Blue Orchid Rocks!

Did you know I’m currently writing and drawing my own comic series?

Blue Orchid is a fun adventure about a teenage South East Asian girl who battles incredible monsters and faces the challenges of a world unlike anything she has ever known.

You can pick up every issue now at bewarethecheese.com/blueorchid/ or on Amazon.

Is Halva Spread Better Than Nutella?

 One of the problems of writing a regular series of blogs comparing chocolate spreads with Nutella is that most are just copies of Nutella. Worse yet, most are just low grade copies of Nutella. That means that many of these posts have similar problems and complaints about the spread in question. There are however some occasions where I get to write about something different, and at least one occasion where I got to write about something better (look up Cote D’Or, Noir de Noir). Today is another occasion where I get to write about something different.

The only similarities this chocolate halva spread by Papillon has to Nutella is that it’s chocolate and a spread. After that this spread has something that makes it totally unique, sesame paste. In case you’re unfamiliar, halva is a sesame paste sweet common in parts of Africa, Asia, and even parts of Southern Europe. It can be eaten spread on things (like toast) or even just eaten on its own.

The first thing to note about this particular spread is that it’s not really halva, but it’s similar. It’s also made up of many of the same ingredients. The difference is that this spread has a lot more chocolate most of the halvas I’ve had in the past. It’s worth noting that most/many halvas don’t have chocolate at all, but there are a few that do. This spread on the other hand is very chocolate forward. The other difference is the consistency. I would say the consistency of this spread is closer to Nutella than most halvas I’ve had in the past.

The great thing about this spread however is how much it tastes like halva. Granted it tastes like a very chocolaty halva, but the flavour of sesame is most certainly the dominant flavour. This is a unique spread, and while it might not be better than Nutella, it’s different enough that it gains some points in originality. While I wouldn’t replace my regular Nutella with this spread, I wouldn’t mind getting a jar of this now and again, just to mix things up.

10 Second Kitchen - Cake Roll Bangkok, Thailand

 Watching them pour on the cream filling for a series of vanilla cake rolls in Bangkok, Thailand.

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.