Stuff I Want To Try

Immuno Gum - ? - Because I'm getting over a flu, and I think the idea of being able to chew gum and feel better is pretty good. - Click here to learn more about this treat.

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This Week In Candy

Fall is upon us, and that means two things.  Warm drinks are now acceptable to drink, and Halloween stuff is going to be filling up the shelves at big box stores.  I hope over the next 30 days or so to post lots of links to anything Halloween related that crosses my path.  I'm even inviting all candy companies and candy stores to send me links that I can post, assuming they sell something Halloween related.  I'm also interested in knowing about any cool things you find that are Halloween related.

This week I'm going to be posting an interesting article about popcorn.  I've become fascinated with the stuff, and I'm starting to wonder if it's the biggest snack food in the world.  It's both scientifically interesting (you should see the science of popcorn popping), and it's really versatile.  So later this week I hope to have a tribute to this awesome snack up on the blog.

Finally, I'm bringing back the Wednesday Japanese Candy Review this week.  I've missed the last few weeks, and I was tempted just to cancel it, but a few people convinced me to continue.

Have a good week, I'm going to go eat an apple pie... an entire apple pie.

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A Popular Candy That I've Never Heard Of Reviewed

Before a few weeks ago, I'd never heard of a Catch Bar. Suddenly I get an e-mail from the folks that make them explaining to me that they've made a come back and are looking to take on the whole world.  They were very enthusiastic about this bar, but completely missed the idea that I may have never heard of them before.  It's always great to have an unbridled enthusiasm for a candy from a candy maker, and fortunately (if you read the review) you'll see that they have a lot to brag about.  It's just an interesting look at the fact that your favorite classic treat might be completely unknown to everybody else.

Click here to read today's new review.

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Candy News

Apparently there's a study that looks at what treats are best to eat while driving.

I was wondering if I should list this Japanese "Butt Pudding" as a "Thing I Wanted To Try", but frankly I don't really want to try it.

Do you love, or hate, the hard dip on an ice cream cone?  Well here's the science behind it, and it's only three words.

Jason Segel may be staring in the most Canadian movie ever made, all about maple syrup.

Think you could manage the worlds largest cookie, pumpkin pie, ice cream cone, or cupcake?  I'll place a bet against it.

More and more candy companies are pledging to stop advertising to kids, so start advertising to me, I'm a good demographic.

Cocoa prices have spiked, and that means chocolate bars will either be more expensive, or less chocolaty... It's a lose/lose situation.

Is the concept of savory and sweet in combination no longer a novelty yet?  I've been writing about it for years, candy companies have been making these treats for years, I think it's officially a common thing.

Ad Age takes a look back at Twinkie the Kid.

If you want to keep up with all of the daily candy news that we come across as it happens, follow us on Twitter.

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Fistiki Fest (Pistachios Everywhere)

Last weekend I visited a festival on the Greek island of Aegina called the "Fistiki Fest".  For those that don't speak Greek "fistiki" is Greek for pistachio.  I love going to festivals, and I particularly love festivals based on foods.  The best kind of food festivals to go to tend to be based on ethnic foods (like a Greek food festival, or a Chinese food festival) or food festivals based on a particular harvest, like this one.  I was really looking forward to this festival because it was celebrating the harvest of my favourite nut, and I wasn't disappointed at all.

Festivals can really be hit or miss in my opinion.  I've been to festivals where they're supposed to be celebrating one thing, but most of the vendors and entertainment have nothing to do with the namesake of the festival.  Who wants to go to a rib festival and buy potpourri, or cat T-shirts?  I've also been to some festivals where they don't work with the environment around them.  Local festivals are the best when they include the locals and local business.  This festival really celebrated the pistachio, and it also celebrated the community where pistachios grow.

The first thing this festival got right was the premise, pistachios.  It's a simple premise, the nuts are harvested at this time of year, and now is the time to try them as fresh as possible.  There's no side ideas or extra events in the Fistiki Fest, just pistachios.  Since the community is such a big producer of these nuts there are plenty of people in the area that can cook with them, and show them off.  It's also nice to know exactly what you're in for; Fistiki (Pistachio) Fest is pretty clear what they're celebrating.

When walking along the main festival street you're hit with one particular theme during this festival, pistachios.  While there were a few non-pistachio businesses on the route, I would have to say that at lest three quarters of the booths at this festival sold pistachios or pistachios related products.  The great thing about pistachios is that they're a very versatile nut that you can use in liquors, baking, soaps, and even just on their own.  Fortunately the people of Aegina (particularly those that set up this festival) know the versatilities of this nut, and know that a festival is a great place to show it off.  If you had dropped me off at this festival and not told me what the main theme was, I could have easily figured it out.

As I've said above, the fact that this festival was celebrating a local crop, that many of the local people depend on for a living, makes it a better festival.  You can see the pride that everybody in the town has over their crop, and they really love the idea of showing it off.  Since it's a small town the festival is not that big, but since it's so tied into the local people, you can find pistachios throughout the town, and it becomes an extension of the festival itself. If you walk about 30 minutes towards the outskirts of town you'll even come across many pistachio farms (freshly harvested).  Even many of the restaurants use pistachios in their cooking, so off the beaten path you can celebrate this awesome nut.

This was by no means the biggest festival I've ever been to, but it was one of the best.  Unless you really hate pistachios I highly recommend you stop by Aegina around the middle of September.  You'll not only come to a fun festival with all kinds of great ways to sample pistachios (I tried complete raw/fresh pistachios for the first time), but you'll also see a community that is proud of their harvest.  Everyone we met was very friendly, and the desserts where spectacular.

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Friday Candy Video

While I love Riesen chocolates, part of this commercial really disturbs me.  Maybe it's the grainy film quality, or the strange music, or maybe it's the little kids shorts.  After he walks in the door I thought he wasn't wearing any pants. I almost felt as though I shouldn't post this commercial because it might be deemed as inappropriate.

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Classic/Creative Candy Advertising

I think my favorite candy concept of my childhood had to be Nerds candy.  I can't explain why I was fascinated with both the candy and the strange little no armed mascots, but I was.  While I never got myself a plush Nerd, I did order myself an I *heart* Nerds T-shirt.  It took so long to arrive in the mail that by the time I got it I was almost too big to fit into it.  Fortunately that meant that it never really got that worn, and that means that I actually still have it in almost perfect condition.  If anybody out there has a Nerds plush toy in good condition, and would be willing to trade it for a Nerds T-shirt (very small) in almost perfect condition, drop me a line.

I found this ad here.

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A Cool Candy Thing

Since I've never tested this particular item, I can't say for sure that it works.  I can however attest to the idea that we need a better way to eat potato chips.  My fingers get pretty gross, even when it's just a bag of plain potato chips, don't even get me started about ketchup flavoured chips.  While I can see some possible faults with this particular invention, most of all the fact that you can only really eat full sized chips while the crumbs will remain, I think it's a step in the right direction.

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Stuff I Want To Try

Jelly Belly Milkshakes - Rivermill - Because chewing your Jelly Bellies is overrated. - Click here to learn more about this treat.

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This Week In Candy

This past week was in great part a week of getting over the flu.  I can safely say that I'm pretty much over it, having said that I'm sure it'll come back with a vengeance.  Because of my good health, I'm going to get back on track and start writing up a storm.  I've got a few blog ideas that I want to write up, and I've started to work on a new book pitch.  I may be asking a few random questions on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr over the next month or so.  Any help is greatly appreciated.

This past weekend I went on an adventure (since I was feeling better).  Allison, our friend Kevin, and myself discovered the Fistiki Fest on Aegina island in Greece.  Fistiki means pistachio in English, so it was a festival dedicated to my favorite nut.  I hope to have a more detailed article about the festival posted later this week.

Finally, I've been getting a lot of treats sent to me for review.  I didn't want to review them when I was sick, so now I have a pretty extreme pile to deal with.  Over the next few weeks we have some really exciting and creative reviews to do.  I'll be posting previews of these reviews on our social media network as well.

Time to write, and lose all of my distractions... oohhhh, a puppy!

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The Nesquik Bunny Would Like This Review

It's pretty amazing how the beverage industry and the candy industry get along.  There are hundreds of sweet treats based on drinks, and hundreds of drinks based on sweet treats.  The only other industry that I think gets along as well with the candy world is cereal companies.  There are a lot of cross over treats and cereals as well. While this Nesquik bar is a pretty obvious cross over, there are a few that are a little stranger, the old Gator Gum comes to mind.  I hope that these ties stay close, and it might be nice to see even more food industries getting into the candy act.

Click here to read today's chocolate milk themed candy review.

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Candy News

Halloween is coming, and here's some tips on how to keep that Halloween candy from going bad.

Speaking of Halloween, what do you hope to get in your sack-o-treats this year.  According to this study it's chocolate.

Mallomars turn 100 years old this year, that's one stale cookie.

Lots of small towns all over the world are the hometowns of classic candies, some of these candies are even still made in these towns.

I think it would be difficult to argue that fruit is the most influential food group to influence candy, the trend is to make them even more closely related.

Is New Jersey's pride Kevin Smith, Bruce Springsteen, or a lollipop with gum in the middle?

I think I may have posted this before, but it's a really interesting story about Communism and how it was thwarted by candy.

Did you that there was such a thing as a chocolate shoe contest, well now you do.

If you want to keep up with all of the daily candy news that we come across as it happens, follow us on Twitter.

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Friday Candy Video

This is a pretty sweet commercial all about how a simple gum wrapper can give you some fond childhood memories.  I can actually relate to this commercial, because when I was a kid, my dad used to make boats out of our old paper potato chip bags.  We used to go to the local canal and float them down the current, running along the banks to keep up with our salty chip boats.  Good times.

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Stuff I Want To Try

Real Good Gum - ? - There are two reasons I want to try this gum, first of all crowd sourced candy is an awesome idea, secondly I love Mexican wrestler masks. - Click here to learn more about this treat.

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Classic/Creative Candy Advertising

That is one happy looking family.  Why wouldn't you be, they're all apart of a popcorn dynasty that probably made them rather wealthy.  Do you think they enjoyed popcorn, or do you think they were sick of the stuff?  While I enjoy a snack, probably more than the average guy, I don't know if I could live a life with that much popcorn around me.

I found this ad here.

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A Cool Candy Thing

I can't tell without actually using this thing, but it's either the greatest invention ever, or a potential for a cookie disaster.  The worry I have is in the strength of the cream.  I'd worry that after soaking in the milk too long, the cream might separate, and therefore your cookie would sink to its milky grave.  Having said that, I do find that when it comes to dunking Oreos, the cream does hold up better than the cookie when soaked.  So I guess timing will be an issue, but if timed right you'll have a fully submersed cookie, and dry fingers as well.

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Stuff I Want To Try

TCHO Hazelnut, Gelato, Strawberry Chocolates - TCHO - All three flavours sound awesome, but all three flavours together would be even better. - Click here to learn more about this treat.

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This Week In Candy

Above is my first attempt at chocolate pasta.  It worked fairly well but I'm lacking in any kid of sauce to put over top of it.  Suggestions are more than welcome.

This week is not going as I had hopped.  Last week I started a new article that I had hopped to post this week, but then this weekend happened.  I woke up on Saturday not feeling great at all, then my not feeling great turned to downright horrible.  So I'm going to be taking it easy this week.  Don't worry, there's still a new review, and many other fun segments will still be posted.  I'm starting to feel better today as well.

You may be wondering why I posted a new review when, as I said above, I'm not really feeling well.  It seems unfair to review any treat when you're sick, right?  Well here's the truth, I have many reviews sitting around waiting to be posted.  Probably about 100 of them.  I like to be consistent and always post every week (now with the Japanese reviews twice a week), but I'm not always up to tasting a treat and writing a review.  That's where this backup comes in.  When I'm sick, or too busy to write a new review, I can always go to my backup.

Well I'm going to go rest for a while, right about now I could use a cup of soup and a can of ginger ale.  If you happen to know any good recipes to help out a sick Candy Critic, just leave them in the comments.

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Trying To Review All of the Classics

In my never ending attempt to review every single "classic" candy treat I can think of, I present to you Maltesers.  Some people may not be as familiar with Maltesers as others, but to me they're a classic treat that I have for years overlooked on Candy Critic.  I know there are many others, but slowly I hope to get through as many as I can.  I'm sure it's a never ending battle, but a battle certainly worth fighting.

Click here to read today's classic review.

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Candy News

Not really sure about the choice of words on the back of that chocolate bar?  Well Mental Floss has a list of some common words used in food products, and what they actually mean.

Seriously gore cakes for Halloween this year, not for the faint of heart.

I'd love to have a photo of every world leader printed on chocolate, that way if I feel they've wrong the world, or been ousted from their country, I can eat it.

It's great that this UK candy company has signed a deal to distribute in Canada, but even better is the photo in the article featuring a royal visit to their factory.

The folks at Serious Eats created a list of foods that kept them going through college, snacking appears to be a theme.

So Oreo cookies have a unique black cocoa ingredient, and Oreo wants to file a patent for it, but apparently this ingredient is illegal in several countries.  Your thoughts?

You know all the times I've mentioned that chocolate is good for you, apparently being young helps as well.

I don't know if I've mentioned this here before, but I'm planning a huge trip to Disney World, and this is on my "to eat" list.

If you want to keep up with all of the daily candy news that we come across as it happens, follow us on Twitter.

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Friday Candy Video

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival to all my Chinese friends out there.  I'm not really that familiar with all of the details of this festival, but I am familiar with the Mooncake, or at least I thought I was.  I've tried one or two varieties of this amazing Chinese sweet treat, but I had no idea that there were so many other varieties out there.  While this video is a great guide to the many varieties of Mooncake, I think tasting them all would be much more helpful.

I found this video here.

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Cadbury Is Choosing Style Over Substance

On February 15th 2010 I made a prediction of sorts.  More than a prediction, I gave a warning to Kraft; the new owners of Cadbury, that they shouldn't mess with these perfect products.  When I wrote the piece, I gave Kraft the benefit of the doubt, but I warned them not to change the Dairy Milk Bar, the flagship bar of the Cadbury line.  It's been a few years since I wrote that post on this blog, and now they've done it.

Cadbury recently changed the shape of the Dairy Milk Bar from squares to bubble-like shapes.  You may be thinking that this is only an aesthetic change, and doesn't really affect the bar that much at all.  But it's not true; with the change in shape, they've shaved 4 grams off the weight of the bar.  Now that might not seem like much to you, but when you're a company selling millions of bars a year it adds up.

According to some statistics, over 350 million Dairy Milk bars are sold a year. When you do the math, Cadbury is saving almost 1.5 billion grams of chocolate a year.  That totals more than 31 million bars worth of chocolate saved. At 59p per bar they're saving more than 18 million British pounds a year (29 million US dollars).  These little bubbles no longer seem so much of an aesthetic choice.  After sampling the bar myself, I can't say that the lack of corners improved my experience at all. If anything, I found that the new shape made it harder to break the bar apart.

Dairy Milk isn't the only bar that seems to be going this direction.  There's a trend in bars and other chocolate treats coming in new shapes, or filled with bubbles.  I'm not convinced that this is really what people want. I'm sure people don't want to pay the same amount for less chocolate per bar.  The reason I think the candy companies are doing this is the fact that cocoa and sugar prices have been fluctuating a lot lately.  The best way to keep the price of a chocolate bar down is to make it smaller. If you reduce the cocoa it can affect the taste, but a few grams shaved off is hardly noticeable.  I don't object to making bars smaller at all; I object to making them smaller and disguising it as a "fun" new promotion.

The best way for candy companies to deal with this problem is to ask the people what they want to eat.  If they want less cocoa in their bar with a cheap price tag, make a new bar that can fill this need.  If they want a better quality chocolate but smaller to keep the price down, make mini Dairy Milk bars.  I love the candy industry because of the variety available.  I like that there are big bars, little bars, cheap chocolate, fine chocolate, and everything in between.  If you make every bar the same by reducing the sizes and changing the recipes, you'll eventually put people like me out of business - all my reviews would just be exactly the same.

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Stuff I Want To Try

M&M’s Birthday Cake Chocolate Candies - Mars - I'd like to use these candies to decorate my birthday cake, that way I'd have a meta birthday cake. - Click here to learn more about this treat.

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Classic/Creative Candy Advertising

Jason Soy created this fictional advertisement, and designed what I can only describe as the greatest idea ever for a piece of sporting equipment.  I think more items of clothing should have places to put your chocolate bars.

Click here to read more about Jason's concept.

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Yesterday Was Wednesday, Yet Today We're Posting Wednesday's Japanese Candy Review

Time got the better of me yesterday and I wasn't able to post our latest Japanese candy review.  Does that make today's review any worse?  I dare say it makes today's review even better.  After all anticipation can make things pretty awesome.  I'm convinced that many of you reading this blog don't really "anticipate" new reviews, so I'm probably just laying it on kind of thick.

In the past I've mentioned that I wasn't sure if I would continue the Wednesday Japanese Review.  I'm thinking of eventually changing it up, but until I have the perfect replacement idea, I think I'll just keep it going.

Click here to read yesterday's Japanese candy review.

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A Cool Candy Thing

I can't tell if this would bring more fun to eating ice cream, or less.  The biggest disappointment I could see with this gadget is the fact that you don't get to eat the cone.  Having said that, I'm not sure if the cone is really the best part of the ice cream cone. I don't know one person that would say it's their favorite part.  After all if the cone was anybodies favorite part, they would have made a cone flavoured ice cream by now.  The problem with this gadget is in a vision I get every time I look at this picture above.  The vision is of me sitting in a park all by myself eating ice cream with the cone spinning around and around.  On my face there would be a look of complete sadness because no one wants to hang around the guy eating from the mechanized ice cream cone.

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Stuff I Want To Try

Chocolate Mooncakes - Godiva - What better way to celebrate any cultural holiday than with a traditional snack covered in chocolate. - Click here to learn more about this treat.

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This Week In Candy

I've noticed a disturbing trend lately with one of my favorite chocolate bars.  I can't claim that I know something is going on, but I'm very worried by certain actions this candy company has taken.  I'm doing a little more research into this chocolate bar right now, and I hope to have a full report up later this week.  All I can say is I may be changing my mind about one of my favorite chocolate bars after I'm finished writing this piece.  (But don't worry, it's not Kit Kat)

Speaking of Kit Kat, my friend Jon sent me the link to the official Kit Kat website to point out how on board they are with the new Android operating system.  As you may have read last week, Android has officially announced that they're new operating system will be called Kit Kat.  This is to follow the trend of naming their operating systems after candy, however this is the first time they've used the name of a particular candy brand.  It'll be interesting to see how this works out, and if anybody from Android or Kit Kat want to send me a preview copy, I'd be glad to write it up on this blog... *cricket... cricket.... cricket*

Stay tuned this week for our regular segments, and if I get it out on time I should have the piece that I described above done as well.  I'm also working on a few pieces for the print media (or general entertainment, food, or news blogs), but I'm just looking to try and find someone interested in publishing them.  If you happen to be a big time editor, let me know if you'd be interested in checking these pieces out.

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African Chocolate Review

Of all the continents, Africa is the one that I have the fewest candy reviews.  I think it's pretty safe to say that I haven't really sampled that many African treats in my life.  It probably has a great deal to do with the fact that I've never actually set foot in Africa, so I've never had the opportunity to scope out a candy store.  The only African treats I've been lucky enough to sample are brought to me by friends who have visited (or in some cases live there).  I'm sure a trip to Africa is in my future, and I'm sure I'll sample many fine treats when I go.

Click here to read today's African candy review.

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Candy News

Android names their latest operating system after an actual bar, the Kit Kat. So is there a lawsuit in the works, or a serious advertising campaign?

How do you eat your candy corns?  Are you the norm or the exception?

Spreadable Beer, just in case you're board with peanuts and chocolate.

A DIY project that will justify polishing off an entire package of gum, and keep your earbuds in good condition.

Food Navigator is talking about what flavours reign in the snack world, I disagree, but I don't like spicy foods.

How's your heart, do you keep forgetting things?  Well dark chocolate might be the perfect answer to your problems.

For all you Vegan candy fanatics out there, soon you'll be able to enjoy M&Ms as well.

The Huffington Post is writing about retro candy, kind of muscling in on my territory if you ask me.

If you want to keep up with all of the daily candy news that we come across as it happens, follow us on Twitter.

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Stuff I Want To Try

Lay's Canada Chips Flavors - Lay's - I want to try them all!!! - Click here to learn more about this treat.

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Friday Candy Video

I'm not sure I completely understand the latest trend of breaking apart  candies ideologically.  Mike and Ike's did it a while back, and Twix has also joined in the fun.  This Twix campaign is all about how silly it is to think that there's a difference between the left and right Twix bar, but they still want to create a tension.  I'm going to blame this new "tension" trend on the internet.  People like to read about problems between friends and family, so making up a fake split up fits this interest.  Fortunately it doesn't appear that Twix is going to actually do anything to their bars in relation to this campaign.  Nothing ticks me off more than a brand worrying more about the campaign than the candy.

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York, The Chocolate City

When you hear the words "chocolate city", you instantly think about Hershey, Pennsylvania, Brussels in Belgium, and maybe even Cologne, Germany.  While there's not doubt that these cities played a big role in the evolution of chocolate as a confectionery, York in northern England is often overlooked.  I can tell you myself that I didn't even think about York that much when I planned my trip through northern England and Scotland, but that quickly changed.

The main company that really made its mark in York is Rowntree; outside of the UK (with the exception of Australia and Canada) most people may not be aware of this company.  Started around 1862 in York, Rowntree was once one of the most powerful and creative candy companies in the western world.  To this day their legacy lives on, Kit Kat, Aero, and Yorkies are but a few examples of their creative genius.  The candy bar, and chocolate world would not be the same without the Rowntree family.  While many of these treats have now been sold to different companies, the Rowntree name is still very important to any candy historian.

Not only did the Rowntree family create some of the most famous candies in the world, they also helped train some of the legends of the industry.  John Cadbury and Joseph Fry, two very fmaous candy makers were apprenticed under the Rowntrees.  These two men went from working with the Rowntree family in York, to go on to creating candy history themselves.  We also can't forget that the Terry's family got their start in York, makers of the Terry's Chocolate Orange (originally an apple).

Today York has a great deal of competing history, from their Roman past, their latest Viking discoveries, and of course their medieval wall.  There's only so much room left to celebrate this glorious chocolate past.  Rowntree and Terry's still manufacture treats in York, including the UK Kit Kat bar (the best Kit Kat bar that there is by the way).  There is also a great deal of evidence left from the Rowntree family; many parks, walkways, and buildings still bear the name Rowntree.  These places were donated to the city from this wealthy family because of their beliefs about giving back to the community.

Unfortunately if you plan a trip to York, two of the most important buildings in Rowntree history are no longer what they used to be.  The original chocolate shop on Pavement has been turned into a Pizza Hut, and their original factory along the River Ouse is gone.  While there is no hope of getting the factory back, there is still a little history left of their Pavement Street location.

The downstairs has been totally remodeled into the modern Pizza Hut, but upstairs (on the way to the bathroom) you'll find a few of the original windows.  Also, when I asked my waiter about the history of the building, he informed me that the upstairs hasn't been touched at all.  He asked me if I wanted to run up there and take a look, and I couldn't say no.  The upstairs literally hasn't been touched at all, and it's totally falling apart.  But there's still evidence of what was once a beautiful building, and in these rooms the greats, Fry, Cadbury, and Rowntrees learned their craft.

While some of the history is gone from this great chocolate town, there have been some new additions.  Most notably is the York's Chocolate Story attraction.  While many might look at this as a cheesy attraction, it's actually one of the best chocolate information centres I've ever visited.

They don't have much in the way of actual museum pieces, a few packages and a few advertising props are all.  But what they offer is a really great look into the history of chocolate in the Western world, and in particular in York.

Best of all, this museum offers samples, and I'm not just talking about a piece of chocolate here or there.  As you learn about how chocolate has evolved around the world, you get to sample chocolate.  Each sample is made in the way described at each stage of history, from early French chocolate, to the chocolate drink consumed by the Mayans.  The last part of the tour looks at modern chocolate manufacturing techniques, and samples here abound.

You can't even leave without a great chocolate treat, during the tour you're asked to design a chocolate treat, and when it's ready to go, you get to take it home.  I was so full of chocolate by this point I was able to save it for later.

These are just a few examples of why York, might be one of the best chocolate cities in the world.  Don't forget that there are many candy companies still in operation here.  Rowntree, and Terry's are the big ones, but there are other smaller companies still making sweets.  Someday one of these smaller companies may join the Rowntree's as future legends to come out of this chocolate city.

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Classic/Creative Candy Advertising

Two things inspired me to post this advertisement, first of all I'm feeling really lazy this week.  Secondly the folks at Google have announced that the latest version of their Android operating system is going to be called KitKat.  I know that this is a fairly obvious, un-creative choice to post this week, but as you read above, "I'm feeling lazy this week".

I found this ad here.

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A Cool Candy Thing

Is this the greatest invention ever built for donut lovers?  It's pretty darn close, but not exactly.  First of all I can't imagine that this donut maker is self cleaning, and making donuts is a greasy messy chore.  Secondly I don't believe that there is a timer attached to this machine, thus allowing me to have a warm plate of donuts waiting for me every morning.  While I can't argue that the Donut Factory isn't a spectacular machine that will fill your tummy up with tasty warm little donuts, I can argue that the lazy gluten in us all will be ticked off by some of the work that might be involved.

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Wednesday Japanese Candy Review!

I've often thought about compiling lists on this blog, list like the best chips, favorite Kit Kats, and sourest treats ever.  If I was to make the list of sourest treats ever, this candy would be on that list.  If there are ways to measure sour, I'm not sure if it would rank very high, but this candy is relentless and keeps the sour coming for much longer than any other candy I can think of.

I'd like to thank the fine people at oyatsucafe.com for providing us with this extremely sour treat.

Click here to read this intense review.

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This Week In Candy

AHHHHHH!!! It appears my computer has been infested with some kind of horrible advertising type virus.  Everywhere I turn a popup advertisement tells me how much weight I need to lose.  How do they know that I have a candy blog?  Well I had big plans for writing blogs today, but now I have to... go outside and enjoy this warm day.  That just means I'll be writing tomorrow instead.

This week I hope to get the last article about our epic UK trip up, all about a town called York, and how it completely changed the chocolate bar world.  I have another beef with Cadbury that I want to deal with as well.  Other than that I'm working on the final details for a really big candy giveaway that will either start this week or next.  I'm also expecting a few packages in the mail soon, and that means some very fun reviews in our near future.

Finally I'm looking for ideas and contributors, if you have a fun idea that you'd like to contribute to the Candy Critic blog let me know.

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A Sweet Cherry Review

I'm always getting e-mails from readers, and candy companies, who are surprised that I haven't tasted a particular treat.  In some cases I may not have even heard of this particular treat.  In other cases I may have actually missed it.  Today's review is one of those classic candy treats that I've been eating my entire life, but only now have I actually realized that it was missing on Candy Critic. I really appreciate when people tell me about treats that I may have missed.  In some cases you might be introducing me to something I've never tasted, in other cases you may be reminding me of a treat I once loved.

Click here to read today's classic candy review.

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