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.

Kaya Revelation

 There are a few snacking trends that make their way from Asia to the west. Odd flavoured Kit Kat bars, Pocky, seaweed crackers just to name a few. There are however some Asian trends that never make their way to the west, and I can’t figure out why. Salted Egg, both on fish skins and as a flavour is a great example. It’s a flavour trend that’s just about everywhere in Asia, from Krispy Kreme donuts to every kind of salty snack and cookie you could imagine, yet most people in the west have no idea what it is. I can never really figure out why one particular snacking trend makes its way around the world while others don’t.

Kaya is the latest thing I’ve discovered that seems to fall into the category of treat that just about everyone should love, but for some reason it seems to stick to certain parts of Asia. I discovered it on a trip to Malaysia where I met a person who was so surprised that I had never tried it before. This isn’t that uncommon, for someone to introduce me to a treat that I’ve never tried before. After all there are hundreds of regional treats and snacks all over the world that are only available in very specific places. At first I assumed that this was just a Malaysian thing and while happy to try it, I didn’t think much of it.

Then, after my trip to Malaysia, we ventured to Singapore. I decided to poke around Singapore and see if they had any Kaya available as well. I was blown away by how much Kaya I found. There were snack shops and restaurants dedicated to the stuff. Dunkin’ had a doughnut flavoured with Kaya too. I also checked the grocery stores and there were shelves full of different varieties and different qualities of Kaya. After having one person in Malaysia point it out to me, I suddenly discovered that it’s actually all over the place. I’ve since travel ed to a few other Asian countries, and each and every one of them also offers Kaya.

For those of you that don’t know, Kaya is a coconut based spread. It often has pandam in it as well as various other ingredients like sugar and sometimes egg. There are apparently different versions of it too, depending on where you get it, but most are sweet, slightly gritty spreads. There is certainly a coconut flavour, but it’s not too overpowering. The traditional way to eat it is on toast with butter, but as I said before filling donuts or dipping things in it is also acceptable.

It’s a sweet spread that has some truly fun (and fairly familiar) Asian flavours, so why is no one in North America or Europe eating this stuff? I don’t really have an answer, but I can say that it’s not because it’s brand new. The people I’ve talked to about it have been eating it for years. According to some research I’ve done online, there are Kaya recipes that have been around since the early nineteen hundreds.

I’m not sure how long Dunkin’ has offered a Kaya donut, and I’m not sure how long Kaya toast shops have been open. Maybe Kaya is just hitting the mainstream in Asia. Maybe it’s been on the shelves for a while, but now it’s finally getting a bit more of the snacking spotlight. I can’t really say for sure because it just wasn’t on my radar until recently.

What I’m hoping is that this awesome spread picks up momentum, and we start to see more and more treats flavoured with it. A Kaya Kit Kat sounds good to me, maybe even some more Kaya cookies. I would also love to taste a Kaya ice cream, if Baskin Robbins is feeling adventurous.

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The Food Trend You’ve Never Heard Of - Salted Egg

Food trends are like all trends today, they appear on social media or television, then suddenly they’re at every restaurant and part of every snack as big name brands try to capitalize on them. These trends don’t often disappear, but they die down a bit. At one point every bakery specialized in cupcakes, now there are still many places that make them, but few specialize in them. Sriracha was once the hot sauce of choice on everything, it’s still popular, but it’s not a Krispy Kreme doughnut flavour. We tend to think of these trends as global phenomenon, where the entire world is discovering, and eventually getting sick of this trendy food all together. This can be the case, but it’s not always.

Salted eggs are a traditional Chinese food that was adapted into the snacking world, and is now taking parts of Asia by storm. A salted egg is an egg that is brined and soft boiled. It gives the egg a salty flavour perfect for a snack or as a side dish. A few years ago, a few industrious companies in Singapore started to discover ways to turn this simple salty egg into a crunchy snack. Their solution was a little un-orthodox from a western standpoint, but it became a hit. The new snack took these salted eggs, turned them into a batter, and used them to coat fish skins. These fish skins would then be deep fried, and turned into a crunchy snack.

Salted egg fish skins gained in popularity, and became a go to snack in Singapore. The main producer of these salted egg fish skins was a company called Irvins. They made this snack something more than just a salty treat, they would have lines out the doors of their stores, and would actually sell out of product before the end of the day. My first encounter with salted egg fish skins came about when I was flying through the airport in Singapore. Irvins had just opened a branch of their store in the airport, and I was perplexed about why it wasn't even open in the middle of the day. I was actually more perplexed about who would want to eat something called "salted egg fish skins".  Apparently, they had run out of stock that day and closed shop. On my way back from my trip, I again stopped in the Singapore airport and Irvins was open, and the lineup was huge. People were buying giant bags of these fish skins, and I had no idea what the deal was.

After this stop through I decided to learn a little more about this snack, and I discovered that this was one of the great hidden gems of Singapore, and people would seek out Irvins and get their salted egg fish skin fix. At first, I discounted this as just a weird trend in a particular country. Sometimes foods in a particular country will become trendy, but only locally, and to the occasional foodie that might be passing through. About a year later I happen to be visiting Singapore, and I decided to indulge in this trend. By this time there were a few companies making these fish skins, and I also discovered a few places (Irvins included) were selling salted egg potatoes (these are basically potato chips instead of fish skins). While I was in Singapore, I sampled some of this fish skins (and even wrote a review). I wasn't blown away at how great they tasted, but they were kind of unique.

At this point I still figured that this was a niche Singapore thing, and nothing more. It was fun to eat, but I figured I wouldn't hear about them again, unless I went back to Singapore. Then something weird happened. I was walking through a store in Cambodia, and I saw salted egg fish skins. Huh, I thought. I was a little surprised to see them, but not convinced that it was a full on trend. I say this because Cambodia generally doesn't have much of a snack (or candy) creating scene. Most of the snacks in Cambodia are just imports or copies of imports from other parts of Asia, with a few Australian and North American treats thrown in. Don't get me wrong, there are some great foods in Cambodia, they're just not into making original snacks right now. While seeing these salted egg fish skins in Cambodia tweaked my interest, I wasn't convinced.

Then last week (about 6 months after discovering them in Cambodia) I went to Bangkok, and my mind was blown. Bangkok is a place that is loaded with trendy stores, cafes, and restaurants. I would say that it's one of those cities that seems to really be into trendy things, and last week Bangkok was really into salted egg. The stores were packed to the gills with salted egg fish skins and potatoes, but there was more. I started to notice international brands jumping on this trend. Most notably I saw a bag of salted egg Lay's potato chips. This is when you know something is more than a niche local trend, when a large brand jumps into the game.

But this wasn't the only example. In Thailand (and I imagine in other parts of South East Asia (and maybe further) salted egg is becoming a flavour that every food company wants to be a part of. I found salted egg ice cream, salted egg meals, and even salted egg doughnuts at Krispy Kreme. It was as if everyone wanted to be a part of this new food trend. I couldn't resist trying out a salted egg doughnut, it was surprisingly good. Having said that I was expecting it to be horrible, so even partially good would have been an improvement.

Seeing as I'm still living in South East Asia, I'm not sure if this trend is moving outside of this area (although apparently the cheese doughnut I thought I ate at Tim Horton's in China was actually salted egg). I think the salted egg trend would work all over the world. I think North America and Europe could get on the salted egg train too. I think Krispy Kreme and ice cream companies may have a hard sell for this, beyond it being a novelty, but I think chip companies would do really well. Maybe the fish skins might not be very popular, but the salted egg potatoes would be a big hit.

This trend could spread, and it could be something we see all over the globe, or it might just be an "Asian thing". I hope not, because it's not often that you get something that's just a little weird, but actually works, and I'd really like my friends to be able to try this flavour out.

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Candy News

I love candy and snacks, but I'm not sure if I love them enough to have them permanently embedded on my skin.

A food tech company has discovered that the best way to take the edge off of cocoa may not be milk or sugar, instead it's mushrooms.

It appears that Mars is going to increase the price of their chocolate, but don't worry, many smaller companies are not following suit.

Summer is here, and that means state fairs and carnivals are happening, and that means food like this is available.

Trendy foods are both good and bad.  They're good because they can promote creativity and innovation, they're bad because you find yourself in line for 30 minutes just to eat a crappy donut.

Last week I mentioned that I wanted to try this new "raw chocolate" trend, well this week I've learned that maybe I don't.

Dark chocolate keeps gaining in popularity, it's no milk chocolate yet,  but some day it might be more popular.

Apparently Chupa Chups are branching out into clothing, I wonder if they have special pockets to hold lollipops?

In the 1900s a German chocolate company decided that they would distribute cards depicting what the year 2000 would be like with their chocolate. The results are awesome.

Over the next few weeks I'm going to be traveling a lot, and I'm not really sure how well I'll be able to keep up the weekly Candy News posts.  I will however be updating the Twitter feed as regularly as I can, so you can still keep up with the news there. The news feed should return to normal in about 6 weeks.

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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Candy News

Here's an interesting suggestion for a new sweetener, it makes sense when you think about it.

I always tried to convince my family to make me cake for breakfast, apparently I was in the right.

Mental Floss has been randomly doling out facts, including what's the most shoplifted thing, and the scientific term for ice cream headaches.

So apparently gum sales are down. Hershey's has decided that to combat this by creating a mint flavoured "chew". In other words, gum that disintegrates in your mouth really fast.

Speaking of chewy candy, apparently the next trend coming is to make your chewy candy really small.

Here's a trend I could get into, apparently the next trend in snacking foods is meat flavours.

Have you ever wanted to make your favorite fast food meal at home, well here's a few recipes to get you started (tray not included).

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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Stuff I Want To Try

Snickers Rockin' Nut Road Bar - Snickers - I have no idea what it really is, but there's a huge hype over it. - Click here to learn more about this treat.

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Candy News

People tell me that sweets are just a fun distraction, that they don't mean anything in the grand scheme of things, I would like to inform said people that you are wrong.

So, what does sugar do to your brain?  Well it's not all good, but it doesn't mean you have to stop eating candy either.

Fashion that knows when you're eating chocolate, why was this invented before that jacket that knows that it's raining?

You know the only thing that bugs me more than a bad pun?  Food with bugs in it, it's all novelty, and less focus on quality.

More news about white chocolate becoming more trendy.  My guess is that it's a ploy to get us to eat less cocoa and keep candy reasonably priced.

Do you also get sad when you come across lists on the internet of retro candy?  Does it make you sad to know you'll never eat them again?

It appears that sour and spicy are gaining more ground in candy popularity.

Ladies, how do you feel about chocolate?  Do you love it?  I mean, do you really love it?

Have you heard of this thing called a "dessert salad"?  Those that might be confused about it being a real salad should also learn a little something about ice cream soup.

3D chocolate printers... What would be the first thing you would make out of chocolate?

Hershey's VS Nutella, who's going to win the epic battle of chocolate spreads in the USA?

I've always thought the the new generation of Jelly Bellies could spark some awesome recipes, and I was right.

Sometimes language can make candy hilarious.

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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Halloween Link-O-Rama Part 5

Unreal candy has made some Halloween treats with no extra ingredients.

So why do you think you might be getting a poison chocolate bar or a razor blade in your apple this year?

Another awesome demon Halloween cake, this one with 100% more horse awesomeness.

I like the idea of candy corn being such a big influence on other foods, I'm a little baffled though because so many people hate candy corn.

USA Today has a list of the most popular Halloween candy in the USA, did your favorite treat make the list?

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Candy News

Android names their latest operating system after an actual bar, the Kit Kat. So is there a lawsuit in the works, or a serious advertising campaign?

How do you eat your candy corns?  Are you the norm or the exception?

Spreadable Beer, just in case you're board with peanuts and chocolate.

A DIY project that will justify polishing off an entire package of gum, and keep your earbuds in good condition.

Food Navigator is talking about what flavours reign in the snack world, I disagree, but I don't like spicy foods.

How's your heart, do you keep forgetting things?  Well dark chocolate might be the perfect answer to your problems.

For all you Vegan candy fanatics out there, soon you'll be able to enjoy M&Ms as well.

The Huffington Post is writing about retro candy, kind of muscling in on my territory if you ask me.

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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Deep Fried Scottish Specialty

When I travel, I rarely research what kinds of treats I might find at my destination.  I find that if I do too much research I'll start looking for particular treats, instead of just seeing what's around me.  That sometimes leads to novelty treats being featured more than the treats people actually might enjoy.  On my recent trip to Scotland I really didn't have much in mind, except a deep fried Mars bar.

The trend of deep frying every and any unhealthy food really stemmed from the deep fried Mars bar, and the deep fried mars bar originated in Scotland.  I thought it would be silly not to sample this now famous treat in its country of origin.  Not that I thought it would be any better than the times I've sampled them at various fairs in North America, I just thought I would make sure I tried the original.

As it turns out, the deep fried Mars bar in Scotland has turned into a bit of a rare novelty. I was expecting to find it on the menu at every pub and fish and chips shop I came across, but in fact it was a little difficult to find.  In Edinburgh I decided to use the internet and search out any shops that might sell one.  This was already well into my fourth day in Scotland, after checking many menus.  I found one place that really seemed to be getting the lions share of attention for selling these gooey treats, the Clam Shell restaurant.

Fortunately it's located on the main street, not too far from Edinburgh Castle.  The place wasn't too fancy, which made me happy.  I'd hate the idea that I would sample a Scottish deep fried Mars bar at a place that was really selling it as a novelty.  The Clam Shell didn't even have any signs promoting this sweet treat, which surprised me a little bit since it's one of the few places I found online still selling them.  When I got into the restaurant, I walked up to the counter and asked if they still sold them, the lady said they did, and in no time I had one of the classic Scottish treats in my hand.

As far as treats go it was exactly what I expected.  It was also very similar to the others I had tried in the past, except this was the first time I've had one that wasn't cut up into little squares.  It melted in my mouth beautifully, and it was very rich and greasy.  If you've never tried one, and you're not sure if it's the treat for you, then it's simple to know if you'll like it.  If you're worried about the grease, sugar, and richness of this treat, a deep fried Mars bar is not for you.  This is a very unhealthy treat, it tastes unhealthy and it's makes you feel a little sick when you get to the end.

While I was very surprised at the lack of deep fried Mars bars, I'm glad I eventually found one.  I've heard from some websites that there was some kind of lawsuit from Mars about using their name, but I thought that it was settled.  I also don't know if a lawsuit could really shut down so many places that used to sell them.  I'm thinking that this idea was once trendy in Scotland, but that ship has past.  Since it didn't evolve the way it has in North America, deep frying everything, the trend died, and only a few places still keep it up.

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Mike and Ike Review-A-Thon Part 4

Sour candies really started to take off in the 1980s.  At that time candy went through a kind of renaissance that lead to the popularization of gummy bears, pop rocks, and many other strange candy.  At the time there were sour candies, but they weren't extremely sour.  From the 1980s and into the 1990s candy companies became creative with the use of certain candy characteristics, and the sour candy bloomed.  Fortunately many of the trends from this time period have not vanished, and you can find many of them still available.  I'll argue that the candy industry isn't as creative as it used to be, but they are still using these great innovative candy trends.

Click here to read today's sour Mike and Ike candy review.

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Put It On a Stick And Review It

I'm not sure if this is a trend that I've just discovered, or if it's a new up and coming trend, but lollipops seem to really be making a comeback.  Best of all, it appears that handcrafted lollipops are really making a comeback, and the big boys in the candy industry should be keeping an eye open.  I'm hoping that this trend starts to grow, and we see more and more candy companies coming up with really creative and smart lollipop flavour combinations.  I've been lucky enough to sample quite a few lately, and I'm eager to sample even more.  If you make handcrafted lollipops, and you think you have some creative flavours, let me know (like the folks at www.thischarmingcandy.com did) because I'd love to help promote your candy cause.

Click here to read my latest lollipop review.

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Candy News

So you think you're a lollipop expert, well here's a few facts you may or may not know.

If you know your flavours of ice cream and your paint colours really well, this quiz should be no problem for you.

Everyone loves a good fizzy drink now and then, and here's why.

For once North America has created a chocolate trend that's making its way over to Europe, bean to bar.

The past week Twinkies made a triumphant return, Walmart even got an exclusive early release in some places.

There may be a limit to the size one can make a Whoopie Pie, but it has yet to be surpassed.

Watch out Cronut, the Frozen S'more is coming to New York.

The strangest ice cream flavour I've ever tried was raw garlic and chocolate, what's the strangest flavour you've ever tried?

Many great foods came about by accident, chocolate chip cookies, and Popsicles just to name a couple.

Whenever I think of Cadbury chocolate, I always have pipe organ music going through my head, don't you?

I bet you thought that the Slurpee was invented by the folks at 7-11, well you'd be wrong.

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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Old Candy Critic Articles - No more mint, please.

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 when I was being over run with minty candies.

Last year the big announcement in the candy world was that 'mint' was going to be the next big thing, the world is going to be all about the mint, and candy fans all over are nuts about the mint. I think there might be a grain of truth to this. Sure, I enjoy a mint or mint gum regularly, in fact I generally carry some sort of mint product with me all of the time. If you see me on the street, go ahead and ask me for one I'll bet I'll have one to share. So the truth is out, mint is a great treat but is it the next big thing. Is it the candy of tomorrow?

Well first of all I don't think the mint really went away, it's been around since the dawn of the confectionery market, and I think it's been pretty popular since it's conception. My grandparents used to always give me mints, they were mint people. In fact, almost every elderly person I know digs the mints. Does this mean that my and the next generation are a bunch of old softies, we want old people’s candies?

My final problem with the mint craze is a problem I find with any candy craze, it always goes too far. When gross out candy was cool, eventually it just got candy that was so nasty it was inedible. When the sour trend was at its peak, I do believe it’s gone down a bit; everything had to be sour no matter what it was. The candy industry has to give itself some boundaries. I know I'm preaching to a bunch of marketing business types that do know more about trends than me, but please, do we really need mint flavoured soda.

There I said it and you know who you are. Mints are great. Nothing is better after a garlic-filled meal than a refreshing mint. And hey for those people out in the world that can't eat sugar, the mint is one of the only alternatives even the sugar-crazed Candy Critic goes for. I just think that mint has its place in the candy world. I understand and respect the idea of candy companies being creative, but ask yourself before you start marketing mint in everything: “Does someone want to eat this minty treat, or am I just being creative for creative sake?”

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Candy News

According to science, you gain more satisfaction from finishing a snack than by eating a large amount of the snack.

Just in case you want to have a smart conversation with a Canadian about Maple syrup, here's some information to help you out.  In Canada this was part of our primary school education.

Ever wanted to taste ice cream for a living, don't worry, the job exists.

Barry Callebaut wants you to know what you should be looking for in chocolate.  Don't worry about what you actually might want, it may not be trendy.

Here's a few Superbowl related tidbits from earlier this week:

As it turns out M&Ms topped the list of most searched terms during the Superbowl.

Here's a really interesting article about how OREO managed to get an advertisement posted about the blackout only minutes after it happened.

The Jason Priestley Tim Horton's donut was all the rage in my home country, then it started to spread around the world.

I'm not sure that gum needed more crunch, sure more flavour, and longer lasting flavour, but probably not more crunch.

Ever wanted to know why Mentos and Diet Coke explode into a fountain of awesomeness?

Most people assume that all sugar free treats are laced with chemicals, this isn't always the case.

I've never been to Minnesota, but seeing how much they're into candy and candy making, I'm thinking a road trip might be in order.

Did you know that in 1947, in Canada, there was a "Chocolate Candy Bar Strike"?

If you've never tried salted caramel chocolates, this Valentine's Day would be the perfect time to pick up a box. For someone you love... as long as they're willing to share.

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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Candy News

We've decided to change a few things here at Candy Critic, and one of the things we're changing is how we deliver candy news.  It used to be that we would have a daily post all about what's new in candy news.  We're changing things up a little bit, instead we're going to post a weekly round up, every Friday, of the top news stories we've come across   For the regular news you'll have to follow us on Twitter where we'll post the news as we get it every day.

Since we haven't posted any news over the last few weeks, here's a few stories to get us started from the last few weeks:

So which cup are you going to drink that hot chocolate out of, does it matter?  According to science it does.

While you're deciding which cup to use for that hot chocolate, why not read "The Surprisingly Manly History of Hot Cocoa"

Did you know that Hunter S. Thompson liked Dove bars (check 6 am)?

What are the latest trends in potato chip flavours?  I'm saddened by the lack of sweet in this list.

I'm told that homemade marshmallows are a completely different beast then the ones you get in supermarkets, here's some instruction on how to make some yourself.

Necco is going to start to let you write your own love messages on their hearts, I'm betting obscene messages will not be allowed.

I know that dark chocolate is supposed to be good for you, but now science is saying that white chocolate might also be good for you, the message I'm getting is chocolate is good for you.

Blue is the new red, according to science many of the chemicals used to make things blue might not be healthy to eat.  Now that makes me feel blue.

Want to change the way you look at Corn Flakes?  Then read this article "Corn Flakes Were Invented as Part of an Anti-Masturbation Crusade"

Here are six foods that can make you smarter, and yes, one of them is chocolate.

Little Debbie is making her own Twinkies, so are they better than the ones Hostess made?

Werther's is looking to update their image as an old mans candy, I suggest adding racing stripes.

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

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Thursday's Candy Links

Hurricane Sandy really took a bite out of the Eastern United States candy industry, in some cases there are stores and factories that are still closed.

Awesome chocolate themed game called Chocolate Fix, is now an app that I will be playing for the rest of the afternoon.

If you've read this blog in the past, you'll know how much I hate food trend lists, and here's McCormick's food trend forecast.  It's supposed to be one of the most influential in the whole world, you decide.

Pepsico invents a new word, "Drinkify" and they want to do it to your favorite snacks.

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Monday's Candy Links

Jello has apparently had problems getting down with the kids, they plan on fixing that problem with something called the "Jello Turtle Sundae".

Do you like the KFC's 12 herbs and spices?  How do you feel about it in cookie form?

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Wednesday's Candy Links

From the probably not a great candy idea file comes "Edible Deodorant Candy"

New Zealand isn't so keen on what people consider to be "trendy" chocolate, I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing for them.

Soft drinks can make you one of the richest people in the whole world, well you also need an empire of other companies as well, but soft drinks started it.

The creator of mochi ice cream has died, if you've never had mochi ice cream then you're missing out on something... well strange but special as well.

This isn't the first time I've heard about a kid stealing money to buy candy, this is however the largest sum of money I've ever heard.

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Thursday's Candy Links

Hershey bar VS Hershey Extra Cream, Serious Eats does a taste test.

You know how much I hate food trend lists, it just bothers me that many people make up these lists based on nothing but thin air.

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