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.

Are We Running Out of Candy Ideas

This week's featured review was a little confusing. It's called a Kinder Card, but I'm not really sure what kind of card it's supposed to be. My first guess is a credit card, but it could also be a business card. Honestly, it really doesn't matter what kind of card it's supposed to be because I'm thinking that any kind of card is a silly shape for a candy. Candy and treats are supposed to be fun, but I'm not sure how much fun credit cards or business cards are. You can pretty much make treats into any shape, but someone thought that a card was the shape that kids would love.

Check out my review for this very oddly shaped treat.

This Week In Candy

We have two interesting pieces of news here at Candy Critic.  First of all, we've decided to look a little closer at candy and health.  We believe that although candy is fun, it's also important to eat healthy and take care of yourself.  So we got FitBits all around, and we're going to spend some time looking at our diet, our exercise, and our lifestyle, to find a way to make sure that candy and health can co-exist.  In the next few months we'll have a few blog posts on the subject, as well as fairly regular check ins on how we're doing, health wise.

Secondly, it looks like yet another adventure is upon us, this time to Africa.  In the next few weeks we're heading to Africa to check out all the cool stuff from this awesome continent.  As always we expect to find all kinds of cool food treats along the way, and we'll be sharing our finds on Facebook and Twitter.  We also hope to collect a few African candies and treats to review, since this is the continent with the fewest reviews so far.  We're not leaving yet, but it's happening soon.

This week on Snack Facts, our Instagram feed, we're looking at British candy.  All this week we're going to look at our favourite candy making nation.  Follow us on Instagram to get a British candy fact sent to you every day this week. If you don't use Instagram, don't worry, you can follow Snack Facts on our Facebook page and Twitter feed as well.

This week's new review is a cake treat made by the same people who like to stick small toys into chocolate eggs.  Without giving away too much about this review, I can tell you that this company should probably stick to what they're good at.  Click here to read the review.

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This Week In Candy

Over the last few week's I've become obsessed with Dutch foods.  Until visiting this great place, I'd never really known how great their food traditions were.  Most importantly I'd never known how much they love crazy, and tasty treats.  Last week I posted about my visit to the Netherlands, this week we're posting about licorice on Snack Facts, and next week I'm working on an article about hagelslag.  I also have a Dutch licorice review-a-thon planned for the near future.

Last week at the Candy Critic offices, we did something that we have to do about 3 times a year, clean out our candy stash.  Somehow candy accumulates around here, I'm not really sure how since we do eat a lot.  When candy accumulates beyond what we can possibly eat, we have to clean out our stash to make room for all the new treats coming in.  The stuff we clean out goes two places, most of it goes to locals and friends, while a small amount gets chucked.  We also take this time to go through the candies we still have to review, and decide when we plan to review them.  It's not a complicated affair, and it can be really fun to see some of the candies we'd forgotten.

As we said above, inspired by our visit to the Netherlands, and in particular by their crazy licorice, Snack Facts is going to be all about the most polarizing candy in the world, licorice.  Some people love the stuff, others hate it, this week though you're going to learn a little bit about it. Follow us on Instagram to learn some fun facts every week day.  If you don't use Instagram, you can also follow Snack Facts on our Facebook page and our Twitter feed.

This week's new review is making things right from last week.  Last week's review was for the Kinder Bueno "Dark", not realizing that we hadn't actually posted a review for the regular Kinder Bueno.  So this week we found a Bueno and now all is right in the Candy Critic universe. Click here to find out how the Bueno fairs compared to it's dark cousin.

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This Week In Candy

The road to recovery was long, but I'm back, and it appears that I'm almost %100 healthy.  That means this week we'll have a little catching up to do.

Myself, I'm getting back into the writing grove, I'm writing a few travel articles, as well as working on my latest book.  I'm also thinking about finding a way to make finding some of the candies we review a little easier for you.  I was recently inspired to try a link up with a few brick and mortar candy stores to help you guys (candycritic.org readers) find some of the treats you read about at candy stores near you.  The first thing I need to do is find a couple of candy stores that would be willing to try out this experiment.

Last week we should have posted the last installment about our latest European adventure.  Since we missed last week, we're posting it this week instead.  This week's post is about the last stop on our trip, the Netherlands.  Check back on Thursday for a look at what we saw in the land of cheese, licorice, and canals.

This week Snack Facts is also back to normal, with posts on something other than crackers.  Although, I was pretty amazed that crackers had such an interesting history.  Since the weather is getting warmer, we thought we'd look at the perfect cool down treat, ice cream.  Every day this week, on our Instagram feed,  we'll be posting a new fun fact about this cool creamy treat.  If you don't have Instagram, don't worry, you can follow Snack Facts on our Twitter feed and our Facebook page as well.

This week's review is a bit of a mistake.  It appears that I've written a review about a limited edition variations of a treat, without actually writing a review of the original treat.  I've decided that to remedy this error, next week I'll review the regular Kinder Bueno, just so things balance out.  However, you can read this week's Kinder Bueno Dark review right here right now.

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Kinder Gender

I've been a huge collector and follower of the Kinder brand.  The most famous Kinder items is the Kinder Egg, something that I've been eating for most of my life.  Over the years they've expanded, both in types of products, and is popularity around the world.  For an ever changing company I've always been excited about new Kinder candies hitting the shelves, and every place I travel I often pick up a new Kinder treat (often the egg) to see how it's different from other Kinder stuff I've tried before.  The other day however I came across something really different.

Most people around the world are fairly familiar with Kinder Eggs.  The format of a Kinder Egg is a milk and white chocolate egg that surrounds a plastic capsule, often yellow or orange.  Inside this capsule is a toy, the toys can range from small puzzles, plastic statuettes, or plastic game like toys that often require assembly.  Kinder Joy is another product made by Kinder that solves a problem that we often find in warmer climates.  Since the milk and white chocolate shell around the Kinder Egg capsule is very thin, in warm climates this shell can melt, and that would leave a box of melted chocolate on store shelves.  So Kinder developed an egg shaped replacement that you separate into two halves, with no chocolate shell at all.

One half of the egg contains a milk and white chocolate spread, with two crunchy chocolate balls floating in it.  The small paddle comes attached in the center of the egg so you can eat the contents.  The chocolate spread is pretty tasty, however the chocolate balls are just awkward to eat and not that flavorful.  They do add a bit of texture, but they're not spectacular.  Maybe if they added a hazelnut it would be better, but I digress since this isn't a candy review.  The other side of the egg contains a standard Kinder Egg prize, as mentioned above it could be a puzzle, a statuette, or some kind of game.  Up until recently, this was the only difference I'd ever seen between Kinder Eggs and Kinder joy, then I came across these...

On a recent excursion in southern Asia I came across some Kinder Joys that had the words "for Girls" written on it.  I've seen Kinder copies with themes for girls and boys before, most notably I remember seeing a Kinder like treat with Barbie logos all over it.  However this was the first time I'd ever seen an official Kinder toy that was labeled for a particular gender.  It took a bit of searching, but eventually I also managed to find a Kinder Joy that was specifically for Boys as well.

I was really shocked, in a bad way, that Kinder had come out with such a concept.  I was happy that they had Kinder for boys and Kinder for girls, and not just Kinder for girls while the regular ones were for boys.  However I've always looked at Kinder toys as crossing the male female barrier. When I was younger I used to collect Kinder toys with both girls and boys, and I can't remember any time when I felt that one toy was gender specific.  I never thought about it before today, but in hindsight I think that's something Kinder should be really proud of.  My next action was to pick up one of each Kinder Joy, and see what the difference is.

The chocolate half of the egg in both Kinder Joys was exactly the same.  I was really worried that there would be some kind of pink dessert in the girls and a "manly" dessert in the boys.  The prizes on the other hand had very different themes.  I'll start with the "girls" toy, it appears to be a put it together toy.  The instructions were very pink, and the toy itself is very much a "girls" toy.

After putting it together, this is what the girls would get.  There is a princess with long hair, and three frogs with loops on them. 

According to the instructions you're supposed to pick up a frog, using the princess's curled hair.  This part of the game was really easy, I mean it was so easy that it didn't seem like any kind of challenge at all.  It wasn't like Barrel of Monkeys where the challenge is to pick up as much as you can.  The idea was that for no particular reason you would use this princess piece to pick up one frog.

After you pick up your frog, you flip it over to reveal the image on the bottom.  Two of the images are of frogs, and one is of a prince.  I assume that when you pick up the prince, you win.  It's like some kind of shell game, but I'm not really sure the point.

Allison played a round of this game, and she pointed one thing out to me.  She felt that the game was unrealistic, but not because of the gender problems.  She felt that it set a bad example because she had to go through more than two "frogs" before she found her prince.  I look at this game and compare it to a really lame version of a 1980's board game called Mystery Date.  Not that the original Mystery Date wasn't a lame game on its own, don't ask why I know.

The "boys" toy was pretty much the way I expected it to look after seeing the girls toy.  The instructions were primarily blue with a bit of yellow.  The parts looked very industrial, and there were no stickers or anything to make it look prettier.

The toy itself was pretty clever from a design perspective.  It was a top, and it came with a launching device that would spin the corkscrew bit of the top and launch it onto the table.  The colours were fairly "manly", with lots of grey with a bit of red.

The toy was also fairly challenging to play with.  I got it working the first time I tried it, but several times after it failed and I had to keep trying.  Allison had the same problem as well.  Both of us found it fairly entertaining, or at least as entertaining as a top can be.

Of the two prizes that I got in these Kinder Joy eggs, I'm not really sure why the top wouldn't work for both boys and girls.  It really seemed that the toy for boys (at least in this example) was fairly gender neutral, while the toy for girls was very skewed for girls.  The thing is, there's no reason you couldn't have designed the toy for girls in a neutral way either.  You could have used something other than a princess to pick up the pieces, like a monkey, or cupid.  Instead of having two frogs and prince, why not have two frogs and a kiss mark or a heart.  I'm not sure why Kinder went this direction, but frankly I'm fairly disappointed.  While this company has been making toys for more than 30 years (I've heard well over 8000 different toys have been made), I still think this is a road that should not be traveled.  There are enough gender specific toys out in the world, it would be nice if we had a company producing something else.

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This Week In Candy

Easter is almost here, and frankly all of us at candycritic.org are looking forward to a visit from our favorite bunny.  It seems like only yesterday we were bundled up in our winter gear waiting for spring to come... after checking the weather reports around the world I see that many of you still are bundled up, sorry.  I'm sure that wherever you are Easter decorations, treats, and spring like festivities are in the air (and on the store shelves).  To celebrate the almost Easter time, this week on candycritic.org we're going to look at our second favorite egg making company, Kinder.

Recently I came across an interesting phenomenon in a certain part of the world.  It was in Asia that I came across gender specific Kinder Joy.  I decided that I would pick up one of each gender of Kinder Joy and see what the difference is.  I'll post a full blog entry about my discovery, and my opinion on the whole matter, later this week.  Also, if you're not familiar with what Kinder Joy is, I'll cover that too.

This week on Snack Facts, our Instagram feed, we'll be looking at the Kinder company.  Every day this week we'll post in egg-stremely interesting fact about a company that's huge all over the world... except maybe in the USA.  All you have to do to keep up with Snack Facts is follow us on Instagram, if you don't use Instagram, you can also follow on our Twitter feed and Facebook page as well.

Whenever spring is in the air I start to crave lemonade. This week's review might just help me get through this craving, and it might also help out my constant craving for chocolate.  Click here to check out this week's lemonade/chocolate crossover.

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Classic/Creative Candy Advertisement

Since we're right between the 4th of July and Canada day, I thought I would mention the most controversial difference between Americans and Canadians when it comes to candy.  That would be the availability of Kinder Eggs.  A simple chocolate egg with a little toy inside is a great example of how laws differ on either side of the border.  In the US, they're illegal, in Canada, they're a staple.  As far as I know the law in the US that bans them says that you cannot have a candy with a toy inside it.  Americans are afraid that kids will choke on the toys, Canadians aren't so worried.  What do you think is right?

Words

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Friday Candy Video

I find it really sad that American's can't enjoy Kinder Eggs.  As you may know, Kinder Eggs are illegal in the US because they're a candy with a toy inside.  The US Food and Drug Administration believes that these eggs are choking hazards, and there's a pretty stiff fine if you're caught importing them into the US.

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Candy News

Flavour wise beer and chocolate make sense together, culturally I'm not so sure.

Did you know that PEZ was origionally a candy for adults? Well it is once again.

As a protest to the word "Candy" being trademarked for use in a video game by the makers of Candy Crush Saga, a few people have started to make their own candy themed games.

So how do you feel about Necco's latest new messages to be printed onto their candy hearts: "#LOVE” "TXT Me" and “Occupy My 3>”?

Are you into Dungeons and Dragons?  Do you like candy?  Well here's a little project you might enjoy.

Huffington Post recently posted a list of "Disappointing Foods That Are Never As Good As You Think They'll Be", but I'd argue quite a few of these.

Here's an interesting photo collection were they compare things that have been banned in parts of the USA, to things that are allowed (pretty much guns).  Kinder Eggs are included in the things that have been banned.

Skittles art is so cool, any subject works really well, even your favorite football player.

If you want to keep up with all of the daily candy news that we come across as it happens, follow us on Twitter.

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Classic/Creative Candy Advertising

Apparently at one point Kinder thought they would try to market to adults, instead of children.  So what's the best direction to go if you want to sell candy to adults?  Sex.

Click here to read more about his campaign and see a few more advertisements.

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Friday Candy Video

This could be the most terrifying advertisement I've ever seen in my entire life.  I love Kinder Eggs, but after seeing this commercial I'm a little afraid to ever taste one again.

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Classic/Creative Candy Advertising

You may be wondering why this kid is so happy.  While I can't say for sure, I can tell you that in a couple of weeks, I'll probably be as happy as he is.

I found this ad here.

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Old Candy Critic Articles - Kinder Fun

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 we look at an article I wrote exploring a fun little basket of Kinder treats.

So it's Easter and what's the greatest part about Easter? It’s really one of the best examples for a holiday that brings fun and candy together. This is the time of year that candy has to be fun. If it’s as simple as hunting for chocolate eggs, or a cool and crazy candy in a basket, Easter is all about playing with your treats. So what does the Candy Critic do to celebrate this type of holiday? Well I go to the folks that make "Kinder Surprise" and pick up an Easter fun type basket. Wondering if it's the treat for you? Well look no further as we present; Candy Critic looks at the "Easter Kinder Mix" pack.

Kinder Surprise

Nothing says fun more than the word “surprise”, and nothing is more surprising than the prize you might find in a Kinder Surprise. I say this with much honesty, only because some of the prizes are a little strange. Covered in great chocolate and always filled with cool prizes, this is one of the treats I always go for when I'm in a bad mood. Since Easter is all about making sure you’re in a really good mood this treat fits the bill.

Here's a picture of my prize:

Kinder Choko-Bon

Kinder Choko-Bon is what you might call interesting. As usual the chocolate is great quality, a regular trait in Kinder treats. This one has either a white really light nougat or a white chocolate filling, with little wafer or nutty bits. I like it since nothing is better than a bite into something with a little texture surprise.

Kinder Bar

If you like the chocolate on the ever popular Kinder Surprise then get yourself a whack of these. This is basically the egg without the prize. Well that and it's rectangular not oval and it's not hollow. Okay so it's not really like the egg at all, but the chocolate is great and there's no chance of biting into a prize.

Kinder Hippo

Of all the treats in Kinder collection, this is the only one I've never sampled before. I'm not sure if they're new, but they’re new to me. So here goes… Holy cow, these are great!  It's like a light tasting "Nutella" cream inside a wafer Hippo. How many times in your life can you say, "wafer Hippo"? It's not bad, like all Kinder treats the creamy stuff is high quality and smooth, and everything about it says fun. If you can find a Kinder Hippo, try it out you might like it. My only problem is they appear to be rather fragile, I got two in this Kinder pack, and they were both busted.

As a bonus here's my Hippo getting lassoed by my Kinder Surprise prize:

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Thursday's Candy Links

Two things I always worry about when I eat candy, my diet and my teeth, now it looks like I might only have one.

Happy Birthday Rowntree, you don't look a day over 149.

I'd always known that Kinder Eggs are illegal in the United States, but I didn't know that the fines could go as high as $2,500 per egg.

The Olympics is a great way for companies to promote their candy, but only a few are "official" sponsors.

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Monday's Candy Links

Stevia chocolate ranked greatest new candy innovation this year, chewy PEZ robbed of first place in my opinion.

Do you know that fine for illegally importing Kinder Eggs into the United States?  As much as 300 bucks, for one egg.

People want the true taste of chocolate, and not the fake stuff, I couldn't agree more.

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Kinder Truck

Saw a Kinder truck today... Never seen one before... I wonder what kind of prize is inside?

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Kinder Joy, A Photo Journal

I was looking around my local grocery store when I came across this Kinder egg that I didn't recognize.  My first guess was that it was a new package for the standard Kinder Egg treat, but I was very wrong.  I decided to photograph my discovery and document it as a photo journal rather than simply reviewing it.  I decided this because frankly this treat is a lot more gimmick than candy if you ask me.

The first thing that baffled me about this treat was the strange tabs.  Remember I was expecting this to be some kind of strange Kinder Egg package.

I eventually pulled pretty hard, and I was shocked when the egg split into two.  At this point I was also pretty sure that I didn't have a regular Kinder Egg on my hands.

I decided to start with the half of the egg with the question marks and the strange paddle.  I removed the paddle and opened up the mystery side.

Inside I got a fairly strange prize.  It appears to be a statue of a chicken.  I haven't been keeping up with my kids movies lately, so I'm assuming a 10 year old kid could probably give me a good explanation.

Next I decided to explore the side marked with the "Kinder" logo.  I peeled back the foil and was pretty much grossed out at the site of two brown balls floating in some kind of white cream.

I assume that the paddle is designed to dig these gross looking balls out of the cream.

I dug away and discovered that there's some kind of brown cream at the bottom too.

Although the treat was strange, and looked really un-appetizing, it actually tasted OK.  I'm not sure the point of these treats, but I'm guessing that maybe it's some kind of alternative to the eggs in places with really hot weather?

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Kinder Kid Is Still Around

I found this ad on Vintage Ad Browser from the 1960s and I realised that I think they still use the same kid in their ads today.  That's kind of cool, I wonder what he looks like now?

Ad from Vintage Ad Browser.

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Americans Are Not Free To Enjoy Kinder Eggs

Most people assume that the USA must have the greatest selection of candy treats in the whole world.  You'd imagine this because frankly they consume a whole lot of stuff, and people who make candy often see the US market as the holy grail of selling.  What few people know is that Kinder Eggs (one of the greatest candy/prize treats ever made) are in fact illegal in the US.  According to the government the little toys inside the treats can be a choking hazard, so no one gets them... ever.  The article bellow gives some fine examples of how much of a problem this is with the folks at the border.

Click here to read more about Kinder Eggs and the USA.

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