More Gold Keys Have Been Found

More people that might have access to the Caramilk secret and I have an idea. How about we set up a collection of funds to buy off the person who wins this contest and gets to hold the Caramilk secret. We then take the secret break it apart and each person who contributes gets one part of the secret. Then we could all hang out together... hey who needs the Caramilk secret, who wants to hang out? Here's the word from Caramilk:

"The Second and Third Caramilk Keys have been Found!

Justin Nelson from Edmonton, Alberta or Anne MacEwen from Morell, PEI may become the Protector of The Caramilk Secret — Canada’s most loved and best kept secret! They are the second and third people to find golden keys hidden inside Caramilk bars!

For more than 40 years, Caramilk has vigorously guarded the mystery of how they get the soft, flowing caramel into the Caramilk bar. Now, key-finders Justin Nelson and Anne MacEwen have a one in ten chance to earn up to $250,000† to protect The Caramilk Secret for six months and ensure one of Canada’s most beloved secrets…remains a secret.

The Edmonton Caramilk bar was purchased at a food service vendor and the Morell Caramilk bar was purchased at Jay's."

CC

State Fair Hall of Fame

The article calls it a "State Farm Hall of Shame" but I disagree. It's not that I think everybody should pig out on greasy food all of the time, I just think that people should enjoy a little.

Click here to see the list.

CC

Food Science In Japan

I love reading about food science in particular I love reading about candy science. I truly wish that creative food science ideas where more mainstream instead of more large candy companies constantly putting out the same thing over and over again.

Click here to read about food science.

CC

Today Is National Cheesecake Day

I couldn't find a picture of a cheesecake, or in particular of me eating one. So instead I decided to post a picture of me with my mouth full of cookie dough again. I've received many complaints about this picture and I like the attention. Now I'm going out now and hopefully I'll come across some cheesecake.

CC

Girls Rule!

In the M&Ms world it appears that girls rule and the green M&M is the most popular. It could be because our society has finally found equality and is able to affirm a leading role on a female. Or it could be that the Green M&M is just so sexy.

Click here to read more.

CC

Sexy Ice Cream

Do I really have to say anything else?

Click here to read about sexy ice cream.

CC

"Now That's a Lot Of Nerds"

A slogan like that reminds of the constant insults I used to get on the high school chess club matches.

CC

Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain.

Man the Oklahoma state sugar fair looks pretty dam cool. In particular their selection of cakes looks fantastic.

Click here to read more.

CC

Hidden Sugar

Articles like the one bellow do not get enough credit. Too many people complain about candy and sweets as the reason for obesity but they ignore sugar that is hidden in everyday foods.

Click here to read a great article about food health.

CC

Do You Care About Ethics?

I have to be honest, I really don't think about how my treats are made when I buy or eat them. I first think about flavour, and fun. Maybe after eating treat I'll give some thought towards how they're made and how they affect the world. Having said that it makes me happy to know that many companies are giving this thought, so I don't have to feel guilty after scarfing down a bar.

Click here to read about Kit Kat and their attempt to do good.

CC

Two Great Articles About Ice Cream

The first is all about a place making great new flavours of ice cream based off of classic southern treats. The second is about a trip to the Ben and Jerry's Factory in Vermont.

Click here to read about the southern style ice cream.

Click here to read about the Ben and Jerry's tour.

CC

Some Words About Fudge

Jennifer Brown liked fudge, Jennifer Brown hadn't eaten fudge in a while, Jennifer Brown went on a road trip, Jennifer Brown went fudge crazy. So what does Jennifer think of fudge now?

Read a great article and find out what Jennifer thinks of fudge now.

CC

Learn Where Your Candy Comes From

Lay's has started a new promotion that shows you where your chips come from. It's kind of neat to think that candy comes from farmers, and in many cases is even grown close to home.

Click here to read about the Lays Chip Campaign.

CC

How a Great Candy Idea Is Born

I've heard about these guys that produce any number of customized chocolate bar treats that your heart desires, but I've never read their stories before. It's pretty cool that a chocolate crisis can turn into a great idea.

Click here to read more.

CC

Chocolate Yogurt

I've always wondered why more companies don't add chocolate to yogurt. The flavours are pretty much made for each other, and you could use fairly low fat/low sugar cocoa. The problem appears to be a technical one right now, but they're working on it.

Click here to read about the science of chocolate yogurt.

CC

There's a Jelly Belly RV?

That is so cool. Apparently they're traveling around letting people play the Jelly Belly game "Bean Boozled". This game is a great way to try new flavours and a really fun to watch other people get gross flavours of Jelly Bellies. Most surprising is when you find that you actually like one of the gross flavours.

Click here to read about the Jelly Belly RV.

CC

Get Your Buzz Another Way

It would appear that once again eyes are turned onto the world of caffeinated drinks. As surprising as this might sound I personally don't really go for these super caffeinated drinks myself. I was turned off of them when I decided during a late night road trip to give one a try in order to stay awake. It was intense.

Click here to read more about the health problems found in energy drinks.

CC

Caramilk Winner

It appears that the Caramilk folks have picked out their first winner. They sent me the following message:

"The First Caramilk Key has been Found!

Patrick Yeager from St. Brieux, Saskatchewan is the first confirmed finalist in the Caramilk Key to the Secret promotion! He may become the Protector of one of Canada’s most closely-guarded secrets: The Caramilk Secret!

For more than 40 years, Caramilk has vigorously guarded the mystery of how they get the soft, flowing caramel into the Caramilk bar. This summer, Caramilk asked consumers if they’d be willing to keep a secret — the Caramilk Secret — for a quarter of a million dollars. Now, key-finder Pat has a one in ten chance to earn up to $250,000† to protect the Caramilk Secret for six months and ensure one of Canada’s most beloved secrets… remains a secret.

The Caramilk bar was purchased from a vending machine."

Could We Run Out of Chocolate

It's a terrifying thought, but I guess all foods run the risk of being over farmed and mismanaged to the point of extinction. I remember reading an article about bananas and how they've been mismanaged so badly that many varieties have gone extinct.

Click here to read about sustainable sweets.

CC

Black Jack Creepiness

I'm not sure what the creepiest part of this ad for Black Jack gum might be. Could be be the fact that the kids look like little adults, the strange look on the "fathers?" face, or could it simply be the slogan. Either way this should keep me up for a few days I'm sure.

As always this ad came from Vintage Ad Browser.

CC

Eating While You Drive

Over the last year or so I've learned that some countries find it to be socially irresponsible to eat snacks behind the wheel. I'm not sure how I feel about this idea, I mean road trips are all about snacking, but I can see the danger in eating while driving. Wonder if they'll ever be a law about this in North America?

Click here to read more.

CC

Football Flavoured Chips

It's really strange to see all the hype that goes into Football here in Canada. Frankly I've never been to a football game and only watched 3 games on TV and all of them where Superbowls. So when I see things like these new Football inspired Doritos flavours I just don't get it.

Click here to read about the new flavours.

CC

Boring Article About an Interesting Subject

Who would have thought one could possibly write a boring article about candy and Toy Story but here's the proof.

Click here to read it yourself.

CC

Today Is National Milk Chocolate Day

And I'm stuck at home writing a midterm for school. The picture above was taken a while ago and to be honest I have not chocolate and I'm stressed right out. For the love of god somebody get me some chocolate or I just might cry.

CC

New Flavour Of Milk

While walking the hallowed halls of my school Allison noticed a new type of milk in the milk machine. Instead of just Chocolate milk the clever people that come up with flavours for milk have decided to also include a Hazelnut twist. It's a pretty good idea, and it tastes great too. It's kind of like drinking Nutella, only it's nothing like a spread and more milky.

CC

Junk Food and The Government

Every single government says that it wants to regulate junk food. Every single government tries to take junk food "off the shelf". Every single government can't get figure out how to define junk food. Every single government gives up.

Click here to read about another US initiative to get junk food off the shelves.

CC

A Big Problem With Low Fat

One of the biggest problems with low fat treats is they don't react the same way. The article bellow if a fine example of this. Low fat chocolate doesn't melt the same way as regular chocolate. Fine if you just want a bar, not so fine for fondue.

Click here to read more.

CC

Planning To Visit The Capital Ex In Edmonton?

Well be sure to check out the Candy Nation display and let me know if it's as cool as the one photo looks. The one photo is a guy eating a giant lollipop and for my money giant candy is pretty darn cool.

Click here to read more about it.

CC

Do You Know Who's Slowing Down The Introduction Of Cool New Treats?

I'ts the government. Apparently companies are slow to take up new ideas until they get safety approval, and that means that your glow in the dark gum may take decades to come out. Unless someone was willing to create a think tank with the sole drive to create new and improved candy creations. Boy if I was rich... If you happen to be rich and enjoy reading this site, please contact me so we can get this idea off the ground.

Click here to read more about science, the government, and cool candy ideas.

CC

The Cure For Cheese Fingers

We've all been there. We're munching down on a bag of cheese snacks without a care in the world. Then all of a sudden the Queen walks into the room with her hand out. She wants to seal the deal for world peace with a random handshake from a stranger (she figured it was a good idea because who wouldn't want to shake hands with the Queen). You pull your hand out of the bag of cheese snacks and there it is.

You've got Cheese Fingers, and now you've ended any hope of world peace. If anybody knows a good way to deal with this issue without licking your fingers like a freak (the Queen would probably turn down a handshake after watching you munch cheese bits off your fingers).

CC

How Much Does a Candy Factory Cost

For years now I've always fantasized about the idea of owning my own candy factory. I wanted to make cool treats and have a river filled with chocolate. Then I read this article about Lotte expanding into India and learned that this kind of thing goes for about 70 million bucks.

Click here to read about the expansion.

CC

Snow Ball Stories

The article bellow is a collection of heart warming tales surrounding a small stand that makes snowballs. Snowballs, for those that don't know, are balls of crushed ice flavoured with syrup.

Click here to read the stories.

CC

Your Guide To New Jersey Boardwalk Food

I went to Atlantic City once, I didn't spend one minute away from the Boardwalk. Mostly because I was a little afraid of the rest of the city, but also because I really like Monopoly. I also really like Boardwalk food because it's pretty much the same as Carnival food only more permanent.

Click here for a guide to NJ Boardwalk food.

CC

Not Since The Gummy Bear Cartoon

I can't think of any time where I've seen official Haribo advertising for gummy bears. Haribo being the creators of the little beasts has never really promoted them in North America, but that's going to change. It appears they're going to start an advertising campaign, but that leads to one question. Are gummy bear sales down?

Click here to read about the campaign.

CC

Someone's Gotta Pay The Bills

There seems to be this idea that all candy companies in the world are out to make you unhealthy. I could probably argue this to the best of my abilities and still get negative reactions so I'll put it simply. Candy is unhealthy in large quantities, this is not something candy companies would argue. Eating candy is ok for you (most of the time) as long as you limit the amount you eat. Many candy companies don't mind educating people about the true health values of candy.

Click here to read about a particular situation.

CC

A New Healthy Treat

I just got my hands on these Crunchy Edamame Beans and they're a little bit strange. Normally I love crunchy peas, and I also love Edamame, however these just don't do both of these treats justice. They're not salty enough and the baking just gives off a slightly burned flavour. It doesn't really work but was well worth a try.

CC

Photoshop The Worst Food

Cracked.com posted a collection of very unhealthy foods that don't exist but could in the near future. I still have yet to try a Double Down, so I'm a little out of the loop when it comes to this kind of eating.

Click here to check out the unhealthy food of the future.

CC

Butterfinger Comics Are Strange

In an attempt to promote Butterfingers the folks at Nestle have collected what could possibly be the strangest collection of heroes ever. Rather than making up characters they've brought in some classic television stars (like Eric Estrata and Lou Feregnno) to save the day (or the Butterfinger). I'm not sure where they're going with this but it's not like strange things don't sell.

Click here to read about it.

Click here to check it out yourselves.

CC

Desert For Dinner

A new restaurant has developed the all dessert meal where each course is in fact dessert inspired. It sounds like a great place to eat and I'd love to give it a try, the thing is an all dessert meal is nothing new in my house. I call all dessert meals in my house, the nights that Allison isn't around.

Click here to read about a smart all desert meal.

CC

Jamaican Cocoa

It never ceases to amaze me where cocoa can grow. Every day I read articles about chocolate makers picking a new place to source their cocoa and every day I'm more impressed. Even better is that variety you can get in flavour. I've tried a few chocolates from different parts of the world and each taste great but each are a little different too. Man the cocoa world is a fun, fun place.

Click here to read about cocoa from Jamaica.

CC

Any News From The Cheesecake Factory Is Good News

Apparently to celebrate national cheese cake day they've introduced a whole bunch of new cheese cake varieties. The one that interests me most involves Reece Peanut Butter Cups.

Click here to read more about new cheese cakes.

CC

New Store Alert

In my continuing effort to promote every single candy store I hear about, here's an article about a fun candy store in South Carolina.

Click here to read about this place.

CC

My Dream American Road Trip

Trip Advisor has posted a collection of the top 10 sweetest attractions. That means places where the candy runs like wine. I've been to a few of these places and I have no problem visiting them again. The places I haven't been to look great too. Hey Trip Advisor, you wanna send a Candy Critic out to promote your great list? I'm waiting.

Click here to read the list of great candy stops.

CC

Japanese Treats In New York

On my voyage to Japan last year I learned just how amazing Japanese baking really is. Now it appears that this baking is available in New York. I highly recommend checking it out and if the photos are any indication it looks as great as it did in Tokyo.

Click here to read more and check out the photos.

CC

Popcorn and M&Ms

I'm not sure if this is a first, but the folks at M&Ms have finally realized how good M&Ms taste when mixed with popcorn. I'm glad they're promoting this although the image they sent me is a little dark and creepy.

CC

Food Printers

I love the idea of food printers because they can basically make the perfect meal with little to no work. It also looks really cool and keeps reminding me of the future scene from Back to the Future. The only problem I can really see with these would be the name "food printer" doesn't really make me hungry.

Click here to read more about this new invention.

CC

Banana, Banana, Banana

It's not like me to post a recipe on this site because as you know I'm really lazy and would rather just eat food and not make it. Even stranger is that this recipe contains no sugar or any sweets at all. The key thought here is banana.

Click here to read how to make one ingredient ice cream.

CC

Fun Gum Rap-off

Here's a fun little rap-off that all starts with a piece of gum. I wish I could be that cool every time I had a chew.

CC

The History Of a Chocolate Factory

I love reading about the history of candy. In particular it's great to read about how people lived and worked in and around these factories. I particularly like when they describe the smell, I've walked by and even went to school near chocolate factories and it's a smell you'll never forget.

Click here to read a historical story.

CC

Cocoa Is Good, But At What Percent?

I think we can all agree on one thing, chocolate has its merits. I've posted many articles that support that point and frankly I don't think that it's news at all. The question I have is what percentage of cocoa should you strive to achieve. Some say as low as 60% others say no less than 80%. Any idea?

Click here to read another article on the benefits of cocoa.

CC

Chocolate and The Stock Market

I've been following some news about a controversy involving chocolate and the stock market. Most of the details seem irrelevant unless you're in the investing business. The relevant part for me (and maybe you) is that because of these shenanigans the price of chocolate may go up this Christmas.

Click here to read a fairly good article on the subject.

CC

Wrigley's Is Getting Bigger

I just read this article about the expansion of a Wrigley's gum factory and for some reason it made me think about the biggest piece of gum ever produced. I'd like to see this wad of gum, and maybe sample a piece. Just as a note the story has no mention of this large gum, it's just a tangent I went on.

Click here to read about the factory expansion and not a large piece of gum.

CC

Everything You'd Ever Want To Know About Chocolate

At least everything that you can read on the internet from a technical standpoint. I mean frankly the most important thing about chocolate is how good it tastes and how much you're planning on giving me.

Click here to learn a lot of technical knowhow on the subject of chocolate.

CC

No Gluten... right?

It would appear that the no gluten food you've been eating, may contain gluten. It's not any fault of manufactures either, it would appear it's on a scientific level that they've discovered some ingredients that where thought to be gluten free may actually contain gluten.

Click here to read more.

CC

Sugar Free Is Free Of Sugar...

But is may still have some of the same reactions as sugar. This article from the New York Times talks about how sugar alcohols may still raise blood sugar levels even though it's not technically sugar.

Click here to read more.

CC

Tasty New Ice Cream For Me

For those that aren't Canadian I'm not too sure if you understand the relevance of Presidents Choice Products. It's a line of food created by a store that have basically been around for my entire life. The good thing is, it's not a line that just buys food made in other factories and re-labels it. Presidents choice stuff is exclusive to the brand and more often than not tastes great. That's why I'm super excited to try their new ice cream and apparently I'm not the only one.

Click here to read about Presidents Choice Ice Cream.

CC

She Sings, She's Popular, and She Apparently Loves Candy As Much As Me

Apparently Katy Perry's next album will not only be decorated by her draped in cotton candy, but it wall also smell like Marshmallow. I'm not sure what the MP3 downloads from ITunes might smell like but I'm sure it won't be as impressive.

Click here to read more.

CC

Making Chocolate Healthier

I'm not sure how I feel about the idea of making chocolate healthier. I thought it was kind of healthy on its own, why change it? I also worry about the taste becoming secondary to the "health benefits" in which case you lose the point of why chocolate is so cool.

Click here to read about better for you chocolate.

CC

Candy Technology Makes Cool Candy

I don't really follow candy technology that much, and I should. It's amazing what new technology can achieve and how cool they can make something look or taste. The article below is just such an example.

Click here and check out the photo of what they can make with this new technology.

CC

Cool Wrigley's Ad

Let it be known that I really like monochrome stuff. When I paint (and I do) I prefer to use as few colours as possible. When I take photos I like to have a colour theme and keep them limited. That's why I love this black and white Wrigley's gum ad.

Ad found on Boing Boing.

CC

Hot Chocolate

The post bellow is about a chocolatier that is soon to be featured on the Food Network show "Unwrapped". It's being featured on an episode all about spicy foods and Xan Confections makes a selection of spicy chocolates. I'm really on the fence when it comes to hot sweet treats. I only say this because I'm not a fan of spicy food. I much prefer sweet or salty foods (duh, I run a candy site) over spicy. I do however understand that the two go together from a culinary point of view.

Click here to read more about some hot treats.

CC

What About The Sniff Test

Here's an interesting statistic, 76% of Americans throw away food that is still OK just because of the expiry date. Here's another interesting fact, candy can often have an expiry date. I find that the higher the quality the more likely to have an expiry date and the smaller that date will be. The thing is more people don't even know about this expiry date and I'm pretty sure that's because more people don't buy candy and let it sit for more than a couple of days.

Click here to read more about expiry dates.

CC

The Best Chocolate Cake?

A new restaurant in New York claims that it makes the best chocolate cakes in the world. The claim is pretty bold since they named the place "The Best Chocolate Cake In The World". I want to start a store called "The Best Eater of Chocolate Cake In the World".

Click here to read more about this place.

CC

New And Crazy Carnival Food

If you're in Iowa and you hit the state fair, you might want to try out a few of these interesting snacks.

Click here to read about some new carnival snacks available.

CC

McDonald's Mystery

I posted yesterday about my find experience with the new McDonald's Raspberry pie and I thought I'd add another strange "logo" that I found on my food. Yesterday I mentioned that I found a strange pie logo with an exclamation point. Well on top of my Quarter Ponder box I found even stranger logos. Things like an origami chickens, and what appears to be a rhinoceros made of wood. The veggies are fairly normal, although the only real meat depicted is bacon and yet very few McDonald foods actually contain bacon. Strange indeed.

CC

Happy National Junk Food Day!

Today is a good day to stuff your face.

CC

Candy + Beer =

Actually it's not so much candy as it is carnival food. A micro brewery in Coney Island has started to produce a series of beers based off of carnival food. In particular the Candy Apple Stout seems interesting.

Click here to read more about it.

CC

Star Wars Cereal

Not since C3PO's have I been so excited about a science fiction related cereal. Apparently they're limited to 400 boxes of each design and only being given away at a collectors convention. I'm sure by the time they get out to the public they prices will be a little higher.

Click here to read more about these cool treats.

CC

Hey Everybody, it's National Lollipop Day!

So three cheers for the candy snack that I misspell more than any other!

CC

Not Good News

As a die hard Canadian I have to admit that I was a little sad to hear about a Canadian business going across the border to the US. I'm sure quality wise they'll stay on top of things, and I'm even sure their distribution might improve, I just like Canadian candy companies to stay in Canada.

Click here to read more.

CC

McDonald's Raspberry Pie

I just got back from a fun little road trip where I got to sample the new McDonald's Raspberry Pie.It's pretty good, although I still like the old deep fried pies more, but this filling was nice and sweet with just the right amount of tart after taste.

The one thing I couldn't understand was the strange logo on the box. What does a picture of a slice of pie with an exclamation mark mean?

CC

A Candy Race

It would appear that some people like candy for more than just eating. A few folks like to celebrate candy with what appears to be the most intriguing and strange candy event I've ever seen. It's called a "candy race" and it's pretty much what you might expect.

Click here to read more about it.

CC

Futurama Cupcakes

Boing Boing has posted a picture of a batch of cupcakes that would make any Futurama fans day. If you're not a fan of Futurama than chances are this picture simply confuses you.

Click here to read more about these fine nerdy deserts.

CC

Max Brenner Expanding In Australia

Here's another great story of a small candy man turning into a candy empire. The chocolate sounds great and if I make it to his neck of the woods I'll be sure to give it a try.

Click here to read about Max.

CC

FRENCH VANILLA!!!!

What in the world is Baskin Robbins Thinking! As it turns out Baskin Robbins is discontinuing 5 flavours, which is no big deal. The news is the fact that one of these flavours is French Vanilla. I'm of the belief that if you want to know the quality of an ice cream place, order the vanilla. Some think it's a plain flavour, but I think a good vanilla is an art.

Click here to read about it, and cry a little.

CC

The Return Of Bonomo's Turkish Taffy

I've never heard of the stuff myself, but that's probably because it was a local treat (New York), it was then purchased by Tootsie 40 years ago, and they stopped making it in 1989. But their back, and any classic treat worth bringing back has got to be good... right?

Click here to get the facts on this Turkish Taffy.

CC

S'mores Tips

A few months ago I ran a contest on this blog to try and find some great s'mores making tips. Well wouldn't you know it I just found an article full of them.

Click here to read about some other s'mores tips.

CC

A Chocolate Education

Why in the world did my school not offer chocolate 101 when I was in high school. Instead I got stuck in gym class trying to climb a rope that really only one guy could do it and he was so modest even though he knew he was much cooler than the rest of us. See if I had a chocolate class instead I wouldn't be holding in such resentment for a guy I can't even remember his name.

Click here to read about the chocolate class's field trip.

CC

Is Candy Kids Stuff?

I just finished reading this fascinating article about a woman and her re-united love of candy. People see adults eating candy and instantly assume that their immature, but there's so much fun to be had by people of all ages that I find that it's wrong to assume that it's all kids stuff.

Click here to read the article (bonus there's links to a bunch of old school commercials too).

CC

Busted For Writing About Chocolate

Three reporters where arrested in Africa for a story they wrote about the cocoa industry. In unrelated news, I've officially decided to no longer write anything bad about the cocoa industry.

Click here to read more.

CC

Battle Over Soda Tax Goes To...

Although the battle is not over there seems to be a push towards getting rid of the tax in Washington state. There is an aggressive campaign to eliminate the tax and they're should be a vote on it this November. Strangely enough I'm 0k with taxing food and drinks, I just think the tax has to be fair, and the money has to go towards real working initiatives to eliminate obesity.

Click here to read about the tax and the battle.

CC

Another Local Candy Store

I love the idea of supporting candy stores big or small. Big ones are great because they often have variety like nothing else, small ones are great because they often have a comfortable personal feeling that makes me smile.

Click here to read about a particular small shop called Cookie Bear.

CC

New Site Preview

So as I mentioned earlier, I'm working on updating Candy Critic in order to clean up and simplify it. Above is a glimpse of how the reviews should look, and you may have also noticed that the blog is updated as well. This should keep me busy for a few months and I'm sure I'll brag like crazy when it's all done.

CC

A Look At Morinaga

Here in North America a few people have heard of Morinaga, in particular some have heard of their imported treats from Japan. However in Asia this food line is huge and has a big history in Japan. There are stores, cafes and restaurants selling all kinds of Morinaga foods and merchandise. When I was in Japan I went nuts over the stuff, and only got a hint of the history behind it. This article that I discovered goes into a lot more detail and is really and interesting read if you're into Japanese snacks.

Click here to read about Morinaga.

CC

Le Whif

A friend of mine came across a new way to enjoy all the flavour of chocolate without actually eating any chocolate at all. It's called "Le Whif" and the whole idea behind it is it's a chocolate replacement that you breath in instead of eat.
Basically what you get is a little canister that after a few minutes of tinkering you can set it up so you simply breath in and what feels like a fine chocolate powder like substance fills you up with a chocolaty taste. The flavour isn't bad, however when I took in my first breath it was a little too hard and I almost choked. It's kind of like smoking chocolate, but healthier, and a little stranger.

CC

More Ice Cream Celebrations

National Ice Cream Month is really getting a whole lot of press lately. It could be because this Sunday is the main day, but it could also be the extreme heat that many of us are living through. I've been digging up many articles on the subject of ice cream and I plan on posting as many as I can.

Click here to read one of the articles.

Click here to read another (bonus, this one's Canadian).

CC

I Love a Good Flavour Combination

It appears that Nicole Greene has come up with one. The mix is simple yet clever, toffee and pretzels. It looks a little strange, but I imagine that the salty taste of the pretzels and the sweet toffee will be just excellent.

Click here to read more about this new combination.

CC

I LOVE CARNIVAL FOOD

I just thought I'd point that out. It's greasy, it's not healthy, it's creative, and it's tasty. What is there not to like about the stuff.

Click here to read another article on Carnival Food.

CC

Cupcake Reality Show?

I can't possibly think of a better subject than the daily life of cupcakes for a reality TV show. Best of all the folks in the show are originally from my home town (Toronto). I never knew the DC was a cupcake capital, but this isn't the first bit of cupcake news I've seen from them.

Click here to read more about the show.

CC

I Learned a Little Something About Ice Cream From Vienna

I'm pretty sure that this article wasn't written in the classic Vienna where Mozart lived, but instead some small town in the US. I'd do more research on that but frankly I'm feeling a little lazy lately. The point of this article is to celebrate National Ice Cream day, and this article also filled me into a more specific fact, two actually. First of all Ronald Regan was the man responsible for declaring this holiday, and secondly the third Sunday of this month (this Sunday to be exact) is the main day to celebrate. That means Ice Cream will abound at the Stewart house this weekend.

Click here to read about the month, the day, and Ice Cream in Vienna.

CC

Using Your Computer? Craving a Sweet Treat?

Well apparently that's totally normal. That would also explain how I can keep updating this blog and deal with all the candy I have around. Really with this new science it only proves why running a candy website can be so easy.

Click here to read more about how using a computer will make you crave candy.

CC

Chocolate At The Market

I've been to a few craft/food markets this year and I have to say I'm starting to see more and more candy makers out there. These are small candy makers, hand making chocolates and other treats. Best of all many of these chocolate and candy makers are using either traditional methods not used anymore or they're innovating beyond what we normally see on candy shelves.

Click here to read about one such candy maker.

CC

Warheads Weekend

Over at Dylan's Candy Bar in New York they're celebrating with the Warheads weekend. They'll be showing off some new flavours and giving away all kinds of prizes.

Click here to read about the festivities.

CC

The Business of Taffy

Did you know that Saltwater Taffy was said to get it's origins from Atlantic City. Apparently a taffy puller on the boardwalk got sea spray in his taffy and it became a hit. The taffy business has grown since and you can see that when you read about the current state of one Atlantic City Taffy man.

Click here to read about the Taffy.

CC

About Updating Reviews

This summer I've decided to give Candy Critic (the web page) a new look and a general tune up. It's going to take me a while, so until I get it all ready to fly I think new Candy Critic reviews are going to be happening less regularly and not every Sunday. The blog should stay as regular as usual but the reviews are going to be a little less so.

CC

I Love This Movie

The only thing better than the average Swedish Chef segment on the Muppet Show is when he sings my favorite song about salty snacks.

CC

The Science Of Being Hungry

It's really fascinating to find out how the mind works when it comes to eating. Think about it, your mind has to deal with not only filling up with nutrition but also with these crazy cravings that really have nothing to do with making you any healthier.

Click here to read about the science of being hungry.

CC

Chocolate Dipped Critters

Critters that look like they've been dipped in oil to help support the folks that are being devastated by the oil leak in the gulf. It seems a little off, but also a little intriguing. It's a little like seeing a car accident if you ask me. It's like selling water to help support survivors of a tsunami.

Click here to read more about these chocolate dipped critters.

CC

Coca-Cola is The Wonder Product

It's a find drink that makes me happy, particularly when I'm trying to study. But that's not all it does, it can also be used as a cleaning agent, and apparently makes good brownies too. Some people are afraid of Coke because of these very facts, but not me, I love the stuff even if it can repair a car battery.

Click here to read more about the wonders of Coke.

CC

Malaysian Chocolate

I came across this article about a chocoaltier out of Malaysia that claims to be just as good as the imports. I can't say I've ever tried Malaysian chocolate, but now I want some.

Click here to read more.

CC

Kimmie Candy Scores

Kimmie Candy, a friendly bunch of folks, have scored well at the candy show this year. Their new chocolate kettle corn is even getting a little extra press attention. Good for them, they're a creative gang of candy makers that deserve success.

Click here to read some of the press.

CC

Memories of a Candy Store

The article bellow is a nice little tale about remembering the local candy store when the writer was a child. I remember the candy store I used to frequent, it was a little place kitty corner to my school and always full of Popsicle, gummies, and chips. I also used to always buy my bottles of pop there and run back to exchange the return for a some licorice. It was good times, and I recently went back and it's gone. Someone else bought it and turned it into a house. The old lady that used to run it is most likely not around anymore either. It's a little sad, but it's great memories.

Click here to read the story.

CC

Cold Drink

I can't tell you how much I enjoy a cool beverage on a hot day. I'm sitting here writing this wondering why I'm drinking room temperature water... Now I remember. I'm really lazy and I don't want to go to the store or even downstairs just to get a cold drink.

Ad from Vintage Ad Browser

CC

The World is Officially Too Dangerous For Me

A lady in Houston Texas opened, what she thought, was a box of candy. Instead it was a bomb that blew nails all over the place and injured her hand seriously. What kind of person would do this? I'm now afraid of free candy, and that's just wrong!

Click here for a few more details.

CC

Nestle Releases New Milkybar

The raisin and biscuit bar is due to hit the shelves soon and how does Nestle decide to promote it? Well with the most disturbing photo of two representatives ever produced by any food company ever.

Click here to see the picture and read about the bar.

CC

More News About The Chocolate Bond

About a year ago I posted an article about a hotel that was offering a chocolate bond in order to raise money and it seemed to work. The bonds raised a little less than expected but they still seemed to do ok, and it proved to be a great marketing tool if you ask me.

Click here to read about the bond.

CC

A Chocolate Superstar

Jacques Torres is arguably one of the most famous chocolatiers in all of North America because frankly the guy knows his stuff. He gets my respect because not only does he make chocolates but he makes the chocolate from scratch. Most chocolatiers buy their chocolate to make their creations and that's fine, but limiting. This guy built his own business, uses great ingredients and is super creative with them.

Click here to read more about Mr Torres.

CC

Are You a Donut Fanatic?

I used to think I was, I enjoy a donut now and again, but frankly plain donuts kind of gross me out. This is why I believe that I'm not really a donut fanatic, I'm a fan, and I enjoy eating them, but I don't really enjoy the subtlety of a plain donut. I pretty much want as much stuff piled on top and I find anything without the proper load of icing or jam to be really dry and boring.

Click here to read more about a donut fanatic.

CC

It Puts the "Fun" In Funnel Cake

My friend Melissa went to Canada's Wonderland over the weekend and got to indulge in one of the best Wonderland treats ever. I haven't been there in years and I still pine for one of the awesome funnel cakes. The best thing about them is it looks so good, and by the time your done you're so sick of it that you can't even look at another one, but by the next day you crave it again. As Melissa said "It was tasty... at the time." Truer words have never been said before.

CC

Next Thing In Sweeteners

If you've ever tried baking with sweeteners you'll know the trouble you have if the recipes ask for brown or confectionery sugar. Well the problem is gone because some scientists/food makers have developed a sugar substitute in these varieties. What I'd really like to see next is a honey substitute, because frankly the odd times I do cook it's my sugar of choice.

Click here to read more about the new sugar substitutes.

CC

Hello Kitty Pizza

I've pretty much seen just about everything in the world with a Hello Kitty theme. Spend about a week in Tokyo and you're sure to see just about every type of Hello Kitty... well everything. The only Hello Kitty thing I haven't seen yet is a Hello Kitty candy review website. I sure hope they don't do it either because I don't know if I can be cuter than that pink atrocity.

Click here to see Hello Kitty mini pizzas.

CC

Don't Worry, Peeps Will Still Be Manufactured

As it turns out the folks at Just Borne and the union of workers at their factories have just come to an agreement that will end the possibility of a strike. This almost became a Saturday morning special, "how the union disagreement stole Easter".

Click here to read, and rejoice.

CC