Treats From Thessaloniki - Scoopy French Fries

Last week I got back from a fun adventure to the city of Thessaloniki.  It's the second largest city in Greece, many consider it to be the cultural hub of Greece, but I would also consider it the baking capital of Greece.  It's not hard to argue that this city has some of the best food in the whole country, yet it's very surprising that more tourists don't come and visit. All this week I've decided that I'm going to highlight some of the food adventures I had on my epic adventure.  Most of the treats featured will be sweet, but not all of them.  What I can guarantee is by the time you read all of these adventures, you might consider a stop in Thessaloniki on your Greek vacation.

For my last post about the wonderful treats I found in Thessaloniki I wanted to get away from sweets.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not turning off sweets, I just thought I'd mention that Thessaloniki also has some great savory foods as well.  Many of the restaurants are spectacular, and the quality of the ingredients in most places is better than many other restaurants in Greece.  Strangely though, my favorite savory food find on this trip was a french fry.  More importantly the french fries from Patatesfritas near the main square.

Two features of this place really stood out for me.  The first feature has to be the shape of their fries.  Instead of giving you the standard straight cut potato, Patatesfritas offers little scoops designed specifically to scoop up your choice of sauces.  The second feature that I really loved was their mayonnaise sauce.  This sauce appears to be a blend of mayonnaise and some kind of cream (yogurt maybe).  It really cut down the oily texture and flavour you get from regular mayonnaise and cooled down my hot fries perfectly.

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Stuff I Want To Try

Angry Birds Space Candy  - Healthy Food Brands - I also want to try the new game too. - Click here to learn more about this treat.

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Friday Candy Video - Mini Hamburger Gross or Not?

From what I've read about this hamburger, it's savory and requires almost no cooking.  I also assume that it tastes something like a real hamburger, but not exactly.  I also assume that in the future, this is what everybody will be eating.

I found this on Boing Boing, and there's more info about it there.

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Friday's Candy Links

You know that horrible white stuff that builds up on chocolate?  It's called a "chocolate fat bloom", and science is trying to make it a thing of the past.

The story of a new owner buying a nearly 100 year old candy company in an attempt to keep it alive and kicking.

Man gives away candy at baseball games, he is a legend, and he deserves all the credit he gets.

What happens when a truck full of candy and a truck full of coins meet? I don't know, but it looks tragically spectacular.

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New Look For The Candy Critic Store

We just finished the re-design on the Candy Critic store.  It's a much better design with a few fun things to buy. Everything in the store is designed by us (and our friends and bewarethecheese.com), and everything purchased  helps to make this site a little better.

Click here to check out the new store.

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Treats From Thessaloniki - Blé

Last week I got back from a fun adventure to the city of Thessaloniki.  It's the second largest city in Greece, many consider it to be the cultural hub of Greece, but I would also consider it the baking capital of Greece.  It's not hard to argue that this city has some of the best food in the whole country, yet it's very surprising that more tourists don't come and visit. All this week I've decided that I'm going to highlight some of the food adventures I had on my epic adventure.  Most of the treats featured will be sweet, but not all of them.  What I can guarantee is by the time you read all of these adventures, you might consider a stop in Thessaloniki on your Greek vacation.

Yesterday I wrote about the best smelling bakery in all of Thessaloniki, the Cookie Man.  Today I'm going to tell you all about the bakery with the best looking treats in all of Thessaloniki, Blé.  This place turns every single baked good into a piece of art.  Even their breads look absolutly stunning.  Best of all the store itself is stylishly decorated and it shows off the visual beauty of their food very well.

While Blé does sell traditional Greek sweets and foods, it's not really their specialty.  Most of their sweets have a French influence.  This is actually a very good demonstration of the difference between French and Greek baking.  Greek baking tastes great and has a very rustic home baked look to it.  French baking on the other hand is much more refined in its appearance, and I often find the flavours are a little more subdued.

As you can see Blé really does pull off the "French" look very well.  Each dessert is a treat to the eyes as much as a treat to the mouth.  Each fold of chocolate, clump of berries, and squirt of icing is perfectly placed.  It almost makes you want to preserve your dessert for posterity instead of eating it.

Blé also had the best looking profiteroles I've ever seen in my entire life.

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Stuff I Want To Try

Dum Dums Fruit punch and Dulce de Leche flavour  - Spangler Candy Co. - Because I don't get enough Dulce de Leche. - Click here to learn more about this treat.

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Classic/Creative Candy Advertising - To Wrap or Not To Wrap

When you give or receive Easter gifts and treats, are they wrapped?  Sometimes my parents would wrap my Easter treats, but sometimes they wouldn't.  What's the right thing to do?

As usual, I found this ad on Vintage Ad Browser.

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Thursday's Candy Links

In what I can only describe as bizzare, "Skittles sales up after Trayvon Martin shooting".

When you crack open a peanut and it's salty, doesn't that amaze you?

The makers of Hot Tamales are looking for "Hotties", seriously they are.

I don't normally like to post recipes on this site, but how to make your own Lucky Charms marshmallows is too good to pass up.

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Treats From Thessaloniki - Cookie Man

Last week I got back from a fun adventure to the city of Thessaloniki.  It's the second largest city in Greece, many consider it to be the cultural hub of Greece, but I would also consider it the baking capital of Greece.  It's not hard to argue that this city has some of the best food in the whole country, yet it's very surprising that more tourists don't come and visit. All this week I've decided that I'm going to highlight some of the food adventures I had on my epic adventure.  Most of the treats featured will be sweet, but not all of them.  What I can guarantee is by the time you read all of these adventures, you might consider a stop in Thessaloniki on your Greek vacation.

If you ever decide to open up a store selling sweet baked goods, you could really learn a lesson from the Cookie Man.  The Cookie Man is a bake shop in Thessaloniki that sells... you guessed it, cookies.  In a town full of spectacular bakeries, the Cookie Man has one edge over the competition, the smell.  From now on this place will set the bench mark for greatness when it comes to the smell of bakeries, both in quality and intensity.  While walking around the streets of Thessaloniki one day, Allison and I caught a whiff of cookie.  The smell became more and more intense, and after walking for more than a block we came to its source, the Cookie Man.

As soon as we got to the store we knew it was the place.  Not only because the smell in front of this store was more intense than any cookie smell I've ever experienced, but also because in the window they have their cookie baker going at full tilt.  This is the second great plan that the Cookie man has, they show exactly what is making this awesome smell right up front.  We had no choice but to go inside and buy a cookie or two.

The store was full of cookies, but before buying any, I asked if two of my cookies could be straight from the machine.  The lady told me "of course" and we then started selecting our cookies.  While the cookies straight from the machine lived up to the smell, I have to be honest and tell you that the other cookies weren't really that spectacular.  It's not that they were bad, they just didn't live up to the smell of the fresh cookies.  I guess what I'm suggesting is, if you visit the Cookie Man of Thessaloniki, make sure to get fresh cookies, and eat them up quick.

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Old Candy Critic Articles - Dinner Treats Part 2

I've decided to take down several old articles from the candycritic.org and re-post them here on the Candy Critic blog.  This week I'm posting Part 2 of an article I wrote about the candies you get after a dinner at a restaurant.  I posted so many treats in this article I've decided to break it up into several posts.

I never really thought about the industry that supplies candy to restaurants before. Often, when I go to a restaurant that doesn't require me to return a tray, I get a candy with my bill. The thing about this treat is when you get it with your bill, you never give it much thought. I mean there you are with your stomach full of mashed potatoes and a chicken dish with a really nice cream sauce, and someone hands you a candy. The last thing you're going to do is think about is the quality of this treat.

Well I decided to give it a little thought. I've decided that these treats need a little scrutiny, and maybe see if they're worth tipping over. So let's take a look at how I would tip if all I got was the treat at the end of the meal.  I should mention that each of these treats was collected after a real meal.

Trebor "Glitter"

When I see this treat I expect it to be all shinny and fun like a disco. I mean what else would you expect from a candy called Glitter? This minty treat goes a little up the sinuses, well maybe a little more than a little, but if you've eaten something really garlic filled then that can't be too bad. Having said that if it's a cold day you might want to skip it because the minute you step outside after eating it you'll know the meaning of the word cold.

Tip: 11%

Trebor "Glitter Red"

As you can tell from the candy above, we have two kinds of Glitter's to enjoy, best of all I believe I revived them at different establishments. Let us see how the red compares to its clear counterpart. I really can't taste anything, it's a little disturbing, but after a little chewing I can kind of taste something that either taste like cherry or maybe cough medicine. I really have to say this treat really needs some flavour.

Tip: 2%

Lollypops

My first idea was to try and eat both of these lollypops at the same time, but I realised that was pretty silly. So I've decided instead that I'll suck on each one for a little while and discuss.

Red - If you go to a restaurant and lollypops are handed out, I may be polite and let you pick first, but there's a good chance I'll just grab the red one first. Is red my favourite, no, but chances are it wont be something I don't like.

Yellow - This is always a fearful candy for me. I'm never sure if it's lemon (which I like) or banana (which I can't stand) today... Banana yuck.

I generally find that most places that give out lollypops, are also the places that make you stand on your chair and sing silly songs on your birthday.  Adults will eat them and kids love them too. Personally I find a lack in creativity but then again I am a candy snob.

Tip: 8%

MacTavish's

Nothing says tradition like the name MacTavish. It sounds like an old country estate in Scotland. If your meal is really garlic filled, this candy will do nothing for you at all, since it's not minty. I've reviewed these before and I still had the same problem. With the toffee type flavour I just want to crunch it to bits every time. It's virtually impossible to suck it all the way down to nothing.

Tip: 12%

Mike Mint

Now Mike didn't make these mints, they weren't made at the restaurant called “Mike's” either. This is a clever way for restaurants, mostly chains, to advertise. The thing that boggles my mind is that most people don't really save their mints; they either eat them on the spot or just skip it. If you're in the restaurant already paying for your meal, advertising for that restaurant really isn't worth it. Although here it is, on a "popular" web site a big shinny advertisement for Mikes restaurant. Do you think they had this planned from the start? Oh by the way, the mint was OK, nothing special but it did the trick.

Tip: 12% but 6% might have to go to the restaurant

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Wednesday's Candy Links

If you live in Germany, and you find a beautify decorated lawn, covered in what appears to be free chocolate.  Don't eat the chocolate!!!

More evidence that chocolate is healthy for you?  Like you need it.

Cadbury is sending people to the Olympics, and you could win accommodation, tickets to events and even transportation.  What about free chocolate?

The New York Times is "Debunking Sugar Myths".  You might want to pay attention.

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Treats From Thessaloniki - Trigonas Pastry

Last week I got back from a fun adventure to the city of Thessaloniki.  It's the second largest city in Greece, many consider it to be the cultural hub of Greece, but I would also consider it the baking capital of Greece.  It's not hard to argue that this city has some of the best food in the whole country, yet it's very surprising that more tourists don't come and visit. All this week I've decided that I'm going to highlight some of the food adventures I had on my epic adventure.  Most of the treats featured will be sweet, but not all of them.  What I can guarantee is by the time you read all of these adventures, you might consider a stop in Thessaloniki on your Greek vacation.

Since Thessaloniki is most well know for its baked goods, I thought I would highlight its most famous baked sweet treat, the Trigona.  The treat itself is very simple, yet it's unique to the area.  It's a square of filo pastry folded in half (like a triangle) and filled with various creams.  The most common seem to be chocolate cream and a plain sweet cream, but I've seen others as well.  As you can tell from the photos the cream is not put on very lightly.

I can also tell you that the cream itself is not very light either.  It's a very thick, high fat cream, which makes it all the tastier.  It's funny because often you find treats from all of the other regions of Greece, in Athens as well, but I can't say I've seen Trigona around Athens too often, if ever.  If you happen to find yourself in Thessaloniki, and you want the most famous Trigona, make sure to check out Terkenlis, just off the main square.

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Because Easter Is Coming... Easter Links Part 1

Here's a list of some of the Easter treats that Nestle is coming out with.

This is only kind of Easter related, but a hotel in New York is offering a special "Lindt" package for the holidays.

As always TCHO has some great looking elegant Easter packages for their treats.

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Candy Art - Infographic of Ice Cream

I love that the you can learn something from art.  I love it even more when you can learn something about sweet treats from art, such as this great infographic of the history of ice cream.

I found it here.

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Tuesday's Candy Links

It turns out Popcorn is actually really good for you, it's chock full of antioxidants!

You don't look a day over 99 years old.  That's too bad because Whitman's is giving away free chocolates to people over 100 years old.

Did you want to know more about why chocolate and almonds are actually healthy for you?  There's a seminar for that.

Boing Boing's Rob Beschizza has a complaint about his peanuts, and it's not a rip off of a Jerry Seinfeld joke.

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Treats From Thessaloniki - Market Sweets

Last week I got back from a fun adventure to the city of Thessaloniki.  It's the second largest city in Greece, many consider it to be the cultural hub of Greece, but I would also consider it the baking capital of Greece.  It's not hard to argue that this city has some of the best food in the whole country, yet it's very surprising that more tourists don't come and visit. All this week I've decided that I'm going to highlight some of the food adventures I had on my epic adventure.  Most of the treats featured will be sweet, but not all of them.  What I can guarantee is by the time you read all of these adventures, you might consider a stop in Thessaloniki on your Greek vacation.

Most Greek markets that I've visited turn out to either be really small or so large that they're very intimidating. Most of the large markets tend to be so full of people, and general chaos, that I don't really have the ability to see anything for sale and I'm swept up in just trying to work my way through them.  The market in Thessaloniki is different, it's large enough to give you a great adventure, but not so crowded that you just want to leave.  There's plenty of room to look around at all of the stalls.

And many of the stalls were full of sweet treats.  Some had standard packaged goods, others had bulk treats, and most of them had traditional Greek sweets.  The variety of halva available was pretty good, and it all looked hand made.

There were also other Greek delights available that I had never seen before.  Since I'm working on a future project all about Greek treats, I probably should start learning about them too.  I've never felt so comfortable in a Greek market than I did at the Thessaloniki market.  I never felt rushed, I saw some spectacular looking sweets, and all of the people were very friendly.

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Stuff I Want To Try

Welch’s Filled Licorice  - Frankford Candy - Because candy filled with stuff is good. - Click here to learn more about this treat.

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Juicy Fruit Desserts and Bag Of M&Ms!

 We just got a whole cake box full of the new Juicy Fruit Desserts gum.  We got three different flavours, strawberry short cake, apple pie, and orange creme pop.  I have to be honest, I'm not really sure which one I'm going to review... but I can assure you I'm going to taste them all.

We also got a bag full of M&M's as well.  I'm super excited to try the peanut butter variety, and it's been a long time since I've tasted a pretzel M&Ms.

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This Week In Candy

Candy News - It's interesting how seasons can really change the whole shape of the candy industry.  I'm not just talking about holidays either.  I'm talking about the differences in the types of things we snack on, depending on the season.  I find that the candy world really makes a shift from winter to spring with lots of new treats, and lots of new treat trends.  Easter is really the dividing line, but already candy companies are pouring out with all kinds of new treats to make our mouths water for this summer.

What's Happening At Candy Critic -  I think I can safely say that we at Candy Critic will have some very good news in the near future.  We're just in the middle of crossing some "t's" and dotting a few "i's".  Once everything settles and we're 100% sure, we'll let all of you know.  This upcoming week we're going to be posting all about our trip to Thessaloniki Greece, a place many call Greeks pastry capital.

Rant - Food poisoning... I just wanted to complain about food poisoning.  I wanted to complain about it because I've had several people around me get it.  I'm not really sure how they got it, but I can tell you that it's not much fun.  I'm surprised that the world is not better at preventing it either.  To be honest what I know about the science of food poisoning is almost nothing, but you'd think that it could be killed by science some how.  Really, we build bombs that can blow away the whole earth, lasers that can shoot through all of space, and large metal tubes that can fly through the air, but we can't get food safety up to scratch?

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Monday's Candy Links

Read about how technology is working in old school sugar shaking, the future looks great.

Sure every Kit Kat isn't perfect, but it doesn't happen often that you get a bad one, and you can be sure Nestle will make it right.

I'm not sure glow in the dark sushi makes me happy, what do you think?

Apparently the maple syrup season this year isn't doing well.  DAM YOU GLOBAL WARMING!!!

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Popcorn, Is It A Nut?

In the realm of candy, do you think popcorn sits at about the same place as a nut?  In that case, are Rice Crisps nuts too?  I only say this because nuts and popcorn taste good with chocolate.  They both at a great texture to treats.  And they both taste OK in a salty and savory context.  So I ask you again, is popcorn a nut?

Click here to read our latest popcorn sweet treat review.

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Friday Candy Video - Skittles Once Again Creeps Me Out

These interactive commercials are effective in creeping me out, although I'm not sure if they sell Skittles very well.

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It's National Chips and Dip Day!

While I don't like all dips, when I eat dips I prefer chips.

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Friday's Candy Links

I love vending machine technology, it's amazing what companies will do to sell you a product.

High class food meets the best in low class sandwiches, the Foie Gras Fluffernutter.

Check out Candy Trail in Plymouth.

What are you doing this weekend?  If you live in Long Beach, I have a recommendation for you.

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Classic/Creative Candy Advertising - Bunny Head

Find this "Easter Bunny", and bring me his head filled with candy!  I never understand the appeal candy baskets shaped as heads.  Seems kind of sick to me.

As always, this ad was found on Vintage Ad Browser

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Thursday's Candy Links

At Christian Vautier Le Concept in New York city, they understand the importance of fresh chocolates and treats.

Seriously, I was thinking of writing a piece about some of my crazy toothpaste flavour ideas, and then I find this.

If you're good at finding eggs, you might win yourself some free Pop Rocks stuff.

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Stuff I Want To Try

Doritos JACKED  - Doritos - Apparently it's a super thick, heavy duty chip - Click here to learn more about this treat.

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Old Candy Critic Articles - Dinner Treats Part 1

I've decided to take down several old articles from the candycritic.org and re-post them here on the Candy Critic blog.  This week I'm posting Part 1 of an article I wrote about the candies you get after a dinner at a restaurant.  I posted so many treats in this article I've decided to break it up into several posts.

I never really thought about the industry that supplies candy to restaurants before. Often, when I go to a restaurant that doesn't require me to return a tray, I get a candy with my bill. The thing about this treat is when you get it with your bill, you never give it much thought. I mean there you are with your stomach full of mashed potatoes and a chicken dish with a really nice cream sauce, and someone hands you a candy. The last thing you're going to do is think about is the quality of this treat.

Well I decided to give it a little thought. I've decided that these treats need a little scrutiny, and maybe see if they're worth tipping over. So let's take a look at how I would tip if all I got was the treat at the end of the meal.  I should mention that each of these treats was collected after a real meal.

Campino

For some reason I love the way this candy looks, it's one of the best looking candies on the market. Taste wise it's kind of like a cream cycle, which now that I think about it I haven't had for years. I wonder if they still make them. This is the kind of treat that you know the owners of the restaurants actually gave a little thought.

Tip: 14%

Cherry Thing

You know why I like this candy; well it probably isn't the taste because it kind of taste like cherry bath products more than a fun cherry candy. But I like it because it has big pictures of what flavour it is on the package. Hey I'm a busy man and I don't have time reading packages after my big lunch break, I have people to meet and stuff.

Tip: 5%

Trebor Chocolate Mint

I have a horrible confession to make, I on occasion have been known to buy some of these for myself. I see them in the grocery store and my mouth starts to water. I can't explain it but I just have a thing for chocolate and mint, and these might be the main cause of my addiction. I'm a weak man.

Tip: 13%

Dare Mint

This is what I generally expect to find on my table when I finish a meal. A simple mint, in this case made by the nice people at Dare. The other thing about this particular mint is that when I received it, it was very seriously stale. It was a chewy on the outside and a little crunchy on the inside. As far as the flavour goes it wasn't really that minty. Had I eaten a really garlic filled meal, it probably wouldn't have helped my breath at all.

Tip: 8%

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Wednesday's Candy Links

Here are three facts you may not have known about Girl Scout Cookies, now stop reading and go buy some.

Here's a desperate attempt to claim that all candy bars are in fact named after sports figures.  Sure some are, but many are not.

Use candy to educate, it's pretty much the best idea to fix one of the worlds problems ever thought up.

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Candy Art - Ana Is Inspired To Make Some Good Looking Candy

Recently I got an e-mail from Ana, she's an at home, candy artist making some really great looking treats.

She was inspired by the idea of making Day of the Dead skulls that you could eat, since often the sugar skulls are more about decoration than eating.  With the help of her sister she quickly came up with several designs of tasty looking skulls.

She obviously has a knack for it, and this portrait made of chocolate is proof of that.  I don't know if I'd want to eat this or hang it up in my dinning room instead.

Truly this is where are and candy meet.

Click here to check out Ana's blog and click here to buy some of her stuff on Etsy.

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Tuesday's Candy Links

The Guardian looks at social media and candy, did I mention Candy Critic has a facebook and twitter site?

Boing Boing checks out the most fun you could have with an alien and candy hybrid toy.

I've always been told that dogs will die if they eat chocolate, then I'm told stories of people that accidentally let their dog eat chocolate and they survived.  So will chocolate kill a dog?

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This Week In Candy

Candy News -  I've been reading a lot lately about finances in the candy industry.  Cocoa and sugar prices are constantly fluctuating, and this creates uncertainty in the candy business world.  Fortunately it seems that only a few candy businesses are suffering so much that they have to close down, but many are feeling the crunch.  I worry when economic problems hit the candy industry, because it often leads to quality problems.  When cocoa and sugar are expensive (or even threaten to be expensive), candy quality can go down.  One of the great selling points of candy is its price, that's why the candy industry does well during recessions.  Because of this, candy companies will work harder at keeping their prices low, even if it sacrifices quality to do it.

What's Happening At Candy Critic -  Knock wood, I should have some good news about something I don't want to talk about yet.  Other than that we've been keeping busy with working on some new articles that should be online in the next few weeks.  We're also trying to come up with a good theme for our next candy review-a-thon that we hope to have next week.

Rant -  I've often mentioned on this blog, my dislike for sugar free sweet treats.  I want to clear one thing up about that.  I'm not against sugar free sweets, I'm against the way they are marketed to the world.  Sugar free sweets are an excellent way for people with health problems, like diabetes, to enjoy a treat now and again.  They can also be a great way to curb your sweet tooth, but you have to be careful.  Many sugar free sweets may contain other ingredients that are also bad for you when eaten excessively.  If you're looking to lose weight, or just eat healthier, the best way to do this is eating moderately.  This also allows you to enjoy the, often better tasting, sugar filled sweets.  Just because a treat comes in one package, does not mean that it's a single serving.  Also, a single serving for you could be very different than a single serving for another.  Learn to enjoy a taste of a sweet treat, without trying to fill a hunger.

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It's National Chocolate Caramel Day!

I've been lucky to have some really nice weather where I am now.  So I decided that the best way to celebrate this wonderful holiday would be to enjoy a bottle of iced tea, a small chocolate donut, and a caramel chocolate brownie.

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Monday's Candy Links

Are you a Risa Binder fan, frankly I can't say I've heard of her, but I can say I respect her love of sweet treats.

Glynn More has a complaint about the variety of chocolate bars available... He makes a good point.

It's not all about candy, but check out some interesting things used to make floors.

Check out Cadbury's giant Google+ page, bonus, it's made of chocolate.

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Quick Little Upate

I love cherries, in fact one of the things I miss most about Canada right now is cherry season.  Fortunately I'm distracted by the fun and exotic fruits available in Greece, but after this review I felt a little home sick.  Well I gotta go eat some fresh pomegranates right off the tree.

Click here to read the latest cherry filled review.

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Friday Candy Video - Street Cred Candy

While some of the lyrical choices seem to be a bit of a stretch, I do believe this guy might make candy cooler.

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Friday's Candy Links

One of my favorite art/candy events is back, the Peeps diorama contest!

Did you just eat a Twix bar for breakfast?  That's OK, it might not be that bad for you.

If you're a vegan and you find yourself in West Virginia, you might want to check out DeFluris Fine Chocolates.

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Classic/Creative Candy Advertising - Bunny In A Suit

Now that's one dapper bunny.  I wonder if this has anything to do with Easter?

As always I found this ad on Vintage Ad Browser.

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Thursday's Candy Links

Here's a great collection of crazy chip flavours.

The history of Rowntree chocolate, and 150 years of great sweet treats.

Here's a strange idea that just might work, cheese and caramel corn together.

Do you like to celebrate St Patrick's day with a Shamrock Shake?  Don't have a McDonald's near you right now?  That's OK, there is hope.

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Old Candy Critic Articles - Liquefied

I've decided to take down several old articles from the candycritic.org and re-post them here on the Candy Critic blog.  This week I'm posting an article I wrote about chocolate bar themed milk drinks.

Have you been to the dairy case lately? There are all of milk drinks that have somehow mixed up with chocolate bars to make some kind of milky treat. I could get into my theory as to how this is done, but to be honest, it’s a little graphic. I have to admit, I'm glad that it was milk drinks that went this direction. Knowing some “creative” candy minds in the world, I have seen chocolate bar themed colas. I probably shouldn’t have said that, because now I’m sure someone will read this and do it.

The problem I have with these treats is that many of the finer qualities of chocolate bars really can’t be re-created in liquid form. This seems like a good time to try a little one-on-one competition. Let’s see how one of these drinks can hold up against the real thing. As I write this I’m both thirsty and a little hungry, so the playing field is even.

I decided to pick a snack that I like but I’m not totally enamoured with. I figure that’s fair, because if I really liked it I’d probably just be mad that they changed it at all. I went with Neilson's Crispy Crunch bar. If you’ve never seen or tasted a Crispy Crunch, then you'd best read the review first. That, or try a Butterfinger. It’s close, but not as good.

I'll start with the Crispy Crunch bar. I figure that’s fair because the milk is based off the crunchy treat and not the other way around. As I said in my review, the Crispy Crunch is like a Butterfinger, only a little peanutier and less brittle. It has a great texture; so good that naming the bar after its texture is well deserved.

Since I know the milk won’t have the texture, I guess I should focus on the flavour of the bar. Basically, it has a chocolate-peanut flavour with just a hint of toffee. The toffee flavour, although slight, is really like burnt toffee. The treat is so well-balanced that you are not overwhelmed by what could be a really strong toffee flavour. It’s a bar that’s been around, and there’s no doubt as to why.

Now on to the milk. I should mention that I did follow all of the directions on the bottle. I shook well, and it is cold. The bar, on the other hand, was in one piece and just warm enough that I had to lick a bit of the chocolate off my fingers.

(Added tip: If you want to know when your milk drink is, shaken well, keep shaking it until it doesn’t slosh around anymore.)

The drink is a bit chocolatier than the bar. I know it would be impossible to simulate, but I really miss the texture. The taste is a little peanut-like with a bit of toffee, but it’s really hard to make out. It tastes different than regular chocolate milk, maybe even better, but I really find it a stretch to say it tastes like a Crispy Crunch bar.

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It's National Potato Chip Day!

One of the best salty snacks that has ever existed.  Only now is the world really learning the flavour possibilities of this snack.  We Canadians have been well aware of the joys of salt and vinegar, BBQ, and other fun flavours for many years now.

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Wednesday's Candy Links

All I have to say is "Giant Chocolate Cthulhu".

I love scavenger hunts, I love candy, so the Peeps scavenger hunt sounds fantastic.

Miss Muffet & Co, a candy company in the UK, has started to package their treats in completely compostable packaging.

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Candy Art - My Buddy Adam's Photos

Check out more of Adam's candy shots here.

 My friend Adam is a spectacular photographer.  I gave a shout out to some people to try and create some good looking candy art, and he came through in a big way.  These candy sticks are spectacular and I love the way he got the stripes to line up.

Check out more of Adam's candy shots here.

 He also shot this wonderful photo of a Toblerone bar.  The shape of the Toblerone bar is inspired by the hills in Switzerland, and Adam has shown what a great job they've done.

Check out more of Adam's candy shots here.

One of the things I really envy about Adam, is his ability to shoot great colours.  I get really frustrated with this in my own photography, and I always try and get my colours to pop like Adam does.

Click here to check out Adams website.

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