Junk Fud Podcast Episode 8

Just posted the latest episode of the Junk Fud podcast.  This episode features my good friend Brent, a talented artist living in Japan with his wife and daughter.  Brent while not a huge fan of sweet foods, loves unique snacks, and always has time to sample a new beer.

Right click here to download the latest episode of the Junk Fud podcast.

CC

Brent's Take

My friend Brent just moved to Japan. He's not a huge candy fanatic, but he's always up for an adventure.  During his stay in Japan, Brent has volunteered to write regularly about the treats he comes across, or any other snack related finds he discovers.  We're calling this new series "Brent's Take".

I have a bite-sized review for you. 

On first glance I was attracted to this project by pure Orwellian fascination. Could this be the long sought after generic food bar of my dreams?  Ingredients are wheat and flour, happily sugar is only the fourth. Then lemon rind and other inoffensive substrates. Calorie Mate comes packed in a box containing two foil packages each holding two biscuits. The biscuits themselves are best likened to shortbread cookies although far less saccharine. The lemon rind taste is apparent, but overall the experience is exactly as bland as I'd hoped. In a land of dynamic snacks, calorie mate stands out as a truly mediocre flavour experience, which is why I give it my personal stamp of approval. 

It also comes in chocolate and a variety of other flavours, which I have yet to sample. 

Signing off from Tokyo!

This Week In Candy

This past week, I discovered the Kit Kat Chunky Mini.  Now many of you might think that it would be the same as the regular Kit Kat, but with only one finger.  In fact, eating these have brought to my attention the real difference between a Kit Kat Chunk and the regular Kit Kat.  The mini uses wafers that are about the same size as the wafers on a regular Kit Kat, but they use the proportion of chocolate found on a Kit Kat Chunk, and it's a lot more.  So the difference between a Kit Kat Chunk is more than just size, it appears that the ratio of chocolate to wafer on a Kit Kat Chunk is also a lot more.  I wounder if they'll ever make a Kit Kat Chunk Mini bar, with four fingers attached.

This week we're featuring our second new t-shirt from our latest series of simple snack shirts.  If you want to see them all you can check out our T-shirt store.  The store has also been re-designed to make it a little easier to navigate.  Just remember, if you buy a t-shirt, you're helping us keep this site online, and keeping the reviews flowing.

I'm thinking of starting a new series of articles all about health and candy.  It's a pretty sticky subject, but an important one.  After all, I believe that you can enjoy the worlds sweets and junk food and stay healthy at the same time.  I also believe that too much blame is put on the candy and snack world for making everybody fat.  Having said that, I can honestly say that there are some problems in the snack and candy world that would make snacking just as rewarding, and healthier.

Finally, our good friend Brent has just moved to Japan for a while, and he's decided to contribute a few pieces about some of the snacks he's discovering while living there.  Some will be short reviews, others might be general musings.  You should know that Brent doesn't really have a big sweet tooth, but he's always up for an adventure.

CC

Old Candy Critic Articles - Candy as a Class Distinction

I've decided to take down several old articles from the candycritic.org and re-post them here on the Candy Critic blog.  This week, I'm re-publishing an article written by my friend Brent Forrest all about how to eat certain popular treats.

When to savour and when to just get it over with.

I cannot claim to be as passionate about sugary treats as my friend Chris Stewart. Personally, too many sweets make my insides ache. But I have learned one subtle delight in enjoying your favourite confectionary is the all-but-forgotten sensation of savouring. You know that commercial where the two girls suck on Aero bars and then go into fits of ecstasy when the bubbles melt? Yeah it’s like that, but Aero is the worst example because that porous array of chocolate doesn’t melt like you’d expect, it just turns into one big awkward mush and in the end you find yourself asking, “What’s up with this chocolate to empty space ratio?” Anyway, I could go on and on but I think you get the idea. Here, then, for your edification is my guide to candies that deserve savouring, and others that aren’t so lucky.

Aero bars: Gobble Quickly. Regardless of what the recent campaign may suggest, those bubbles don’t melt with any rewarding properties.

Hershey Solid Chocolate: Savour Slowly. I can make one of these bars last the entire 45-minute subway ride home. A pleasant experience, even if the chocolate sometimes tastes like rotten bananas. (Note: don’t eat these bars if they appear to be covered in a dusty white film – I don’t know what causes this but does it ever taste awful.)

Eat Mores: Gobble Quickly. Have you ever tried to let one of these things melt in your mouth? All you get is a mouthful of chopped peanuts and hurt feelings. These babies are best in wintertime when they get all hard and tough, the perfect thing to keep your jaw working and your face warm. One bar should last a minute at most.

Skittles: Savour Slowly. The great thing about Skittles is that the different colours actually represent different flavours, so as you let these morsels melt in your mouth you can achieve levels of flavour satisfaction too profound to expound upon. One bag should last an hour.

Twix: It’s a toss up. While the chocolate and caramel are good for a slow melt, you’ll end up with a soggy cookie in your mouth, and no matter how patient you are, you’re gonna have to chomp down on that sucker sooner or later. So some might argue that chomping quickly is the way to go, to achieve maximum crunchy satisfaction, others may say that soggy cookies are awesome so it’s tough to say. Eat time: ten seconds to half an hour.

Skor: Savour Slowly. If you eat this one too quickly you’ll have toffee in your fillings for weeks. These ones can last a long, long time.

Gum (Any variety): One thing I can’t stand is to see someone chewing on the same piece of gum for longer than five minutes. Gum flavour gets absorbed quickly, so I suggest eating the whole pack in one go. Having quit smoking recently, I feel I just cannot eat enough gum, but it’s more for oral fixation than anything else. I don’t know, chew gum however you like.

Clodhoppers: Eat Quickly. These things are deadly, Chris turned me on to them not a while back, and boy am I hooked, I went looking for them at the pharmacy just the other day only to find they didn’t stock the small packs anymore and just had the giant holiday box. I bought it anyway and dug right in on the walk back home – I was getting pelted by freezing rain, but I didn’t care. The moral of the story is that when you let these oversized boogers of fudge melt in your mouth, the result is a very unhappy wad of soggy rice crispies, and that’s just not kosher. Gobble these bad boys as fast as you can; don’t let anybody else have any! Eat time for one giant holiday box: 5 minutes.

And there you have it, my totally non-suggestive guide on how to suck on things. I hope that you’ve found the experience educational and practical. It just goes to show that your mother was right when she said not to wolf your food down. Savour the moment and open your heart to the utmost of flavour sensations! Now go forth my young disciples, and experience candy in a whole new way – think of those starving kids in Ethiopia, that helps.

CC

Field report; Orange Jellies from Japan

Greetings candy enthusiasts.  This is Brent, your sometimes friendly field reporter coming to you live from the land of the rising sun.  As I have recently consumed sweets and eatables from this stange and mysterious land - I feel compelled to share with you my profound thoughts and feelings.  Join me as I take you on a magical journey in which we discover the wonders of my recent snackable.

Pictured precariously perched is the subject of our tale; Mikan or Tangerine Jelly.  The first impression upon grabbing this gem from the refrigerator is that the jelly and fruit suspension spins freely in the container.  A singular tactile thrill for the average consumer.

Peel off the lid and find the heart of the matter.  The jelly is cool, clear and not over sweet.  The tangerines, none too stingy - I prefer this over my usual flavor, grape.  The grape jelly comes with only three or four grapes (complete with seeds for undoubtable freshness), the Mikan however comes chock full of fruit. This jelly comes in many other flavors.

Behold the confection in its intended state.  The tangerine is fresh and is a good compliment to the jelly.  Like marmalades cool cousin. One thing to note is that the sweetness of the fruit varies from package to package.  I give this orange jelly a solid 9 out of ten, losing a point only for the fact that the label did not peel off on the first attempt.  For the equivalent of a buck fifty its a good value and a solid addition to the candy lovers arsenal.