The Best Fudge In The World, According to Me

 

One of the most common questions I get about candycritic.org is "what inspired me to write about candy". People often talk about people having a "sweet tooth" and that's probably true, but I feel like sometimes foods can go a little deeper than just a love of sweets, salty or any flavour. A true passion for food often comes from memories, growing up and remembering positive parts of your life that may have been associated with that flavour or smell. There's been a ton of research on the subject and more often than not smell and flavours have been been proven as the most powerful triggers for memories.

This brings me to Maple Leaf Fudge in Niagara on the Lake (just near Niagara Falls). I'm pretty certain that this place is the first place I'd ever tasted handmade fudge. It's actually possible (maybe not likely) that Maple Leaf Fudge might have been the first sweet thing I'd ever eaten. I say this because both of my parents were born near Niagara on the Lake, and both of my grandparents lived fairly close. I've been going to this area of Canada pretty much my entire life.

When I  describe the origins of my sweet tooth it involves family trips to this area and if we were anywhere near Maple Leaf Fudge it would involve getting a slab or two. This fudge shop is in my DNA, and to this day I don't like to pass it by if I'm in the area.

The truly hard question for me to answer however is, objectively how is the fudge. I say this because I've never had a bad slice of fudge from this shop, at least that I can remember. The problem is that there's a very good chance that my memory has chopped out any bad parts from this part of my life. It's also true that visiting this part of Canada has always meant fun family gatherings and small adventures. This means that even if the fudge was bad, it was surrounded with a fun time.

On a recent trip to Niagara I decided to pick up a slab, because I really couldn't think of missing out. I tried to taste the fudge objectively and it seemed pretty good. It had a slight crust on the outside but the centre was soft and even a little gooey. The flavour was really nice and filled my head with maple and chocolate. Unfortunately anything after that is tainted with the fact that it was a wonderful day with my wonderful wife. We visited an fantastic bookstore, had an amazing lunch and walked down the beautiful streets of Niagara on the Lake. It was a perfect day, so I'm not sure if this also affected my love of this fudge.

I'll probably never review anything out of this shop. If you ask me what to do in Niagara on the Lake, I'm always going to suggest getting some fudge. I'm always going to tell you it's the best fudge in the world. Sure you might have your own opinion, and you might even have your own den of nostalgia that's better, and frankly I'm not mad. If you have a place that can and always has brought you this much joy, I'm truly happy for you.