In Hindsight - Skittles

 I eat Skittles once again and really enjoy the flavour, what I can't manage is the amount of damage it's doing to my jaw.

Love Those Beasts And Their Treats

 If you love beasts and you love treats then check out my awesome alphabet book called Treats And Beasts. The perfect book for anyone, even if you already know your alphabet.

You can pick up Treats and Beast right now at bewarethecheese.com/treatsnbeasts/ or on Amazon 

I Like Sour Candy... But...

 Probably my favourite extreme candy theme is sour. I love a good sour candy, I like subtle tart and a love knock your socks off sour. The thing is, I don't believe that sour works with every single flavour. I feel like there are some flavours that work well with sour, and some that don't work so well. You might say that fruit is always a safe place to have a sour treat, but I disagree. Sour watermelon, strawberry and raspberry never sit well with me. It's often a problem when sour is added to a fruit that either never comes sour in real life, or when it's not supposed to be eaten sour. Berries are a great example of this, particularly strawberries.

Check my latest sour strawberry review.

Mojito Drink

 Decided to do a taste test and find out if non-alcoholic mojito drink could really work. 

Brussels Treats

 

There are certain stereotypes that one thinks about when you mention Belgian treats, waffles, fries and chocolate. Here’s the thing, it’s all true. First and foremost these 3 treats are available in abundance just about anywhere in Brussels or in every Belgian city I’ve ever visited. It’s not just in the tourist areas either. If you ask locals about their favourite waffle, fries or chocolate, they will have an answer. They will not be offended by this question either. It’s as if Belgian people lean into their food stereotypes with great pride.

The main reason they’re not ashamed of these stereotypes is that there’s nothing to be ashamed of. Each and every one of them is not only a well known global treat, but they make it in Belgium with such passion and quality that it’s well worth travelling to Brussels (or anywhere in Belgium really) to get a taste. I’ve decided to take a look at all three of these treats, and let you know what makes them so great.

Waffles – There are many cultures that make waffles, but there’s something very special about the waffles in Belgium. There are actually several different types of waffles available, but I suggest going for the yeast waffles or Liege waffles. The Liege waffles are super dense and have a great chewniess to them. They’re a little crunchy as well, but not the same way that most waffles are crunchy. Best of all, because of their texture they can hold up to lots of toppings. Chocolate is probably the most common and it’s always great, but you can pretty much get anything they might have on offer and not be disappointed. If you’re not sure how to know if you’re getting Liege waffles, just be sure to watch now they make them. If they pour a liquid batter in the waffles iron you’re getting the Brussels waffles (the more common kind), however, if they have a ball of dough that they put in the waffle iron it’s means they’re offering the Liege waffles.

Fries – The most common way to get fries in Belgium is moule-frites, which translates to mussels and fries. I’ll be honest, I’m not a big mussels fan, so I only get the fries. Most of the time their at least double fried, so they come out extra crispy. They’re also very often made fresh, so they’re always hot. The real difference however is the fact that they offer many different dipping sauces to dip your fries. Most of the sauces are mayonnaise based, including just mayonnaise if you like. I’ve sampled a few of these sauces and I keep coming back to the classic mayo or garlic mayo. Some people like the Americana sauce, but I could take it or leave it.

Chocolate – This is probably the Belgian treat that makes me the most excited of them all (obviously). If you’re in the old town in Brussels you will have a hard time finding any city block without at least 2 or 3 chocolate shops on it. The problem, which is a wonderful problem, is picking which one to buy from. I divide the chocolate shops into 3 categories in Brussels. 

The first is chocolate shops that sell chocolate, but don’t actually make it. They tend to sell chocolate that’s mass produced and often more expensive than you might find at a grocery store. 

The next is big name chocolate maker shops such as Neuhaus and Leonidas. These companies also mass produce their chocolate, but they do it with a great deal of care. You might find these brands in some of the chocolate shops that sell chocolate as well, however their own shops will often feature exclusive treats that are limited to their own shops.

The final type of chocolate shop you can find are the independent chocolate shops. These shops often make all their own chocolate in small batches. They also tend to be a little more experimental with the chocolates as well. The problem with these shops is they don’t always last, and sometimes they also turn into big names (but good for them, am I right). It’s not always easy finding these shops, but if you go off the beaten path a bit you might get lucky.

Hunting for the best chocolate shop is the best problem you can have. One thing I should be clear about is even the mass produced chocolate in Belgium is amazing. It’s not like getting a box of Cote D’Or at a touristy chocolate shop in the main square is going to disappoint. The one thing I would recommend however is to check out the local grocery stores first. First of all, if you plan on buying some treats for the office and you want to go a little cheaper than the hand made chocolates, grocery stores have the same chocolates as found in many of the basic chocolate shops for a lot less. Checking a grocery store will also give you an idea of what chocolate is mass produced, and what is hand made.

As two added bonuses. I discovered that there’s a street near the train station in Brussels where you will find dozens of “cash and carry” candy shops. They basically sell bulk amounts of treats at discount prices. So if you find yourself in love with a particular candy bar or treat (as well as having some bonus space in your luggage), then you might want to stop in and get yourself a whole case. Also, did you know that in Brussels, they call Brussels sprouts, just sprouts?

10 Second Kitchen - Coconut Candy on Unicorn Island, Vietnam

 Watching the machines turn the coconut and sugar to make tasty coconut candy on Unicorn Island in Vietnam.

Blue Orchid Comics!

 Did you know that I'm writing and drawing a comic right now? It's called Blue Orchid and it's an awesome tale of a teenage South East Asian girl that fights lots of cool monsters.

You can pick each and every issue of Blue Orchid right now at bewarethecheese.com/blueorchid/ or on Amazon.

Not Sure About This Size Thing

In the last 10 years or so, there's been a trend about making very small versions of classic treats. By small I mean the perfect size to add to a trail mix. The kind of size that you could easily see it possible to buy these treats using a scoop. It seems like there's a trend to making treats where you can fit several in the palm of your hand. Now on paper, this is a completely fine idea, that may take some work, but should be pretty similar to the original. The problem is that the candy companies have to make some adjustments to ratios and ingredients to make these truly work, and often those adjustments don't make for a better tasting treat. For example, the chocolate on these Kit Kat Pops had to be adjusted so they wouldn't melt as easily, because they would stick together and also melt in your hands while you ate them. This adjustment did not favours to the classic Kit Kat flavour.

Check out the full review of these Kit Kat Pops, and find out exactly what went wrong.

Happy 4th of July!

 

Happy 4th of July to all my American friends out there!

Quick List - Best Treat From Each Continent

 Here's a quick list of the best candy from each and every continent.

Happy Canada Day!

 

Facts and Snacks

 If you've ever wanted to learn more about the snacks you love, but in a fun way, pick up my book Snack Facts. Follow Barbara and Sir Francis Sweetums as they learn everything about your favourite snacks and treats.

You can pick up your own copy of Snack Facts right now at candycritic.org/snackfacts/ or on Amazon (just search "snack facts chris stewart").

Celebrating Canada

I'm not sure if you all know this, but I'm Canadian. I'm actually surprised at how many people assume I'm from whatever country they happen to be living in. I'll admit that most people assume I'm American, but I've also been mistaken for British and Australian too. In the same way it's amazing how many people assume that their favourite treat are actually available all over the world. It's probably the same reason that most people assume that there isn't enough candy in the world to sustain a website like candyciritc.org. The truth is, there are thousands and thousands of candies out there, and still many for me to try.

Check out my latest Canadian candy review.

Paris Treats

 

This is my first instalment of a series of blog posts where I’m going to talk about a recent trip I took to Europe. There were three stops on this trip and the first one I’m going to talk about is Paris. I have opinions about Paris, and I feel like they might be unpopular. The first thing to note is that I’ve visited Paris many times. The second thing to note is that my opinion of Paris does not reflect all of France. I’m not a huge fan of Paris in general. It’s not that I don’t like it at all, I just can’t seem to find the awe and power that others seem to find in this city. I’ve never really had a bad time in Paris and there are even some parts I really enjoy, but I’ve never been blown away either. Knowing this, here’s what I have to say about treats, junk food and candy in Paris.

I’ll start with the good. The desserts and bakeries in Paris are very good. I think I can safely say that in general, Paris bakeries are some of the best in the world. Overall just about anything you get in any Paris bakery will be very good. There may be some parts of the world that specialize in certain baked treats and desserts, and they might make that particular treat better, however Paris bakeries and desserts are overall better than most.

There are some exceptions to this of course, and I’ll get into that later, but I just love walking down a street in Paris and eating something with a light flaky crust and scattered with chocolate. Even the bread is just very good in most bakeries. I’ll even go out on a limb and say that the grocery store and convenience store baked goods are very good. Don’t get me wrong, the bakeries are better, but the level of baked goods in grocery stores is much better than most parts of the world.

The exception to this rule for me is some of the ultra fancy bakeries. While the small local bakeries in Paris are well worth the trip, I find that there’s a trend in Paris right now of making visually beautiful desserts. While these beautiful desserts aren’t bad, they’re not as good as the classics (in my opinion). Most of all I find that these beautiful desserts are a lot harder to get, and maybe not worth the effort. I saw several “fancy” bakeries and sweet shops with huge lines out front. I even saw a few that required reservations just to get in. What I’m saying is that the hype is not worth the result.

Finally I want to talk about candy and chocolate in Paris. I’ll say this first, Europe in general has some of the best candy and chocolate anywhere. However, I feel like Paris (and maybe even France) is not the best in Europe. I’d even go so far as to say that most French treats are not really worth it. The one thing worth noting is the fact that Paris does offer some great chocolate and even a few sweets, but if you look closer you’ll see that most of these are imported. There’s a great selection of Belgian, Swiss and German chocolate in Paris, but that doesn’t really count in my opinion. While Paris offers many of the classic and great candies and chocolates found in Europe, their own selection isn’t the best you’ll find in Europe.

As I said at the top of this post, I’ve never had a bad time in Paris, however, it’s never been one of my favourite places to visit Europe. I had some great meals, and some amazing baked goods, but I’m not a big fan of the fancy side of Paris when it comes to this. Candy and chocolate wise I have yet to find something that truly feels French, but I’m always happy to be proven wrong on this in the future if you disagree.

Junk Fud and You - Is Sugary Cereal Candy?

 Today I decided to take a deep look at sugary cereal and how it may or may not be candy.

Beasts and their Treats

 If you love beasts and you love treats then check out my awesome alphabet book called Treats And Beasts. The perfect book for anyone, even if you already know your alphabet.

You can pick up Treats and Beast right now at bewarethecheese.com/treatsnbeasts/ or on Amazon.

Something Original

I've probably said this before on this blog hundreds of times before, "the best thing a candy can do is present something original". I've had thousands of candies that are basically the same, with the main difference being quality. Fruit and Nut bars are a great example of this, and a type of treat that could really be unique. The name is vague enough that you could easily make some really unique and possibly tasty flavour combinations, but all I seem to get is the same flavour combination over and over again. I go into this even more on this week's review, but it's worth mentioning again and again until some of these candy companies get the message. "Fruit and nut does not have to mean raisins and almonds all the time!"

Check out this version of a fruit and nut bar, and yes sadly it's the same old thing.

In Hindsight - Mr Big

 Trying to love a really big bar that seems to be just filled with nothing.

Blue Orchid Comic!

 Did you know that I'm writing and drawing a #comic right now? It's called #BlueOrchid and it's an awesome tale of a teenage South East Asian girl that fights lots of cool #monsters.

You can pick each and every issue of Blue Orchid right now at bewarethecheese.com/blueorchid/ or on Amazon.

Kinder Is A Weird Company

Just to be clear, I think Kinder is a great candy company, and their treats are classics in my book. However, if you look at the treats they offer, there's some odd design choices. They're most well known for an egg that conceals a toy inside. They also make an egg that's half filled with cream and the other half filled with a toy. Then there's this new review, a chocolate/cookie hippo themed treat. There's a cake that requires refrigeration and several chocolate bars that are not regularly chocolate bar sizes or shapes. It's not that any one treat is weird, it's just a huge range of designs for a single candy company. I'm not putting them down for this either, in fact it's one of the things I love about Kinder, you never know what they're going to come out with next.

Check out my latest Kinder review.

Is Creme a Tatiner Gout Framboise better than Nutella?

The thing I’ve learned about spreads lately is that more chances need to be taken. I’m talking about not just me, but also the companies out there making spreads. While we all know that chocolate and hazelnut will make a fine spread, we should start looking at some creative options as well. That brings me to this jar of Baristella raspberry spread (or creme a tatiner gout framboise in French). A fruit flavoured, yet still chocolate based spread makes so much sense that I’m surprised no one has thought of it before. Keep in mind I’m assuming my cultural bias since I’ve never seen it before. It could be that there are parts of the world where this kind of thing happens all the time.

All I’m saying is that not only should the idea of fruit and chocolate blended into a nice spread work on paper, but the folks at Baristella have made it work in reality as well. The white chocolate makes this spread super creamy. The raspberries add a wonderful contrast to the deep chocolate flavour and texture. Best of all is that they’ve even added a slight sour flavour to make the raspberry flavour work so well. I would not only suggest you try this spread, as long as I’m in a country where this stuff is made, I plan on putting it into my rotation.

It could be that in a few months or years I’ll get tired of this spread, but at this very moment I would say that this is easily comparable to Nutella. A better way to describe it is that it compliments Nutella, in that if offers you a very different flavour (and even slightly different texture) while still being a creamy spread. In other words, if you like to have a few different spreads open in your cupboard, I would suggest finding a jar of this stuff to add to the mix. It will give you all the satisfaction you might get from Nutella, but it’ll also offer you a slight change of pace.

10 Second Kitchen - Deep Fried Tofu on Lanmadaw Street

 Watching the tofu carefully fry along the Lanmadaw St in Yangon, Myanmar.

It's All About Those Snack Facts

 If you've ever wanted to learn more about the snacks you love, but in a fun way, pick up my book Snack Facts. Follow Barbara and Sir Francis Sweetums as they learn everything about your favourite snacks and treats.

You can pick up your own copy of Snack Facts right now at candycritic.org/snackfacts/ or on Amazon.

The Size and Shape Matter

I feel like there's one feature about lollipops that many candy companies ignore, size and shape. It's not that they don't think about this feature, I just don't think some candy companies think about how nice it is to eat a lollipop that fits perfectly in your mouth. So many are either too small or too big, some are also rather oddly shaped, so their not comfortable. I think there are certain lollipops out there that I might enjoy more if they just made the shape more pleasing for my mouth.

Check out my latest lollipop review, because they got it right.

Quick List - Worst Black Licorice Treats

 Here's a quick list of the lowest rated black licorice treats I've ever reviewed on candycritic.org.

Beasts Love Treats, Trust Me

 If you love beasts and you love treats then check out my awesome alphabet book called Treats And Beasts. The perfect book for anyone, even if you already know your alphabet.

You can pick up Treats and Beast right now at bewarethecheese.com/treatsnbeasts/ or on Amazon.

Cookie, Bar or survival ration?

Marketing for a treat is so important. I find it particularly important because it helps me categories the treats that I review on candycritic.org. Some treats are easy to label, some treat like this cookie/bar/war ration is a little more complicated. I do have a "unique treats" category, where I put treats that are just too hard to categories. However, with the treat I'm reviewing today, it's not that it doesn't fit into any category, it fits into several. Although I don't actually have a category for war rations... yet.

Check out the review for this odd treat.

Is Dubai Chocolate Spread Better Than Nutella?

 One cannot deny the popularity of Dubai chocolate bars. It’s probably one of the biggest candy/chocolate trends recent times and even large name brands have added it to their repertoire. There are two things about Dubai Chocolate that make it interesting, the colour and the texture. The flavours not bad, but the fact that it’s bright green and has an odd crunch is really the appeal. The flavour isn’t bad either, but it’s not really that unique. 

While the name of this treat is Dubai chocolate, in reality the chocolate is only secondary, as everything really centres around the filling. Well, the other day I was at my local bulk food store and I saw that they were selling the filling on its own. I’ve seen this filling used on everything from cakes to croissants, but I was wondering how it might compare to Nutella as a spread on toast.

The first thing I’m going to do is break down exactly what this filling consists of... mostly. There could be other ingredients, but I tasted pistachio butter, sugar and those crunchy filo pastry like bits that give it its crunch. The thing about putting this on toast is that one of the main features of this spread that makes it work with chocolate, kind of doesn’t matter if you spread it on toast. The crunch is really what makes this filling something unique, and surprising for many on the first time trying it. However, if your toast is crunchy the crunchy texture of the filo crunch bits is kind of hidden.

I wouldn’t say that these crunch bits completely disappeared, but they’re very similar to the texture of the toast and therefore I don’t think I could call this the best use for this filling. At this point you’re pretty much just eating sweetened pistachio butter. I would imagine that this would work much better on something softer or smoother. Dipping chocolate is the obvious choice, but maybe as a layer on a soft cake would be nice as well. The one thing this trend has done for me is given me a better appreciation for pistachio butter, which is a great thing to have even if it doesn’t have the sugar or crunchy bits.

Junk Fud on the Road - Czechia

 In this episode of Junk Fud on the Road Chris and Allison talk about their Christmas trip to Prague, Czechia.

That Blue Orchid

 Did you know that I'm writing and drawing a comic right now? It's called Blue Orchid and it's an awesome tale of a teenage South East Asian girl that fights lots of cool monsters.

You can pick each and every issue of Blue Orchid right now at bewarethecheese.com/blueorchid/ or on Amazon.

Just A Gummy Worm?!!

It's funny how worms have become so connected to gummy candy. I guess it makes sense since worms are kind of squishy, and the idea of eating them is a little gross, but cool. I used to believe that all gummy worms where basically the same design, and at most had a different flavour (good or bad). However, as I taste more and more candies in this world, I'm learning that there are actually some very different interpretations of gummy worms out there. Some are better than others, but I really appreciate the effort in making something new with a classic treat.

Check out my latest gummy worm review.

In Hindsight - Mirage

 In the past I was obsessed with bubbles in #chocolate, I think I might still be, but for different reasons.

Facts on Those Snacks

 

If you've ever wanted to learn more about the snacks you love, but in a fun way, pick up my book Snack Facts. Follow Barbara and Sir Francis Sweetums as they learn everything about your favourite snacks and treats.

You can pick up your own copy of Snack Facts right now at candycritic.org/snackfacts/ or on Amazon (just search "snack facts chris stewart")

Chocolate Gimmicks?

Whenever I travel I always seem to discover odd treats in airports. The theme of these odd treats is often "a popular snack found in this country, covered in chocolate". If you're in a place known for bananas, you'll find dried bananas covered in chocolate, if you're in a place known for apples, apples covered in chocolate. The weird thing about these chocolate covered treats is that often they're only found in airports. It's not like these chocolate covered delights are found in actual local stores, just overpriced airport gift shops. Honestly, I don't often buy them, but on a few occasions they're just so weird that I can't resist.

Check out a recent airport find that was a chocolate covered treat worth sampling... kind of.

Baklava Ice Cream Inspires

 On a recent trip to the grocery store, I discovered an ice cream flavour that was totally new to me, baklava. Since I’m living in North Africa along the Mediterranean it’s not really a surprising flavour to find, but it is unique for sure. The ice cream itself is interesting, it combines pistachio ice cream with several ingredients found in baklava.

Most of the ingredients worked fairly well, in particular the syrup swirled throughout was great, as was the crunch base. The filo pieces mixed in and sprinkled on the top were okay, but also a little soggy. They also didn’t add much to the flavour. If I was to try and improve this ice cream I would say more filo dough, maybe a few layers of it between the ice cream. I’m also not a huge fan of pistachio ice cream, but in this context it was much improved.

This ice cream was a nice little treat, but it was also a source of inspiration. It inspired me to think about how many desserts one finds in the ice cream isle. I’m not talking about ice cream cakes, or any frozen cakes, I’m thinking specifically of ice cream flavour based on desserts. Off the top of my head I can’t think of too many of them. Honestly, I don’t know if I can think of one specifically, but I just feel like I’ve seen some before.

I’m very certain I’ve seen dessert themed ice cream at ice cream parlours. In particularly the fancy ice cream parlours that make their own ice cream. While I’m sure there have been a few, I’m surprised that dessert themed ice cream flavours are not more common. Probably the closest thing that comes to mind are ice creams that features bits of cookie in them. While it’s kind of dessert flavoured, I wouldn’t really call it themed. I’d like to be proven wrong on this, so if you know a good dessert themed ice cream that you can get at the grocery store, let me know.

Now it wouldn’t be fair for me to just complain about this without offering a few suggestions. So here are a few ideas I think might work really well:

Cheesecake – A creamy ice cream, creamier than most so it feels like cheesecake. I’m not sure if it’s possible, but if you could even get the tart flavour of cream cheese that would be great. Then, swirl in some strawberry syrup. Finally, a layer or two of graham cracker crumbs would give this a little texture and really keep it on theme.

Apple Pie – Now I feel like someone has made an ice cream with apple pie in it, but I’m thinking more about an apple pie ice cream. This would probably feel more like an ice cream cake, but I think the key would be to keep the crusts as layers instead of just pieces. You could have a nice cinnamon/vanilla ice cream with apple pie filling swirled throughout. Then you could have a layer of pie crust on the top and bottom. If the bottom is too complicated at least the top would be good. Frozen cooked pie crust is actually pretty good, so I think it would work really well.

Carrot Cake – This one might be a little divisive, but if done well I think it would work really well. Again, I’m not just talking about filling this ice cream with pieces of carrot cake either. I would say take a super creamy ice cream (maybe the same one you used for the cheesecake) and add some of the ingredients from carrot cake. The carrot cake spices would be key, cinnamon and cloves for sure. Also adding some walnuts, raisins and yes... shaved carrots. I don’t think you’d want to add carrot to the ice cream as that might be too much, but strings of shaved carrots might actually work.

I’m sure there are other desserts that might be tasty in ice cream form and I’m glad that I got to sample this fun baklava ice cream to get inspired. 

Just a Quick Reaction - Chocolate Banana Fanta

 Two flavours that don't seem like they should work in a soda pop.

Them Beasts Love Their Treats

 If you love beasts and you love treats, then check out my awesome alphabet book called Treats And Beasts, the perfect book for anyone, even if you already know your alphabet.

You can pick up your very own copy of Treats and Beast right now at bewarethecheese.com/treatsnbeasts/ or on Amazon (just search "treats and beasts chris stewart").

Spices and Herbs

I want to suggest something that many of you have probably never given much thought to. I suggest that herbs and spices are greatly underappreciated in milk and dark chocolate. I think the reason you don't see very many herbs and spices in chocolate is that it's a really hard thing to balance flavour wise. Herbs and spices can be subtle or super strong flavour wise, and getting them to balance with the flavour of chocolate is super challenging. I am suggesting however that when it's done well it can be some of the most amazing flavour creations ever. It also opens the door for chocolate flavour wise to so many other possibilities. I'm not just suggesting people use common spices and herbs that you find in sweet baking, I'm also suggesting that candy companies start exploring more spices and herbs used for savoury dishes as well.

Check out my latest chocolate review featuring a very popular spice that could work really well.

Quick List - The Best Licorice Treats

 Here's a quick #list of the best licorice treats that I've ever reviewed on candycritic.org.

That Blue Orchid Is Awesome!

 Did you know that I'm writing and drawing a comic right now. It's called Blue Orchid and it's an awesome tale of a teenage South East Asian girl that fights lots of cool monsters.

You can pick each and every issue of Blue Orchid right now at bewarethecheese.com/blueorchid/ or on Amazon (just search "blue orchid comics").

Does Your Gummy Have A Peel

The latest trend in gummy candy seems to be the idea that you can peel them. The concept is that each gummy candy is made with two different textures of gummy. The outside is a more chewy, durable gummy, while the inside is a soft a squishy gummy. Each of these gummies (so far) are shaped like different fruit that one might peel, like grapes or bananas. As a concept I'm a huge fan of this trend, it's not only clever, but thematically correct (so far). The actual peeling of these candies have proven to be a bit more challenging than I originally expected, but that could improve as technology gets better. The thing I'm looking forward to is the first creative gummy candy company that takes this trend and moves it out of peeling fruit. I feel like there's great promise for a really creepy Halloween candy here.

Check out my latest peel-able candy review.