Monday, November 17, 2008
Wonka Tinglerz & Nestle Buncha CrunchYears ago, before the current rage of putting carbonated popping candy into chocolate, there was a Wonka bar called the Exploder. It was released in 1999, though I don’t recall seeing it until the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory movie was released in theaters. And then poof, it was gone before I even got to try it. Flash forward about four years and suddenly chocolate and pop rocks are all the rage. And finally Wonka (part of Nestle) has gotten back into the act. Earlier this year they released Wonka Tinglerz which they bill as Poppin’ Tinglin’ Chocolate Candy or Chocolattos que revientan en tu boca. The package doesn’t hold much, just an ounce, but comes at a pretty dear price of a normal sized candy bar. (I got mine for $.69 at KMart.) I honestly just figured that these were chocolate covered pop rocks, just like the ones made by the Pop Rocks folks themselves. Nope, Nestle Wonka-fied these and the result is pretty surprising. Instead of just chocolate covered unflavored pop rocks, it’s a combination of pop rocks and crisped rice. So biting into the bits, it was a gamble as to whether they were going to bite back. The flavor isn’t as stellar as I’d like though. The chocolate is sweet and waxy and tastes more like powdered hot cocoa mix than rich chocolate. But the malty flavors of the crisped rice and of course the blend of textures sets this apart from other candies. Rating: 6 out of 10 Above, on the left are Wonka Tinglerz. On the right are Nestle Buncha Crunch. Obviously Buncha Crunch are bigger nuggets (though some were the same size). Pretty different, not just in size. Buncha Crunch came along after I’d already made my crisped rice affections be known. As I’d already decided that I didn’t like Nestle Crunch much any longer, trying Nestle’s movie bite version seemed silly. So at least I get to approach this with an open mind! The movie box was a pretty good deal at only a dollar and filled with 3.2 ounces. The idea behind the candy is pretty simple, globs of crisped rice covered in milk chocolate. They’re irregular, some as large as hazelnuts, some as small as peas. They smell milky and sweet, a little malty. Biting into them, they’re less than crunchy. There’s a lot of chocolate in most of them, which is a disappointment for someone who is expecting bunches of crunches. The texture of the chocolate is decent. There’s a little waxy glaze on the bits but the chocolate flavor is mostly sweet, kind of musty and empty. I was hoping the crunches would offset the sweetness or have a little salty kick. I can see these being a nice antidote to popcorn, but that’s about it. Crispy M&Ms were far better at this game. Rating: 5 out of 10 Related Candies
POSTED BY Cybele AT 1:45 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 like Tinglerz. There are quite a few of them for 130 calories. Of course I eat them 3-4 at a time so it takes me a while to get through a pack. The roulette of not knowing which was a pop-rock underneath was kind of fun.
I use to work at a movie theater, and Buncha Crunch was always a top seller, though I’ve always suspected that people liked saying the name more than they liked the candy itself. I never touch the stuff.
Both the name, Tinglerz, and the concept, scare me.
Are both of these real chocolate, or mockolate?
what a crazy crazy bunch
I saw these when I was candy-trawling and put them on my maybe list; I may have to pick them up for the novelty. I’m glad I read your review first though, that way I’m not expecting something awesome.
they still sell crispy m&ms;in australia and new zealand.
I worship this blog! It’s awesome!
I always liked Buncha Crunch.
This reminds me of a fizzy Ritter Sport bar I had in Germany! I have been trying to find it ever since, but didn’t write down the name so I haven’t been able to! Are there other fizzy chocolate bars around too?
When I was in Israel a few years back, I fell in love with a chocolate with pop rocks in it. I don’t remember the name of it but the brand was Elite Chocolates.
My bro is going to Israel in a few days and I have to remember to get him to stock up for me.
I came across Tinglerz a few days ago at Kroger on their discount/discontinued table at $.29 a piece. I thought to myself hey, these look like something I’ve seen on your blog, I’ll give these a try. And I’m not one to try new things, especially chocolate and popping candies (which sounds like a knarly combo) I have to say I was pleasantly surprised! They kind of have that buncha crunch-esq to them, but that little tingling sensation is great! I couldn’t get over it! I just went back and bought ten of them and wanted to say you have a great blog!
hello wonk tingerz do not pop or tinglin i was not satisfied thnk for reding this.
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