About The Candy Critic

 

Every so often I realize that people don’t really know much about me. People first of all assume that I have a huge team of people working on this site, but I don’t. I do have a few friends that help out regularly, but that’s about it. They also often assume that I’m a girl, while I take no insult at all, it’s just not the case. I’ve decided to spend a blog post and tell you a few facts about me that may or may not be relevant to candycritic.org

Born in Canada – I was born in Toronto to be specific, although I haven’t lived there in a while.

Lived in several countries including Greece, Pakistan, Cambodia and Myanmar (and a short stay in Japan) – I move around a lot, particularly in the last few years. While I still call Canada home, I tend to live in other parts of the world.

Is a writer and artist by trade – Reviewing candy is fun, but bills have to be paid. I work freelance and occasionally on contract with all kinds of companies making videos, animation, illustrations, comics and all kinds of stuff. If you want to learn more about that side of my life you can check out my other site bewarethecheese.com.

Love reading and writing comic books (even does a podcast about it) – I love comic books, I write and draw a comic called Blue Orchid as well as contribute to many other comics. My friend Chetan and I even have a podcast all about making comics called Geek Shop.

Favourite hobby is walking – While I love making things and reviewing candy, the thing that really charges my batteries is walking. I love urban exploration and travelling to new places to explore. I don’t mind hiking through forests and jungles, but I much prefer wandering through urban jungles.

Has visited many countries and counting – I travel a lot. Since I’ve lived in so many countries in different parts of the world, it’s allowed me to visit many different places. 

Food allergies -  While I’m not allergic to any foods in particular, too much milk or eggs aren’t great for me. I’ve also had problems with coconuts, but only when I eat too many. I could say the same for mangoes, but the real problem is that I eat so many mangoes when given the chance, that it would make just about anyone kind of sick.

Foods I don’t like - The thing about being the Candy Critic is that some people assume that I love all kinds of foods. It’s just not true, in fact I don’t know anyone who actually likes every kind of food. Here’s a list of foods I don’t really like:

Raw onions

Really spicy foods

Lamb

Licorice

Strong cheese

Many sea foods

Cilantro (tastes like soap)

A Look Back At My Reviews In 2022

For the first time ever, I've decided to compile some statistics about all of the candy reviews that I posted in 2022. All together I managed to post 71 new reviews on candycritic.org. That's not bad considering my goal is to make sure that I post at least one new review a week. It's very good when one considers that there was an entire month when I could not post any new reviews due to technical problems.

I've already posted a video with a list of the highest rated and lowest rated candies I've reviewed this year, but below are some interesting bonus statistics about all the candy I discovered in 2022:

The brand I reviewed most: Hershey's with 8 reviews. It makes sense since we managed to visit the US twice this year, including one fairly long road trip.

Place I got my candy this year: More than half of the candies I reviewed were from North America. This is likely because I was back in Canada for most of the year, as well as the above mentioned visits to the US.

Most common type of candy I reviewed: Candy bars were the most common type of candy I reviewed this year with 19 candy bar reviews added.

I ate mostly Kit Kat bars this year: I reviewed 5 Kit Kat bars this year, a big part of that was the discovery of a new Asian grocery store in Ottawa that had a decent selection of Japanese Kit Kat bars.

I feel like it was a great year for candy, and with my recent relocation to South East Asia and the fact that travel is starting to open up again, I really feel like 2023 is going to be an interesting year for candy reviews on candycritic.org. Let me know if there are any treats you'd like to see featured for review, even if you're the company that makes them.

Always keep up with all my new reviews by following me on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

CC

The Junk Fud Podcast Is Back!

I've decided to bring back the podcast with a series called Junk Fud and You. The idea is to tell some stories, talk to people, and just have some fun talking about junk food.

If you want to keep up with all our podcast or check out the older episodes, make sure to follow us on YouTube and Sound Cloud.

You can also follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook because it's the right thing to do.

CC

I'm Thinking Again, And Eating Breakfast

In this episode of Chris's Monthly Morning Breakfast Thoughts, I drink a really weird blue drink. I also talk about the candy and junk food news from the last month, as well as the new updates on candycritic.org.

Make sure to check out our Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram feed to find out about all the stuff we mentioned on this episode.

If you followed us on Patreon than you'd already have seen this video a few days ago.

CC

Today We Eat A Classic European Bar - Lion

I think what amazes me most about this bar is the fact that most people in North America have no idea that it exists. It's the kind of bar that I think people in North America would love, but you really don't find it around at all. Maybe there's some kind of stealth technology attached to this bar, maybe it falls under the radar of anybody in North America, after all, it took years for me to finally get around to reviewing it.

Click here to find out what  you're missing, if you're North American.

Make sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter too.

CC

Birthday Wish List Part 9 - Feed My Ego, Buy Me A Shirt

Candy Critic Chris By Tom Yeo T-Shirt
by candycritic

I'm not proud of myself, but if you bought me a shirt from the Candy Critic store, I'd be really happy. I'd even be happy if you bought one for yourself too. Maybe you could consider one of these new designs by my good friend Tom Yeo.

CC

I Like This T-Shirt

Candy Critic Chris By Tom Yeo T-Shirt
by candycritic

What better way to say "I love candy" then picking up this great looking shirt designed by the amazing illustrator Tom Yeo.

Have other sweet thoughts you want to express via t-shirt, check out the other designs in our store.

CC

It's Cold, Buy A New Shirt

Candy Critic Chris By Tom Yeo T-Shirt
by candycritic

It's so cold in many parts of the world right now, you really can't have enough to put on. Why not celebrate your favourite candy review site with one of the many layers you put on? Best of all you'll  look pretty cool with this design from Tom Yeo.

You can even add more layers by buying a few t-shirts from our store.

CC

New Candy Critic Shirt!!!

Candy Critic Chris By Tom Yeo T-Shirt
by candycritic

Check out this great design by my friend Tom Yeo. Makes me wish I could eat a giant chocolate bar right now.

You can check out some of our other t-shirts here.

CC

We're On Patreon!

Hey gang, I just wanted to drop you a line and ask that you check out our Patreon page. We're looking to expand what we do here at Candy Critic as well as fix up a few things that need work. We're not looking to turn this into a huge money making venture, we're just looking to improve things a little. For as little as $1 you can join our Patreon group and get extra content as well as contribute ideas on how we can improve this site. Every level of contribution has some great bonus content and some even offer free candy.

Click here to check out our Patreon page.

Thanks

CC

It's A New Episode Of Chris, Why Would You Eat That?!!

In this episode I (Chris) drinks some spicy ginger beer. This might be a polarizing episode as I'm sure there are some people out there who enjoy this drink. We'll you people are crazy, and don't understand the basic principles of what a drink is supposed to do.

Click here to find old episodes of Chris, Why Would You Eat That?!

You can also follow us on YouTube and SoundCloud to keep up with all our other podcasts and videos.

CC

This New Candy Review Is Tricky. Tricky? Tricky. Tricky. Huh.

I have mixed feelings about candy gimmicks, sometimes I like them, sometimes I don't.  I often frown upon classic candies that come out with a gimmick version of a classic treat, but this time might be the exception.  This is a gimmick that not only worked, but made me think about the candy I was eating. I'm not sure if it's better than the classic Sour Patch Kids, but I think the gimmick really worked.

Click here to read about this fun new variety of Sour Patch Kids.

You can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook to find out about some of our upcoming reviews before we post them. And don't forget to follow us on YouTube to keep up with all of our Podcasts and Vlogs as well.

CC

So We're Living In Cambodia For Now

As you may or may not know, we move around a lot. While our official home is and always will be Canada, we find ourselves constantly on the move, and leaving our home and native land for a while.  This year we've found ourselves in Cambodia.  Cambodia is a great place to be for many reasons.  First of all it's pretty close to a lot of great food destinations. Thailand and Vietnam are a stone throw from us, and the rest of east Asia is a short flight away.  Now that I think about it, Australia isn't too far either... hmmm.

The other great thing about Cambodia is the food is pretty amazing. We've only been here a few weeks and we're already discovering the amazing range of foods available. From where we live we can find lots of French food, Cambodian food, Japanese food, Chinese food, and a plethora of western and other world cuisines.  This place is such a foodie country that you can't walk for a block without smelling something cooking.  I have to be honest, when we first moved here I was worried about what might be the most common smell, but food is certainly the main odor. That does make going for walks difficult, at every corner your stomach rumbles.

As for candy, I'm finding it a little more difficult in some ways.  There are candies from just about every corner of the globe available here, but I'm having trouble finding the local treats.  For the most part any local treats I've found I've either tried already, or they're just copies of western , French or Japanese treats.  Maybe that is what this culture is  about, after all it's pretty hard to pin point a true Canadian treat as well. Fortunately I have a few years here to explore.

As for the site, I'm sure over the next few years our collection of Asian treat reviews is just going to keep growing.  I can also see this as being the perfect environment for episodes of Chris, Why Would You Eat That?!!, as I've already discovered some truly sketchy foods.  Hopefully Allison and I will be able to get out a bit more and record some new episodes of Junk Fud On The Road as well.  We already have a few episodes coming up about our journey here.  Finally this move might be giving me some time to update candycritic.org itself.  The plan is to update it with WordPress, but at this point I'm just trying to get a handle on how that works.  If you're a WordPress expert any help would be greatly appreciated.

To all of you out there reading this, thanks for following along with our adventures.

CC

Hey We Posted A New Review, And It's Called Kitty Boy For Some Reason

I'm not really sure why this candy is called Kitty Boy. There is nothing cat or boy like about it at all. If I had to compare it to anything I would say that it's more of an ice cream cone than anything else. Maybe  there's some kind  of cultural reference I'm not understanding, or maybe it's from some kind of advertising campaign I've missed. Fortunately the pictures on the box make sense, and pretty much describe what you're in for.

Click here to find out how this Kitty Boy candy stacked up.

Remember to follow us on Twitter or Facebook, and you can also follow us on Pinterest as well.

CC

We've Reviewed A Number Of Hershey Bars, And Here's Another One

It's not that I don't like Hershey bars, they've just never been my favourites.  I know this is sacrilege to some, but there's just better chocolate out there. I'm just not on the Hershey bandwagon, but I'll keep trying their bars as long as they keep making them.

Click here to read our latest Hershey review, the Hershey Cookie+ Caramel.

CC

This Week In Candy (Canada Day Edition)

Holy crap it's Canada Day week already! Next Saturday is an important day in the lives of Canadians, it's not only the day of the founding of our awesome country, it's also the 150th anniversary of this founding. Unlike some countries (I don't want to name any names) our country was not founded in war, instead our country was founded by the fact that the British didn't want to pay our bills anymore. This may not seem like something to be proud of, but we Canadians are a little quirky, and appreciate anything that's strange and non-violent.

To celebrate this great event we're going to be featuring two great things this week. First of all we're going to feature a few posts in our Doughnut Project, because what's more Canadian than a doughnut, particularly one from Tim Horton's.  We might also post a few Canadian Snack Facts, and you'll find all of these on our Instagram feed.  If you've been following us on Facebook and Twitter, you might have noticed us posting a few special Canada 150 treats as well. It seems that many of the snack companies have gotten into the Canada 150 spirit, some are more appropriate than others.  I'm sure we'll come across a few more in the coming week leading up the big event, so make sure to check back regularly.

We're also going to be in Ottawa (since that's where we live right now) to see the big celebration on Saturday.  We'll very likely be posting photos of any fun snack/treat related things we find in the celebration.

Speaking of Canada 150 treats, this week's new review is both odd, and very Canadian. I guess that makes it doubly Canadian, or some might call it a double-double (Canadian joke). It's what happens when a gummy company decides to go extreme on Canadian stereotypes. Fortunately it works really well, and tastes OK too.  Click here to read about the perfect treat for celebrating Canada 150.

CC

A Candy Critic Shirt Thing

Candy Critic Guy Shirt by candycritic
Make your own t-shirt design at zazzle.com

This is our mascot, and he's kind of a caricature of myself.  That probably says a lot about my ego.

CC

This Week In Candy... Sorry It's Really Late

If you've been keeping up with our Facebook and Twitter lately, you'll know that I got a serious dose of food poisoning.  If you've been keeping up with Candy Critic over the last few years, you'll know that I've had several serious doses of food over the last few years.  This is likely because I've been in many places where food hygiene is not really as big a deal as in North America.  You could say it's my own fault, but to be honest only a few times has it been caused by a "sketchy" food choice (one of which was featured in an episode of "Chris, Why Would You Eat That?!!").  Most often the food that gets me is the surprises, the food I thought was safe, but as it turns out.  I plan on writing an article about that which will either appear here on this blog or in a newspaper or magazine.

As for what's happening here on Candy Critic, we're starting to get everything back in order, and going to push out as much as we can this week, as we had planned. Our two regular weekly posts Candy In The Media, and our Candy Thing, will be out as regular.  We're also releasing a new episode of "Chris, Why Would You Eat That?!! which we recorded in advance.  The only thing that's completely off this week is Snack Facts, our Instagram feed.  We'll be back next week with new posts, and I think it's going to be food poisoning related.

We also just managed to post our new review.  It was a simple review we had on the back burner, for just such an occasion.  All I can tell you is that if you're disappointed by the late review, you're not nearly as disappointed as I was about this chocolate bar.  Click here to read why.

CC

Candy Shirt For My Ego

Candy Critic Guy Tee Shirts by candycritic
Put your favorite photo on t shirt designs at Zazzle

I was looking at some of the older shirts from our t-shirt line at Candy Critic, and I came across this one.  It's the little guy from the top of the Candy Critic website/blog.  I've been using this drawing for a few years now, and I think it works fairly well.  The thing is, it's a caricature of me, so by me suggesting you buy this shirt, I'm saying that I want people to have a picture of me on their clothing.  While the idea seems neat, I would probably be really creeped out if I saw anybody actually wearing this shirt in public.

CC

Bar... Plain and Simple

Candy Critic Bar Tees by candycritic
Find other Candy T-Shirts at zazzle.com

This shirt design comes from one of the older looks of candycritic.org.  I think it's still pretty cool, and I think it works really well as a t-shirt.  I think I may start a line of simple designs for basic treats, see how it works out.

CC