My Opinion of White Chocolate

 

The fact that this week's new review has a large white chocolate component, I thought I'd share my quick opinion of this divisive candy ingredient. I'm not going to argue about whether or not it's real chocolate, because that's a debate for another day. My opinion on what chocolate is simple, it's fine. It's not my favourite chocolate out there, that's milk chocolate. It's probably the most difficult chocolate to get right since I've seen so many bad white chocolate bars out there. This is also why I'm sometimes nervous about buying what chocolate bars. However, a good white chocolate can actually be pretty tasty. White chocolate quality is similar to how I feel about marshmallows. There are so many cheap and poorly made ones out there, but every once in a while you come across a great version that surprises.

Check out my latest review with a white chocolate focus.

Snack Facts For You!

 Love treats? Love learning random facts?

Snack Facts combines both in a fun, illustrated adventure! Join Barbara and Sir Francis Sweetums as they explore the stories behind your favourite snacks and treats.

Available now at candycritic.org/snackfacts/ or on Amazon.

Quick List - Most Interactive Candy

 Here's a quick list of the most interactive candy I've ever reviewed on candycritic.org.

Can You Improve On A Classic

Probably one of the consistent failures in the candy world is when companies take a classic treat and try to improve it. Almost all of the time it fails, sometimes spectacularly. I don't really understand why companies spend research time and money trying to improve a treat that already works. Why not make something new, something that's totally different. These improved treats almost always rank lower than the original. Having said all of that, sometimes, very rarely, there's a treat that might even be an improvement.

Check out my latest review, that might be better than the original.

Happy Halloween!

 

Happy Halloween! I hope your bags are more filled with treat than tricks.

Treats and Beasts!

Can you imagine an alphabet where every letter brings together a wild beast and a tasty treat?

That’s exactly what you’ll find in Treats and Beasts, a fun A–Z adventure full of animals, sweets, and silly surprises.

A perfect book for young readers, animal lovers, candy fans, and anyone who enjoys a creative twist on the alphabet.

Get your copy here: bewarethecheese.com/treatsnbeasts/ or on Amazon.

Just Promotional Packaging

 I’m a sucker for a candy promotion. What I’m talking about is when a candy company crosses over with something in real life. Sometimes a candy promotion can be with a celebrity, sometimes there’s a big event, sometimes it can be with a television or movie franchise. Candy promotions are one thing I keep my eye open for all of the time. The problem is that candy promotions are becoming more and more common, and more importantly some candy companies aren’t really putting their full effort into candy promotions.

It used to be that when I would come across some kind of candy promotion, I’d buy it. In some cases I’ve even gone out looking for particular treats that were having some kind of promotion. That’s because when the idea of cross promoting candies with famous intellectual properties, candy companies used to be fairly creative. If a celebrity was involved, then candy company might make a special version using flavours that the celebrity might like. When it came to movies and television, candy companies used to try and make foods that might be in the show a reality. Even if the treats didn’t work flavour wise, I loved the idea of a candy company thinking hard about how they can work with an intellectual property and tie things together.

With more and more candy companies doing tie-ins, I’m finding that candy companies have gotten a little lazy. Instead of making a special treat to celebrate their tie in, many candy companies have resorted to packaging only. Basically I’m seeing a lot of candy packages that simply add a few logos and design elements to their package, but the candy inside is just the same candy that they always sell. In many cases they don’t even decorate the candy inside the package either. It’s just a plain chocolate bar with logos and stuff on the package. 

I think my site is proof that there are so many creative things one can do with candy. I also understand that sponsorship and cross promotions can get complicated legally, but I feel like the candy consumer is really the one losing the most here. I’ve had a few occasions where I’ve picked up a treat that could have had such potential, but was just a simple (maybe boring) candy inside. I’ve actually started to be very skeptical of crossovers and promotions when I hear about them, and I don’t really seek them out anymore. While I haven’t completely given up, if there’s no indication that there’s something unique on offer inside the package during these promotions, I just don’t bother.

Junk Fud And You - Best Country For Chocolate (in my opinion)

 Here's a quick look at the best and sometimes most surprising places to get chocolate from around the world, at least in my opinion.