively going to be made. Cadbury bought Peter Paul out.My entire family (except for myself and a cousin) were all employed at PP at one time or another.How sad to see Peter Paul empty on my last visit to Naugatuck,Conn.
english. i refer the melt and milky hot cocoa quality.
Awesome that they’re making it fair trade, do you know if it will be their choc from all over the world or only in the UK?
The UK bar is certainly much better looking; I think it’s definitely sweeter than the US version, too, but I don’t mind at all. I hate “strong” chocolate—more than 30% or so cocoa solids and the bar is too bitter for me. What can I say, I have the taste buds of a five-year-old!
I always say that finding out US and UK chocolate is different is like finding out the Beatles albums were different in the US and UK!
I moved next door to a British import shop as I started high school, and was thrilled to discover the UK Cadbury’s. I find them much superior and enjoy the slightly milkier flavor and creamier texture. I’m not a huge fan of their darker chocolates, but for milk UK Cadbury’s wins my mainstream vote.
I much prefer the UK version. Right now my favourite mix is the white chocolate buttons, dried sour cherries and salted cashews!
I live in the US but holiday in the UK most years. I much much much prefer the UK version. Hershey chocolate (and, by extension, US Cadburys) always tastes slightly off to me. The Cadbury version is sweeter, yes, but it’s got a cleaner, fresher taste to me. I agree that plain Cadbury’s is a bit much - I prefer it nonplain. But the buttons are perfect!
As a Brit I have never tried the US version but I always remember a friend bringing a bag of Hershey’s Kisses into college one day. It’s plain that us Brits prefer our chocolate sweeter - not one person liked the Hershey’s Kisses!
I agree with your assessment. I’ve always found Cadbury’s Dairy Milk to be much too sweet to eat on its own.
There are English chocolates that I enjoy. I think that the dark Terry’s Orange is near perfect.
The only UK chocolate product that I really want to try is a Curly-Wurly.
@ Dragon, I think American chocolate is made with a different process from European chocolate which gives it that sour milk taste which can be a little offputting if you haven’t grown up with it.
I’m not sure if repeated exposure helps with that though as I’ve never grown to like it.
Leigh, I think that most American chocolate is made with condensed liquid milk and most European milk chocolate is made with powdered milk. That probably makes a difference in the taste of the ingredients, but also in how the chocolate has to be processed before making it a bar (temp and time).
I didn’t use to like Hershey’s because of its twang, but I kind of do now. Repeated exposure can make it better.
US chocolate especially Hershey (which makes Cadbury in the US) has a burnt milk flavor to it by design. While english chocolate does not in most cases. This helps contribute to the full creamy flavor too.
Personally - I think the difference in quality between UK and US bars is undeniably in favor of the UK. The sheer richness in the chocolate as it melts in your mouth is without match.
I live in the UK and Cadbury’s always been my favourite chocolate. This was really interesting to read - I never knew it was so different. I’m going to find a Hersheys-Cadburys chocolate bar methinks. Maybe I have some willing over-sea friends?
For the record, I am a born-and-bred American. I just am a severe Anglophile
Jeanette - if you send me UK chocolate, I’ll be thrilled to send you US chocolate!
Hey Dragon! :D I’d be up for that. You can contact me at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Dave, it’s actually partly the opposite way round lol much European chocolate is made with powdered milk, but Cadbury’s in the UK is made with pure fresh liquid milk whereas the Hershey Cadbury is made with powdered.
Alan - “chocolate crumb” is not the same thing as powdered milk. It’s the base from which all Cadbury chocolate (and all milk chocolate) is made. It’s simply the combination of the chocolate mass & milk products ... from whatever origin they were.
Whether the milk starts in liquid form or not, most of the water is removed from it using whatever proprietary means in their given process - basically oil & water don’t mix and that means milk & cocoa butter don’t get along too well either. Milk solids & cocoa butter ... well, they play really nicely.
I think the comments above prove fairly conclusively that the UK chocolate is better
Alan - define better?
With more artery clogging palm oil? Yay! You win!
There is no better, only preferred. (That must be said in a Yoda voice.)
I’m not sure why you have this need for one to be better than the other ... they’re both Cadbury. One is made on Hershey’s premises. Cadbury has lots of factories all over the planet. They don’t make identical chocolate everywhere. But they’re really clever to have made your favorite.
By better I mean generally better quality and taste, and generally speaking UK European and UK chocolate tends to be considered better quality.
Like I say UK Cadbury themselves have always made apoint of refering to using fresh liquid milk rather than powdered, despite the processes they go through (which may be similar technically)there is a big difference in the end result.
I don’t so much have a need for one to be better than the other (anymore than the next person) but I much prefer UK chocolate to US chocolate so would be pretty horrified if Cadbury was merged/taken over etc by Hershey as it would no doubt lead to fundamental changes in the chocolate (which doesn’t sit well with british tastes) production, loss of heritage etc etc etc.
Alan - I still don’t know how you can say that the quality is measurably different. UK DM is diluted with vegetable oils. US DM is diluted with lactose. Why is one better? It just is. You can want to eat one more and I grant you that.
I don’t know why you keep mentioning the fresh milk issue ...
If you want to say that UK or European chocolate is better quality (or perhaps uses better ingredients), then you’re going to have to have eaten something other than Hershey’s or Mars, as that’s not the only chocolate in the States. Dove (Mars), Guittard, Scharffen Berger (Hershey’s), Ghirardelli, Amano, Askinosie, Peter’s, Wilbur and Theo are a good place to start.
As I mentioned before, Hershey’s is not your threat, it’s Kraft and though they’re an American company they own huge holdings in Europe, including Terry’s Chocolate, Toblerone & Cote d’Or.
I don’t wish to see Cadbury scooped up (though a Hershey’s merger would probably be just that - the companies are more comparably sized and hold different markets so there wouldn’t be so much competition within the company, more complements). But Cadbury probably needs to hear that from you, not me.
Couldn’t ever stand Cadbury. Except at Easter and Christmas - the eggs and Terry’s Orange (does that even count?) But even then when I’m done I feel like I have to rinse and brush my teeth for an hour or they’ll all fall out from the sugar. It’s just too sweet!
I’m in love with Meiji chocolate at the moment. Mmmmmmm. Chocolatey, not too sweet. My other love, of course, is still Hershey’s (comes with the territory, I guess.)
I have to say, being Australian, that nothing beats the classic, original Australian Cadbury.
Now I am yet to try the British Cadbury, so cannot judge on that, but I have to say that the Cadbury I tried in America was just plain awful. It tasted like a cheap and nasty imitation of the Australian version. I have also tried Cadbury in South East Asia - its made in Malaysia, i think and it was even worse than the American. In my opinion, nothing beats Australian Cadbury, although I did stumble across an article recently from New Zealand, where they have recently replaced the New Zealand made Cadbury with blocks imported from Australia and the New Zealanders are not happy! So perhaps the New Zealand Cadbury is even better than the Australia, however I believe that it is probably a case of liking the chocolate you grew up with best of all, which in my case is pure Australian Cadbury from the factory in Tasmania.
I brought back 20 Cadbury bars back from the
Uk 2 days ago and my kids and their friends have devored them all. Kids know best. UK Cadbury is the best.
There are a lot of comments re “European” Chocolate. Please remember British chocolate is different to contiental chocolate.
I am sat here with some Hersheys after coming back from the US. I have to amid I prefer Cadburys by a long way.
I do however find it sad that Chocolates in the US are americanised so that general US public don’t get the chnace to try flavours from around the world.
Alan (21)
I don’t think you really have to worry about Cadburys being bought out. Certainly not by Hersheys, which is half the size. It is just more dominant in the USA. Have you ever seen hersheys on sale in a high street shop in the UK? or in wider Europe?
Remember Caburys doesn’t just do “Cadbury” branded products. It is also the worlds no 2 in chewing gum with brands such as trident etc.
Cadbury? Differs from country to country manufacturers. I have had an Australian “choco-holic” test out my taste that there are differences. She said that the bars made in Australia are smoother and richer tasting then European and American versions. She hates the taste of the American made bars! Not comparable in quality or taste to what is sold by See’s Candies!
I?ve spent a great deal of time in the US and have to say I never realised there was a difference between the US and UK version of Dairy Milk though I have never tried the US DM! Although I do like both the UK Dairy Milk and Hersheys, I agree they do have slightly different tastes but I?m not sure if I would choose one over the other. However I would be disappointed to see either replaced by either in their respective countries. Now, if we could figure out how to get Utz to sell their potato chips in the UK, life would be so much better.
For the Brits out there that haven?t tried them and are old enough to remember I would say remember Tudor! Before they were brought and closed by Walkers (Lays).
God! someone else remembers Tudor crisps! I loved their pickled onion crisps. Did they make spring onion flavour too? I remember eating them when I was a wee girl in the ‘80s…
Hi Susan and yes they did. Along with Tomato Ketchup, Beef Barbecue, Prawn Cocktail. And there’s not another brand in the UK that I think tastes as good.
But if you ever have to opportunity to try the Utz brand, I think you will agree they have a very similar taste. Sad as its sounds it usually the first thing i buy when I land on American soil…
Well I’m allergic to soy and coeliac on top of that and the only chocolate I can find that doesn’t contain soy lecithin are some varieties of the UK cadbury chocolates. So I have to say, despite coming from Australia, that I’m all for the UK brand. Both the US and AU cadbury milk chocolate coverture contain soy :(
JB (27) I know what you mean, but Hershey’s has actaully made efforts to make a mark here, they now have a deal with Asda (Walmart) to sell Hershey/Reeses stuff. I cant see it being overly popular to be honest, despite their claims that the Brits love it lol
It would be interesting to try the American version of Cadbury one day. I’m a British-born Australian - grew up mostly with the Australian version, and it really is my favourite!
But UK Galaxy beats it - and Hershey’s cookies and cream, though not comparable with the plain milk chocolates, is lovely too :D
I have been eating Cadbury from England and the united states for years and I can tell from the picture one is Carmel filled chocolate and the other is Solid chocolate. The one you say is made in USA looks exactly like the Carmel one I just ate from England…Strange!!!
I’m late to the party, but here are my two cents:
I dislike American and British Dairy Milk, but my favourite milk chocolate is Canadian made Dairy Milk. Canadian Dairy Milk has a rich flavour and it melts wonderfully on the tongue. American Dairy Milk has that sour milk taste and smell common to American chocolate products, and the UK version is a bit waxy in mouth feel and is very sweet.
I prefer fairly bitter, rich chocolate. Normally I only buy dark chocolate, but I will buy a (Canadian!) Dairy Milk now and then. I’ve yet to find a Cadbury dark chocolate that isn’t horribly sweet.
I work in Ireland and i always been surprised on how irish and british people are proud of their Cadbury. Im sorry but to me it has to be the worth chocolate in europe. (not my opinion but opinion of basically all people in europe except anglo saxon countries.) I also tasted the american version and its the same dull, very sugary and plastic kind of taste. Same go to hersheys .. A poor cocoa ratio compared to chocolates in my country in France.
To me nothing can beat Belgium, Swiss of French chocolates. Even if you take a basic Cote d’or or or Lindt there is no comparison with even the luxuray range of cadbury.
Italy has also some very nice nutty taste chocolates.
If i go irish i go Butler all the way. Butler is a very nice brand in comparison.
Funny enough everytime i brought back from trips some delicious chocolates to my mates in Dublin or London , they started to realise that cadbury was not that good after all.
xavier - Butlers is quite nice, although it really runs along the same lines as Cadbury. To call Cadbvurys the worst chocolate in Europe is ridiculous, it is far from that. It wouldnt have been around as long as it has if it was trust me!Unfortunately your comment is rather typically French, slightly pompous and self serving with no real idea of what theyre talking about. I don’t care for French chocolate as it is very bitter generally. Something youve failed to note is the price.. the supposedly ‘better’ chocolates you metion are not everyday chocolates, theyre chocolate brands youd buy as an expensive gift. I know I certianly would. Also comparimng our delicious UK Dairy Milk to the horrendous Hershey is a true insult.
Alan - lovely. How about you keep your opinions about nationalities to yourself and generalize about the products they make?
Here’s what I have to say: every country on this planet is capable of making bad chocolate. That has so very little to do with the quality. It might indicate style, on the other hand.
As I’ve said before, whatever you like is what you should buy. But there’s no reason to treat people badly because something makes them happy.
Having lived all over the place during the past 30 years, I have come across a wide range of chocolate, including the various ethnic versions of Dairy Milk. I’m a committed fan of the British version (and do respect that some of the Belgian/Swiss more expensive brands are delicious).
In discussions with retailers and other consumers, I’ve been led to believe that a significant factor in the local recipe is the inclusion of ingredients whoch prevent melting on the shop shelf (not needed in Britain !).
So, one of the best outcomes of the British climate is the delicious chocolate, containing no anti-melt additives !
I find the UK chocolate is a lot better then the US chocolate. My friends over in the UK send me chocolate all the time from there and it is nothing like American chocolate. It just melts in your mouth and is so much more creamier.
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