So Many Wafers

 

I think wafers might be the most popular cookie that's put into candy bars. There are just so many of them out there, with some doing really well, and others... well. It's weird because some of my least favourite candy bars use wafers and some of my favourite bars also use wafers. It seems like such a simple ingredient to use, so it makes me wonder what makes for a good wafer based candy bar and what makes for a horrible wafer based bar. My guess is it's not just one thing, it's probably a lot of factors that go into making a great wafer bar.

Check out my latest review that features one of those great wafer based bars.

Junk Fud in London

 In this episode Allison and Chris talk about a recent trip to London (and only London) where they bought some special tea and ate a lot of sandwiches.

Pick Up Some Snack Facts

It’s about time that you brushed up on your snack facts. The best way to do that is to pick up my comic series all about that very subject (and even the name is the same).

Pick up Snack Facts right now at candycritic.org/snackfacts/ or on Amazon.

This Post Isn't So Much About Candy

I'm sick, and it's food poisoning. In the candy world it's very rare to get food poisoning, but I often travel/live in places where food hygiene isn't the best. That means that I suffer from fairly regular bouts of food poisoning. The reason I mention this here is that I wanted to point out that I'm still posting a new review, even though I'm not really eating solid foods. I can do this because the truth is I have a pretty big collection of pre-written reviews. There are many advantages to having this list of reviews, one of them being that I can still post a new review when I'm not even eating solid foods.  I'm at the point where things are getting better, but I think it's going to be a while till I write a new review.

Check out this new review, from my archives?

What is a Big Mac?

There’s a global trend that’s changing the landscape of fast food, and it’s chicken. Sure chicken’s been a part of fast food for ages, probably for as long as fast food has existed. However, when most people think of fast food, they think of hamburgers or pizza. This is changing though, and more and more fast food restaurants are becoming chicken experts. There are many competing theories about why this is happening. Some people suggest that global food prices are making beef too expensive, others suggest that it’s a choice people are making for health, some even suggest that it’s just a trend that people prefer eating.

What that’s lead to is many fast food chains adding more chicken to their menu, and McDonald’s is no exception. They’ve not only added many new chicken options to their menu, they’ve started to offer chicken variations of their classic burgers. One such item is the Chicken Mac. I decided to give one of these a try and it really made me think about how one defines “what is a Big Mac”.

The problem I ran into is that McDonald’s made more than one change to this classic sandwich. The most obvious change is that they went with two deep fried chicken patties instead of the beef. However, the other change they made is that the Big Mac sauce was changed to just regular mayonnaise. The rest of the sandwich was pretty much the same, lettuce, cheese, re-hydrated onion, pickles and the three layer bun. I didn’t actually research any of this before getting the Chicken Mac, and was kind of shocked by the lack of the Big Mac sauce.

It made me wonder, is it still a Big Mac (or any kind of “Mac” sandwich at all)? I suggested to Allison that I don’t think that this could be considered in the same family of sandwiches, and she argued that it could because it still had that unique bun and the same toppings. She also suggested that the rest of the burger still seemed Mac like. I’m not sure if I agree, but this is actually something that comes up a lot in fast food and candy.

When a candy company makes a different variation of a candy bar, can it still be in the same family. A great example is if we compare the Kit Kat bar with the Kit Kat Chunky (or Big as some call it). While a Kit Kat Chunky kind of looks like a finger of a Kit Kat bar, it’s really only one finger. The ratio of chocolate to wafers is different, and the size of the wafers is different as well. When you think about it, most chocolate bars are really just one finger as well. So does that mean a Kit Kat chunky really isn’t a Kit Kat bar? How far can you stray and how many ingredients can you change while still keeping a snack or junk food item in the same family?

Are all fast food sandwiches that have Big Mac sauce on them, a Big Mac? Can you put Big Mac sauce on a Quarter Pounder and call it a Quarter Pounder Mac? Or do you need that unique bun too? In the last 10 or 20 years it’s become really popular to make variations on popular snack and fast food items, but how far is too far? I argue that the Chicken Mac is not a Big Mac anymore.

The Super In Super Sour Means Business

 For the longest time I've believed that the Super Sour from Japan was the most sour candy I'd ever reviewed. I finally go my hand on another bag of them and after many years it's time to find out if the sour still holds up.

See what I'm up to right now on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

You can also read my fun book about candy and animals right now by picking up Treats and Beasts.

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That Blue Orchid Is Amazing!

 She’s going to kick some ass.

Make sure to pick up all the Blue Orchid comics and mech right now at bewarethecheese.com/blueorchid/.

A Lot Of Kit Kat Bars

One of the things I've started to do on candycritic.org is collect Kit Kat bars. In particular I've started to collect reviews of milk chocolate Kit Kat bars from different parts of the world. It's been long thought that the British, Canadian and American Kit Kat bars while being similar, have some slight differences. I've also noticed that a few other countries around the world make their own version, and in some cases they to are different. Sometimes it's really hard to pinpoint the exact differences, but sometimes (like with this new review) it's really easy.

Check out this fairly unique milk chocolate Kit Kat bar.

Korean Barbecue in 10 Seconds

 Watching the meat rotate is so hypnotic.

A Beastly and Treatly Book

 If you love reading about snacks and candy, as well as interesting beasts in alphabetical order, do I have a book for you.

Pick up Treats and Beasts right now at bewarethecheese.com/treatsnbeasts/ or on Amazon.

So Many Pocky

I think Pocky probably ranks as number 2 on my list of candies with the most varieties, number 1 being Kit Kat. You wouldn't imagine that there could be so many varieties of a cookie stick covered in chocolate, but here we are. As of this moment I've reviewed 19 different variety of Pocky, and there are still a few out there I haven't tried, as well as new versions coming out all the time. I can't say that I've loved each and every version, but they have yet to make a real gross out version (like wasabi Kit Kat).

Check out my latest Pock review.

That Jolly Bee

This isn’t my first Jollibee experience, but it’s my first at a Jollibee in the Philippines, and I think that can be important. My first Jollibee experience was in the Middle East, and it was okay, but not great. There were two problems with that visit that were completely eliminated this time around. The first issue was my own, I didn’t know what to order. It seems like a silly problem, you should be able to order anything on a menu at a fast food restaurant and enjoy it. The reality is that it’s not the case. Fast food restaurants offer different items for different tastes, and some items are more popular than others. The popular (or better) items may not be intuitive to people unfamiliar with the restaurant or the culture where that restaurant originated. In other words, I ordered a burger at Jollibee the first time I went and it wasn’t great.

The second problem when I visited Jollibee in the Middle East is an issue with importation. One of the balancing acts fast food places must do when expanding outside of their original country of origin is authenticity versus adaptation. Authenticity is the attempt to offer customers at their new restaurants the same thing that they had at their original restaurants. Adaptation is the barriers you have in this new country, which could include limited ingredients, staff that may not have experience cooking and serving that food and dinners who may not like all of the aspects of the food you're serving. It can be very complicated and can lead to the experience I had at the Middle Eastern Jollibee.

This time however I was not only prepared (I know the fried chicken is the thing to eat), but being in the Philippines I know I’m getting the real deal. My experience this time was totally better. First of all the chicken is amazing, juicy on the inside and a nice crunchy coating. We had 3 pieces of chicken between the two of us and there wasn’t a bad one.

The spaghetti is the one item I ordered from both the Middle East Jollibee and the one in the Philippines. The difference was pretty significant. I remember the spaghetti in the Middle East being sticky and over cooked. The cheese was also not as plentiful and I could be wrong but I don’t think it was the same kind of cheese. It could be the quality of the cooking, or just my imagination, but the sauce this time didn’t seem as sweet. Don’t get me wrong, Filipino spaghetti sauce is very sweet compared to western spaghetti sauce, but this didn’t feel like I was eating sugar glazed spaghetti.

We also decided to try out the desserts this time, since I heard the pies are amazing. We also got a cookie sundae as well. The sundae was good, but the pie was excellent. While Allison actually preferred the sundae, I thought the sundae was fairly average with the two improvements being the quality of the cookie bits and the fact that they used a hard shell chocolate sauce. The pie on the other hand was perfect. The filling tasted a bit more like peach than mango, but frankly I really enjoyed that. The crust was crunchy and deep fried (seriously why did McDonald's start baking their pies in some countries), delicious!

It was a fine meal, and as of writing this we still have a few days left here in the Philippines and another stop at Jollibee is completely possible. I’m not sure how I feel about attempting another Jollibee outside of the Philippines, because of my previous experience. This did however make me think about a few of the other fast food and restaurant chains I’ve tried outside of their country of origin, particularly the ones that I didn’t really like that much… I’m looking at you Hardee’s.

Quick List - The Best Candies For Each Letter of the Alphabet - V-Z plus Numbers

 A quick list of the best candies from each letter of the alphabet. This time we're going to be checking out V through Z as well as numbers.

Snack On Some Facts

 

If you’ve ever wondered where potato chips were invented or how Haribo got its name, make sure to check out Snack Facts.

Get your copy of this fun comic series right now at candycritic.org/snackfacts/buy.htm or on Amazon.

It Looks Cool I Guess

One of the problems I have with candy is also one of the things I love about candy. In many cases how a candy or snack looks is as (or more) important than how it tastes. We can all agree that the visual esthetics of candy is important, but should it really be as or more important than taste. I feel like there's always a chance to make a candy taste great, but I also feel like tasting great isn't as important to many candy makers. I would even argue that some candy fans might choose a candy that looks great over tasting great. Just look at Instagram famous foods, so many are just not that tasty to eat.

Check out this latest candy review that really tasted okay, but it looks fantastic.

A Little Dark

 So let me get this straight. The little rice crisps spend time constructing a bar and will eventually be trapped on that bar, only to be consumed by you.

Time for Junk Fud on the Road From Iceland

 Allison and I took a drive around the entire island of Iceland taking in the nature, restaurants, grocery stores and truck stops.

Blue Orchid Is Fun!

If you haven't picked up the latest issue of Blue Orchid, then you're missing out!

Pick up your copy and any other merch right now at bewarethecheese.com/blueorchid/

Bar Form Is Not An Improvement

I have yet to taste an M&Ms (or any candy coated chocolate treat) bar that's actually an improvement. It seems like an odd thing to do if you think about it. You take a colourful candy and hide it in brown. It's like building a giant colourful sign for your business, then building a building right in front of it. It even ruins the eating experience as well. For some reason when you put candies like this in a chocolate bar, the candy coating turns into a gritty texture after a few bites. I'm glad they're trying new things, but I'm not sure this is really working.

Check out my latest M&Ms bar review to see why it doesn't work.

Love At First Breath

 I always love how in candy commercials, fresh breath can lead to love.

Traveling With Toblerone

 I have a simple goal, to travel around on my current vacation to the Philippines while eating a Toblerone bar. The inspiration is simple, Toblerone is the candy bar that’s available in almost every single airport gift shop and duty free. In some ways it seems like the official chocolate of air travel. While getting ready for this trip I started to wonder why. One idea was that maybe it’s a bar that’s easy to eat while travelling on airplanes.

So I’ve decided to take a Toblerone (dark chocolate) and eat a triangle at various stages of my current travels. I’m travelling to the Philippines with two legs on my flight and a couple of layovers too. My layover is very tight as well. The temperature is warm at all stops, so it’ll be interesting to see how the bar holds up.

To start I’m sitting at the terminal waiting for my flight. Opening a Toblerone is actually fairly easy, so even with a few bags I managed. There was also very little garbage, it was a small enough amount that I could have stashed it in a pocket if needed. I should also mention that the bar went through customs and airport security with no problems. While it’s kind of early to be eating chocolate for me (7am), it was a nice sweet snack. Closing the bar went well, since it’s a cardboard tube(?) with a flappy lid, it slid back into my bag with no problems.

Eating a Toblerone on an airplane is a little complicated, but I feel like it’s more the fault of the airline and not the candy bar. I decided to enjoy my treat when they delivered the snack for our first flight. I also left the Toblerone in my bag that was stowed at my feet for what I thought was easy access. It was slightly challenging to get the bar from my bag with the tray down. Having said that, any treat would have been equally or even harder to retrieve. The advantages of a Toblerone in this instance was that the package is durable, but more importantly it has a distinct shape. While rooting through my bag it was easy to identify the bar because of the triangular shape.

This particular Toblerone (dark chocolate) held up very well flavour wise. They say that when flying you lose some of your sense of taste, but this bar was bold enough to satisfy. It was also easier to eat compared to my snack (chocolate cake) that required a fork and the use of my tray, which ironically made getting the Toblerone more difficult. The cake tasted pretty good, but I feel like the Toblerone was better. Allison mentioned that she preferred the cake because it didn’t have any bits that stick to her teeth. So far the Toblerone has held up well, but let’s see how it does during our tight connection, will I even be able to get a single bite on the move?

The answer about whether or not you can eat a Toblerone bar while running to your next short connection flight is not really. I did manage to get a bite in just as we arrived at the gate right before they started boarding. This was the first time that the tinfoil became a problem. I hurriedly peeled it back, and missed a piece that had broken off. Chewing on tinfoil is not fun. This might be the first issue I’ve had with the Toblerone packaging since starting this experiment.

After boarding the plane I decided to have another bite of my Toblerone bar. It was a leisurely bite after putting all my luggage away and having the tray table down. Within a few minutes of biting this our dinner arrived. It was a chicken curry with a salad, I did not enjoy either and wished I had eaten the Toblerone after to cleanse the palette.

I decided to challenge myself for this bite and had a triangle just as we were pulling up to the gate. As you might know, pulling up to the gate on an airplane is a very stressful time. At this point you’re collecting your belongings, and thinking about getting up. Since this bite was rushed, I ended up eating another piece of foil. I also damaged the package a little. I seem to have twisted the end cap a bit. The strength of this triangular, cardboard tube is starting to give.

For my last bite of this particular leg of my trip, I had a bite after eating at a Wendy’s in the airport. This was another leisurely bite, but I did do a bit more damage to the top of the package. I did also take some time to peel away the excess foil and throw it away.

After a quick break, we went onto our second leg of the journey. This leg is a little less traditional, yet I feel like it’s a place where one might still find a Toblerone bar. To start this leg of the journey I find myself in another airport waiting for a plane. This other airport also sells Toblerone bars, so I know the concept of this article still stands.

The reason this airport is different than the first airports is that this is a domestic airport (in the Philippines) with smaller planes and much less grandeur than some airports (but still nice). It also means that in our case we would not be boarding our flight with a jet way, but instead we had to get on a bus. Allison was slightly annoyed with my effort to take a bite of a Toblerone on a busy bus, and I think I ate some foil again. The top of the package is also getting worse and the chocolate was very melty (the bus was hot).

We finally made it onto our small propeller plane and were on our way. My seat mate (which due to booking issues wasn’t Allison) was a little perplexed at me taking a selfie while eating a single bite of a Toblerone. It was fairly easy and since we had a really short flight, was a nice accompaniment to the small bag of cookies we got as a snack. 

At this point I feel like I should have stopped this adventure as Toblerone bars are really sold primarily in airports and the flying portion of my trip was over. However, I still had a couple of triangles and a small boat trip. By this point the chocolate was very melted, and the bouncing of the boat made it very challenging to get the foil off (I may have eaten more foil). I don’t think Toblerone bars are really made for tropical, small boat rides.

To end this adventure I find myself at my resort enjoying the end of my Toblerone bar. In general I would say that this bar actually makes some sense as a bar to travel with. The only stipulation is that it must be the Toblerone in the cardboard tube. The tube is really the key to making this bar travel friendly. It allows you to take a bite and tuck it away easily. It also protects it fairly well from getting crushed.

The flaws are that since it’s fairly high quality chocolate, if you find yourself in warmer temperatures, it’s very melty. I would also say that the top of the tube isn’t really providing much protection. By the end of my journey it was barely holding on. 

Beasts and Treats!

 If you love treats, beasts and the alphabet, you should pick up my fun book called Treats and Beasts.

You can get your copy at bewarethecheese.com/treatsnbeasts/ or on Amazon.

Seeing Red... Pez That Is

Somehow in my long career of being a Candy Critic, I've managed to miss out on reviewing all of the red coloured flavours of Pez. It's pretty amazing since a few of these flavours were my favourites as a kid. Because I feel so strongly that each and every red flavour should be well represented on candycritic.org, I've decided to get all three reviews up this week. I'm always curious about the classic candies that I've not yet reviewed, so if you know about one, let me know.

Check out the first of 3 red coloured Pez reviews that I'll be posting this week.

An Odd Candy

 My first question about this candy being advertised is what exactly does it do to you when you eat it. My second question is should a pregnant lady being eating a candy that causes such a reaction?

A New Candy Taste Test

 I thought it might be fun to taste test 4 bars that were on the cheaper end of things, turns out it was a bit of a challenge.

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Get Some Snack Facts!

 If you need a few facts about your favourite snacks, pick up my comic called Snack Facts. 

Pick up all the Snack Facts you’ll need right now at http://candycritic.org/snackfacts/

Another Variety

When I did my last big re-organize of candycritic.org I decided that if any candy had more than 10 versions, I would give them their own category. I started that a few years back, but honestly haven't added a new candy or snack to the list of candies with more than one version since. I can think of at least 3 or 4 treats that should be added to that list, but I really haven't gotten around to it. Doritos is approaching that mark, and maybe when they cross it I'll finally get to adding all the treats that deserve the spot... or maybe I won't.

Check out my latest review of another flavour of Doritos.

Not Much Fun For The Mouse

 Filling this Choki Chocolate with cashews seems like a lot of work for that poor little mouse.

Is Crispy Wow Better Than Nutella?

 Not everyone likes Nutella. I know that’s a bit of shocking thing to say, but it’s true. When I tell people that I like to write about various spreads and compare them to Nutella, some people will then tell me that they assume that almost all the other spreads must be better. I don’t put these people down, I understand that they simply have different tastes than myself. Two of the most common complaints I’ve heard about Nutella are about the texture and the sweetness.

The most common complaint people have with Nutella is that it’s very sweet. I don’t deny that at all, I just happen to enjoy very sweet things. After all I have a website dedicated to the love of sweet things. If however you happen to be one of those people who feel that Nutella is too sweet, then you might actually enjoy this Crispy Wow spread. It’s not to say that it’s not sweet, but I would say that it’s marginally less sweet than Nutella. It’s not that it has a richer cocoa flavour either, it just seems less sweet.

While maybe not being the most common complaint, I have talked to several people who feel that Nutella’s texture is a little boring. Once again Crispy Wow has managed to deal with just that problem. Better yet it’s dealt with it in a really original way. While rice crisps are not rare in the candy world, it’s not often that you find them in any kind of liquid treat. The reason for this is that rice crisps often get soggy in any liquids. Some how however, the crisps in Crispy Wow have remained fairly crunchy. The texture of this spread is really a winner.

So is Crispy Wow better than Nutella? I would probably say no, unless you fit a very particular criteria. If what you’re looking for is a spread that’s a little less sweet than Nutella, with a fun crispy texture, maybe it’s better for you. The downfalls however are that the cocoa quality of Crispy Wow doesn’t seem as good as Nutella. I would also argue that the addition of hazelnuts would improve this spread as well. So this is no Nutella, but if you want a quick break from Nutella with a little crunch, this might work perfectly.

Blue Orchid Is Here!

 Looking for adventure? Pick up my comic called Blue Orchid.

Pick up all the comics and Blue Orchid merch at bewarethecheese.com/blueorchid/.

Spice Gum Flavours

It's funny that there aren't many gums out there with spice flavours, with one very huge exception. Cinnamon seems like it's cornered the market on spice flavours when it comes to gum. That is unless you count mint as a spice (I say herb but I won't go to the grave on that). It's just weird how certain spice flavours are so common in gum, while there are so many others that almost never appear as a gum flavour. I'm not saying that all spices would work, I just wish there were more options out there.

Check out my latest review of a unique spiced gum.

Stuck to a Mirror?

 I'm not sure I exactly understand what's fun about your candy sticking to a mirror.

Quick List - The Best Candies For Each Letter of the Alphabet - Q-U

 A quick list of the best candies from each letter of the alphabet. This time we're going to be checking out Q through U.

Check out all my review for every letter of the alphabet right now at www.candycritic.org/alphareview.htm

Get Them Beasts Eating Treats

 If you’re into treats and the beasts that might love them, pick up my fun alphabet book called Treats and Beasts. 

You can get your very own copy right now at bewarethecheese.com/treatsnbeasts/ or on Amazon.

A Little Disappointment

I think the candy world might be one of the few where price often doesn't guarantee success. It's not to say that there aren't any great expensive candies or treats, it's just saying that there are many great very inexpensive treats. I've eaten candies that cost more than their weight in gold, and I've eaten candy that seems like they couldn't possible be making a profit selling the candy on the price of the package alone. In both of these categories I've tasted some amazing treats. I've also tasted some treats in both of these categories that I'd like to forget about.

Check out this latest review, which falls more into the category of I'd like to forget about, but I did pay a premium for it.

Candy Commercials?

 I've been sharing candy commercials on this blog for years, and I've realized that there really not making many candy commercials anymore. It's too bad.

Most Underrated Dessert at Cheesecake Factory

I’m going to suggest something that might seem a little strange, but I believe it to be true. The most underrated cake at the Cheesecake Factory is not a cheesecake at all. The most underrated cake at Cheesecake factory is in fact their carrot cake. This is extremely high praise in my opinion because I’m a huge fan of their cheesecakes. I like their simple classic cheesecakes and I like their extreme cheesecakes. I think I’ve gone on record as saying that their most underrated cheesecake is the banana cream pie cheesecake (as suggested by a waitress in upstate New York, and I can’t thank her enough). 

However, if we talk underrated, I don’t think anyone goes to the “Cheesecake” Factory to get something other than cheesecake for dessert. I don’t blame you for not going outside the box on this, but one day I decided to do just that. I did it because seeing the completely uncut carrot cake at Cheesecake Factory during one of my visits started making me think a little about carrot cakes. More to the point, it made me think about how I’ve never had a bad carrot cake in my life. I’ve already written that blog, so I want to expand on the idea that the carrot cake at Cheesecake Factory is well worth trying.

To start off, how do I know that the carrot cake is unpopular? I’ve been to a few Cheesecake Factories in different parts of the world, and each and every one of them has had carrot cake. On all of those visits I’ve actually noticed that I’ve never seen a slice taken out of the display carrot cake at any Cheesecake Factory ever. While there may be a secret carrot cake in the back that they’re actually taking slices out, I’m betting that it’s more likely that they just don’t sell many slices.

That’s total common sense, as I said before, who goes to a place called Cheesecake Factory and not order the cheesecake?

So we’ve established that it’s likely not very popular, and due to an odd curiosity I once got a slice. Here’s the next level of this story, I’ve bought the carrot cake again since. I’ve probably had at least 3 or 4 slices of Cheesecake Factory carrot cake in the last few years. I don’t get it out of curiosity any more either, I really like it. While I’ve said that I’ve never had a bad carrot cake in my life, I’ve also said that it doesn’t always mean that carrot cake is the best choice at many restaurants and bakeries.

The thing is, after tasting that carrot cake at the Cheesecake Factory the first time, I’m kind of hooked. I have ordered cheesecakes since as well, but I’ve probably had more carrot cake than any one flavour of cheesecake at Cheesecake Factory over the last few years. In my opinion, the great thing about Cheesecake Factory is the variety of cheesecakes. No matter what your mood when dessert comes around (except when you’re so full you’re going to throw up), they have a cheesecake for you.

I love a good variety, and I often love the various flavours of cheesecake available. However, sometimes I can’t pick and it’s not because I’m stuck between two different cheesecakes, it’s because I’m not sure I even want cheesecake.

Now let’s look at what makes this a very good carrot cake. Cake wise it’s very moist and fairly fluffy. I’ve had fluffier carrot cakes in my life, but they tend to be very dry. This one seems to balance fluffiness and moisture out perfectly. The fruits and vegetables in this carrot cake (carrots and raisins) are fine too. There doesn’t seem to be any other fruits hidden in this cake (which I generally don’t like). Both of these elements are well distributed and work well in the cake. 

Now here’s the part where this cake shines, the icing. If you think about it for a minute, it totally makes sense that Cheesecake Factory might have one of the best carrot cake icings in the world. The reason is that traditionally carrot cake uses a cream cheese frosting. Cheesecakes are also traditionally made with cream cheese. So put that together and you get probably the best cream cheese icing I’ve ever eaten. Better still, they don’t skimp on this icing, it’s almost another layer of the cake. One might argue that there’s too much cream cheese icing on this carrot cake, but I don’t agree. I have no real argument about this other than to say that I really love a good cream cheese icing.

I’m never going to tell you not to get the cheesecake at Cheesecake factory, because it’s literally in the name. However, if you ever find yourself undecided, and you can’t figure out what you want, give the carrot cake a thought. Sure if you don’t like carrot cake, you’re not going to like this one, but if you love carrot cake and in particular the cream cheese icing, I feel like you might discover the most underrated cake at Cheesecake Factory. I’ll keep an eye open for you, after all I’ll know if you’ve been around if there’s one slice missing from the carrot cake in the display case.

I Sometimes Eat The Same Candy Twice

 Today I talk about the ways some stores trick me into reviewing the same candy twice.

Some Snack Facts For You

Did you want to learn some fun facts and history about your favourite snacks? Pick up my comic series called Snack Facts!

Get your very own copy at candycritic.org/snackfacts/buy.htm or on Amazon.

Candy Before Christmas

I will admit that as time has gone on, I've become less and less interested in holiday themed treats. It's not that I don't like having treats over the holidays, I'm just finding more and more often that I don't want my treats to be holiday themed. I also find it challenging to find treats that are really unique for the holidays when I'm living in South East Asia (in a country that's mostly Buddhist). Maybe when I eventually move back home I'll find more holiday treats that interest me, but for now I feel like a bit of a Grinch when it comes to holiday treats. Having said that, make sure to check back on December 25th.

Check out my latest review, that has nothing to do with the holidays... sorry.

McHolidays?

 I'm always amazed that McDonald's used to have so many commercials around the holidays, yet they never (as far as I know) have offered a holiday themed food item. I want to eat a McTurkey burger!

Candy Experiment - Coca-Cola VS Oreos VS Coca-Cola Flavoured Oreos VS Oreo Flavoured Coca-Cola

 When Coca-Cola and Oreo do a collaboration, it gets very confusing. Here's my attempt at sorting it all out, and maybe coming up with some kind of idea about how well this collaboration worked.

Get Yourself Some Blue Orchid

In case you didn't know, we've got several issues of Blue Orchid available, as well as t-shirts and even a few free downloads.

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Why Do We Call It Dark Chocolate

This week's featured review got me thinking about the words "dark chocolate". While it is a fine enough description, it doesn't really tell the whole story. The koala cookies from this latest review describe it as both "black" and "bitter" chocolate. I have a bit of a problem with the word "black" used to describe chocolate, only because I've never actually had black coloured chocolate. Even the most cocoa filled chocolate I've ever eaten still had a brown tinge to it. Bitter chocolate on the other hand is a really good decryption. It not only describes the flavour well, but it also focuses on the feature that most dark chocolate lovers appreciate most. I've also seen dark chocolates that are only dark in colour, but actually really sweet in flavour. So dark chocolate might not be the thing everyone wants, but bitter chocolate is often the popular flavour note.

Check out the full review of this bitter chocolate treat.

Coca-Cola Is Tied To Christmas

 If you're ever looking to ruin Christmas traditions, just do some research about how Coca-Cola is tied to Christmas. While it might seem innocent enough, you'd be surprised at how much Christmas lore is based on the fact that people weren't drinking Coca-Cola during the holidays.