Meet Me?

Hey everyone, I’m going to be in Canada later this month and I’ll be making an appearance along with the gang from Tic Toc Tom. If you want to swing by and get a comic (Blue Orchid or Tic Toc Tom) signed or just chat about candy, I’ll be more than grateful. It’s all happening at www.worldscollide.ca on August 30th.

Junk Fud and You - Do Candy Companies Change Their Candy?

 People often ask me if the candies they had as a kid are the same as now, the simple answer is no.

Lots of Blue Orchid

 

I have a comic called Blue Orchid, but it's more than a comic, there's also t-shirts and other fun merch (some of it is even free).

Check out everything Blue Orchid at bewarethecheese.com/blueorchid/ or pick up issue 1 on Amazon.

Creative Gummy Bugs

I feel like the most common use for gummies is bugs, insects and creepy crawlies. I haven't done any kind of research into this subject, but I don't think there's a single candy store in the world that doesn't offer some kind of insect or creepy crawly type of gummy. The thing about this kind of treat is since so many companies make them, it's hard to find anyone making this kind of gummy in a creative way. For the most part it's gummy worms and occasionally some kind of goo filled bug. Is it time for candy companies to stop making this kind of treat, or is it just time for them to think outside the box a little bit.

Check out my latest creepy crawly gummy review that actually did something a little creative.

Name That Doughnut

 I have a quick question for you, what do you call a small round doughnut? It seems like an odd question to ask because I’m sure you have an answer. I’m also sure that you believe your answer is the right and possible the only answer. 

The thing is, there are so many different words for these kinds of doughnuts. I’ve personally known this style of donuts by three different names. The first name I knew them as was doughnut holes.

Doughnut holes is a peculiar name for these treats because it suggests that they are the centre part of the doughnut that’s been cut out. I know that there are some doughnuts that are made by cutting circles of dough, then cutting out the centre, but that’s not always the case. In fact often doughnuts are made by extruding a round shape right into hot oil. There are also many kinds of doughnuts that do not have a hole in the middle (this is also problematic for the name doughnut), so it just seems a little bit of a lie. Doughnut hole, for me suggests a story of a doughnuts that may or may not be true, but it’s a narrative about how this shape came to be. One would imagine a crafty baker that didn’t want to waste dough.

The second name for these round doughnuts that I use, and still use to this day is Timbits. I know that this is a very branded name, but as a Canadian it’s something you just can’t avoid. In Canada using the word “Timbits” for small round doughnuts is like using the word “Kleenex” for facial tissues. I do my best to use the word only when referring to the small round doughnuts sold at Tim Horton’s, but I’m pretty sure it slips out for other small round doughnuts I see outside of Tim Horton’s. I’ll also be honest with you, when I’m in Canada Timbits are pretty much the only small round doughnuts I eat.

The third name I’ve used for these doughnuts is very specific to a 4 year period of my life, and that’s loukoumades. I spent four years living in Greece, and just about every loukoumades I saw there was a small round doughnut. I even made some myself and I shaped them as small round balls. I’m pretty sure the direct translation of loukoumades is doughnut, but since they’re almost always sold as small round balls, I feel like the word fits into the category.

For all of you Americans out there, I haven’t forgotten about you. The word munchkins is what many Americans call their small round doughnuts. The name come from Dunkin’ (Donuts), and has been around for a really long time. While I recognize that name for this style of doughnuts, it’s just not a word that I’ve used having never lived in the USA. I know that there are Dunkin’ locations outside of the USA, but honestly I’ve never really seen the munchkins as something I would regularly get at Dunkin’ since they have some pretty cool regular sized doughnuts to choose from.

I’ve had a long history of eating small round doughnuts, and the name has evolved based on my age and where I’ve lived. I’m curious if you have a different name for these round doughnuts. Drop a comment and let me know what you call them.

Get Them Snack Facts Now!

 

I bet you're wondering where marshmallows come from, or who invented ice cream. Well wonder no longer because I have all the answers.

Pick up Snack Facts, a fun book that will teach you all about the snacks you love. Get your copy now at candycritic.org/snackfacts/ or on Amazon.

Vegan Chocolate

I don't have anything against vegan chocolate, I've just had really bad luck with it. I do however have a great deal of optimism about it, particularly after tasting this latest treat that I've reviewed. There was a time when nut and other vegetable based milks where limited and frankly pretty gross, however I feel like they've improved a lot over the last few years. While I do have some dairy sensitivities (they're nothing that bad), I still often use regular milk for a great deal of my food, for cereal I've started to really enjoy the combination of nut milks and cereal. I think plant based milks are really improving, and I get the sense that vegan chocolate is improving too.

Check out my latest vegan chocolate review.

Looking Back At Twix

 Today I look at one of my favourite candy bars in the world, again, the Twix.

Those Beasts and Their Treats

 If you love the idea of seeing all kinds of beasts devouring their favourite treats in alphabetical order, then I have the perfect book for you.

Check out Treats and Beasts right now at bewarethecheese.com/treatsnbeasts or on Amazon.

I Keep Reviewing Them

When people ask me questions about Candy Critic, the most common question is "what's your favourite candy". I have two answer to that question, one of them being something new and interesting. I tell people that I'm sick of eating the same (or similar) candies over and over again. The thing is, I still buy these candies over and over again. I've tried many Kit Kat, Snickers and Mars bar variations from all over the world. Some are very different, some are exactly the same. It's the one thing I say that frustrates me about candy (eating the same thing over and over again), but yet I keep doing it.

Check out my latest Mars Bar review.

The national dessert of Canada?

 Canada is having a bit of an identity crisis. When you try to pin down something that is Canadian, it’s never an easy task. There are lots of reasons that this might be true, including our multiculturalism or our modesty. We have a few things we consider to be national icons, like beavers, maple syrup and saying sorry too often. Honestly these are all great things, I would happily put any of these on a flag and wave it high (with the maple syrup we kind of do that already). The part that always frustrates me as a Canadian food writer is trying to nail down our national foods.

It’s funny because while I’m frustrated, I’m also really happy about this problem. This is where the multiculturalism really kicks in, as I have a hard time finding a food that’s really Canadian, and instead when I’m home I constantly find amazing foods from all over the world.

On a recent trip to Canada I decided to really look for the ultimate Canadian dessert. I wanted to find a dessert that I would feel comfortable calling it our national dessert. A few things I was looking for was history, originality and exclusivity. In other words I wanted it to be a dessert that was invented in Canada, has been around for a while and to some might be a hidden Canadian gem. I also wanted something that was known and maybe popular all over the country. Canada is a big place and we have some local delicacies that fit these requirements, but they might be very local and not really something that represents the whole country.

After giving it much thought, and many tastes, I think I may have come across my choice. Feel free to argue with me if you want, because I love eating and exploring Canadian desserts. Right now however I’m pointing to the butter tart as my choice as Canada’s national dessert.

As far as I know, butter tarts have been around for a very long time. My grandfather loved them and felt nostalgia for them, so did my father and so do I. I assume they’ve been around for a very long time, maybe as long as Canada has been a country. As far as I know, butter tarts where invented in Canada as well, again I haven’t done a great deal of research on the subject.

Most importantly I believe that butter tarts are very exclusive to Canada as well. I’m willing to guess that there are even several of you who have never heard of this amazing dessert and are booking your flights to the great white north right now so you can taste one. 

I’m pretty sure that butter tarts are not the most popular dessert in Canada. I’m even betting that they’re not the most well known Canadian dessert (I think that title goes to BeaverTails). However I think a butter tart is really the most Canadian dessert we have to offer. The fact that they’re not popular makes them even a more Canadian treat, because we are a fairly humble country.

Check Out Blue Orchid!

 If you want adventure, monsters and even giant monsters, check out my comic called Blue Orchid.

You can pick up everything Blue Orchid at bewarethecheese.com/blueorchid/ or pick up issue 1 on Amazon or issue 2.

Healthy Candy

I'm never really sure if I should be reviewing "healthy" candy. I'll be honest, I'm not a health expert by any means, my goal in life is to taste yummy treats. I don't give any thought about the health value of anything I review on this site in either direction (healthy or unhealthy). I feel like I don't review enough "healthy" treats on this site, mostly because they don't normally cross my path very often. I'm just not looking at too many health food stores for potential treats to review. I also worry that some of these "healthy" treats may not be healthy at all, and the thing I hate most in the snacking/candy world is being lied to.

Check out my latest review that may or may not be healthy.

Quick List - The Worst Candies For Each Letter of the Alphabet - V-Z and Numbers

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

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