Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Tallest Twisties

All over Poland I they sell these really tall soft serve ice cream cones.  Every time I'd see someone eating one, I was sure that their ice cream was going to topple over.
I eventually got one myself, and I too worried about it toppling over.  Fortunately they fill the cone up pretty well creating a good anchor.  The ice cream itself was also a little different.  Not as creamy as most soft serves, and the flavours weren't as strong, i.e. the vanilla wasn't that vanilla like and the chocolate wasn't that chocolate like.  But it was still fun to eat, and really fun to look at.

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Gum Chewing Makes You Smarter

Have I posted this article before?  In the most ironic post ever on this site, I found an article about a study that says chewing gum helps teens in school, but I'm pretty sure I've written about this in a past post.  Unfortunately I can't remember for sure if I have posted about this, maybe I should start chewing gum while I post links.

Click here to read about the study.

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Monday, August 22, 2011

In The Air With a Gummy Bear

While flying to Poland, for the epic start of my cool trip, I saw this airplane loading up with the luckiest passengers ever.  I wonder if they got gummy bears as their in flight snack?

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Choking On Candy

While I would say that I'm the last person in the world that would want to see candy do harm to any person, I do get frustrated with the amount of fear that builds up around candy and choking.  Sure candy can be risky, sure some candies require a little thought when you eat them, and maybe you shouldn't give these candies to very small children.  A warning on the package and parents that pay attention should pretty much alleviate this problem completely.  The thing is, there are still so many people that feel that many candies are "too dangerous" to be sold on the market because people might choke on it.  If this is the case, I move that we ban peaches and chicken as well.

Click here to read more about candy and choking.

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I'm a Junk Food Hypocrite

I say that I'm a junk food hypocrite because I both support a healthy diet, and I love eating food that is extremely unhealthy.  In this case I'm not really talking about candy, I'm talking about regular meal food that is extremely unhealthy.  Whenever I get a chance to eat something that is breaded, deep fried and covered with some kind of cheese and sauce I always except.  Yet on this very site I oppose many unhealthy meal type foods.  I think I make my peace with the idea that many of the foods I love to try don't ever claim to be healthy. No one is going to go to the Cheesecake Factory and expect their desert to be diet, and I don't think the restaurant makes any such claims.

Click here to read a list of really unhealthy, but tasty looking meals and desserts.

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The Brazil Nut Effect... Or Why Big Things Always End Up On Top

Serious Eats has posted some important science about the physics behind mixed nuts.  More importantly why the Brazil nuts always seem to float to the top.  This same science can explain a lot of other candy packaging issues as well,  including why large chips are always at the top of the bag.

Click here to read about the science.

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Just Got Back From Poland And Lithuania...

And I had a great time.  Best of all I got to try all kinds of great treats, and see all kinds of great places.
I'll be posting all about the foods I tried and candy I sampled over the next week or two.  We'll also have the Poland/Lithuania Review-A-Thon on Candy Critic starting next week.

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Sunday, August 21, 2011

A Few Weeks Off...

And as I told you, I'm back with a vengeance.  I've got a bunch of new treats up for review.  This weeks review is a nice salty snack that tastes like pork.  I mean really, how can you go wrong?

Click here to read the new review.

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Friday, August 19, 2011

Taking Pictures And Eating Cookies

Two of my favorite things in this world are eating sweet treats, like cookies, and taking pictures.  Boing Boing posted a photo of the greatest camera cookies that would make my day.

Click here to check them out.

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Best Geek Ice Cream Flavour Ever

The ice cream fanatic/Star Wars geek in me loves the idea of Ben and Jerry's producing a Star Wars flavour of ice cream.  I'm not the only one either, and someone has already developed the package and concept for this great idea.

Click here to check out the greatest (although it doesn't exist yet) ice cream flavour ever.

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Did You Just Spill Some Goop?


Being a Candy Critic can be a pretty messy job.  I can't tell you how many times I've spilled various goops and had to struggle to get them up.  I wish I had one of these gadgets, then I'd be the happiest boy in the land every time I made a mess.

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Thursday, August 18, 2011

New Tobacco Trend

While on the most part I agree with the article below, I have one problem with it.  The article focuses on a new type of dissolvable tobacco that you can melt on your tongue instead of smoking.  The problem seems to be that this form of tobacco might be something young people might get into and use because it's similar to candy.  While I generally don't like tobacco products, I do object to this articles lambasting of candy cigarettes and cigars.  I can't say that I've ever met one smoker that claimed he or she got inspired to smoke because of the candy equivalent.  I particular take offence to the writer saying that candy cigarettes where just chalky sticks, they where yummy!

Click here to read more.

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Creepy Pudding Face Guy

Jello pudding really seems to enjoy creeping me out.  They have a giant billboard in New York that either smiles when people are happy (on Twitter) or frowns when they are sad.  Both the frown and the smile are kind of creepy, but the free pudding stuff you can get for following them might be worth it.

Click here to read more.

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Spot Guys

I love it when soda companies merge with candy companies, although in this case it might have been interesting if they made gummy "Spot" guys instead.

Ad found on Vintage Ad Browser

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Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Chocolate Wars In Russia

While I don't dislike large candy companies, I do worry about the state of some of the classic treats of the world.  This article deals with the issues in Russia of the popularization of US and British brands, and how they're starting to take over the candy market.  There are some great Russian candy treats out there that the world really should sample, and it would be sad to see them disappear forever.

Click here to read more.

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Do You Want Healthier Chocolate?

Well then eating dark chocolate isn't good enough, neither is eating straight up roasted cocoa beans.  Apparently, according to this article, if you want the most nutrition out of your cocoa, you have to eat the beans raw.

Click here to read more.

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Chocolate Is Back In Manchester

I'm not sure if it's news for most, but I can't imagine living without the option of chocolate ice cream at Dairy Queen.  The folks in Manchester had to live with just that reality, until now.

Click here to read the news worthy story.

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Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Chew Gum, Eat Less

A study (that was partially funded by Wrigley's) has discovered that chewing gum can actually reduce people's craving to eat.  Although you might be cynical about this study because of the company that funded it, I have to say that there must be some truth to it.  Most importantly, if you're chewing gum, you can't really chew something  else, so therefore, you probably won't eat while chewing gum.

Click here to read more about the study.

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A Candy Store You Should Visit

If you find yourself in the New York, you should visit Little Things, a candy store in New Midwood.  Not only does it look like a nice little shop, but it also has one of the best hiring policies I've ever known in a candy store.

Click here to read more, and give them some support too.

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Candy In India

Although the article below is a little dry and full of "candy business" stuff, it's still really fascinating to hear about how the candy industry works in other countries.  Most people assume that candy is the same all over the world, and more importantly they assume that the candy world is the same as wherever they happen to live.  This could not be further from the truth, candy all over the world is so unique and classic treats in one place are completely unknown in others.

Click here to read about the candy business in India.

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Monday, August 15, 2011

The Story of A Great Sugar Artist

Recently chef Lutz H. Olkiewicz died, the man was an artist that created some great candy creations.  Read a little about his life, his art, and how someone can truly make a difference with sugar.

Click here to read about chef Lutz H. Olkiewicz.

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Chocolate Worker to Chocolate Maker

Adrian Smith is a man that loves chocolate.  He started working for a chocolate company, then he went off on his own to create his own chocolate creations.  Chocolate is truly the business that people never want to leave.


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Dodovi Ice Cream

My friend Zoe keeps telling me that I must try a couple of scoops of Dodovi (actually pronounced tho-tho-ny) ice cream here in Greece.  I've meant to give it a try, but I've been regularly thwarted.  Well this weekend while visiting the island of Paros, I decided to make it a priority.  After all Zoe is the best expert I know when it comes to Greek sweets.  I wasn't sure if they where famous for any particular flavour, so I just decided to pick a few flavours at random.  I went with chocolate parfait, and their newest flavour cookie crunch.  As far as ice cream goes it's not bad.  The cookie crunch wasn't as fresh as I had hoped it would be, since I bought it at a Dodoni shop, however it was still pretty tasty.  My only other complaint had to be the portions.  At more than three Euros, I only got a couple of small scoops.  The highlight however was the cookie, it not only looked cool, but it was the perfect accouterments to the ice cream treat.

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Friday, August 12, 2011

How Well Do you Know Your Jelly Belly Flavours?

Or how well do you know your Yankee Candle Scents?  The folks at Mental Floss put together a fun little quiz called "Jelly Belly Flavor or Yankee Candle Scent?".  Between Allison's love of Yankee Candle, and my love of Jelly Bellies, we managed to score a perfect 10.

Click here to take the quiz.

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Instructions For My Cookie

I always thought I knew just about every trick to eating cookies... but I was wrong.  I recently picked up a wafer cookie with caramel in the middle (I intended it for a review but no longer).  On the back of the cookie was a set of instructions on how to best eat this cookie.
The package suggested putting the cookie on top of your warm coffee (or tea) to heat up the caramel and make it soft.
I decided to follow the instructions and I was pleasantly surprised and disappointed at the same time.  The caramel did exactly what they said would happen, however the cookie on the bottom also got a little soggy with the condensation from the tea.  It was an improvement though, and I plan on trying this out with more cookies in the future.  Can you imagine a chocolate chip cookie heated up on your tea so the chips melt just a little.

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Putting Things On Sticks Is Popular

I'm not sure why putting things on a stick changes the dynamic of a candy so much, but it does.  It could be the fact that when you put it on a stick your hands stay a lot less sticky.  Or the fact that you're not forced to eat your treat on stick in one bite.  It could also be the challenge one gets when you get down to the last bites of anything on a stick.  You have to strategically manage your treat on a stick so none of it falls to the ground.

Click here to read about one company and their chocolate covered cranberries on a stick.

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Gummy Games


Do they even make gummy coins that I can put into a gummy arcade game?

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Thursday, August 11, 2011

Soilent Gelatin

I have two lines with food that I will not cross.  I will not eat an animal that I know for a fact is suffering (for the most part that means I won't eat anything that is still alive), and I will not eat human.  A bunch of scientists have found a way to make human GMO gelatin.  I'm not sure how I feel about this.

Click here to read more.

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Australia Apparently Likes To Eat Sweets

Not that I need an article to tell me this.  All you need to do is say the words "Jaffas" or "Tim Tam" in a room full of Aussies and you'll know exactly how much they love sweets.

Click here to get a better idea about what kind of sweets they love.

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Brown Goop In Spoons

Boing Boing just posted a photo of a strange treat that someone has found in a local grocery store.  I'm fairly sure it's Tamarind paste in spoons, but I can honestly say I've never seen it delivered like this.

Click here to read more about these spoons from Boing Boing.

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Laffy Taffy and the Onion

This article from the Onion about Laffy Taffy sponsoring "Every Cobblestone At 9/11 Memorial" is hilarious.  Sure it's kind of wrong, but it's still funny.

Click here to read the article, and remember it's fake.

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In The Land Of Dairy Queen...

Everything is a little brighter, everyone is happy, and dogs beg for ice cream.

Ad found here.

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Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Today is National S'Mores Day

I just realized that I forgot to post anything about it too.  I was going to skip it, because I though it was too late, then I realized that most people would only be sparking up a warm camp fire around this time anyways.

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The Best Ice Cream Sandwiches In New York

Most people think ice cream sandwiches are just that ice cream treat where the cookie is often soft, and the ice cream is really hard.  But there is so many more option in this category of cool treats.  So many ice cream parlors offer these threats, and when they're fresh made, they're yummy.  They're even a great treat to make at home, simple and the choice of combinations is limitless.  However if you're like me, really lazy, you prefer that others make them for you.  If you happen to be in New York this summer, here's a list of the 10 best places you might want to get your ice cream sandwich fix... well fixed.

Click here to check out the list.

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Why I Don't Tend To Review Store Brands

In just about every grocery store you walk into, all over the world, you'll come across store brand candy treats.  These are the treats that pretty much copy name brands, but often sell for a lot less.  Take for example this Carrefour version of a Snickers bar.
The quality of these treats can really range from way below it's copy cat namesake, to actually exceeding it.  The problem I have in reviewing these is the lack of creativity.  I like to review treats because they're different and creative, and I just find that these copies lack any of that.
I think if I was to write a review of any of these treats I would find myself using the original treat that it's copying as a reference so often, the review would be really dull to read.  I think it would basically turn into a comparison over a review.

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Boston Baked Beans

Here's a great little article about the history of the snack, as well as how it got its strange name.

Click here and learn something about those crunchy beans.

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Tuesday, August 09, 2011

Rev 7, The Future Of Gum?

I almost forgot  to tell you.  The folks that make Rev 7, the gum that doesn't stick and bio-degrades, sent me a few packs to try out.  No doubt there will be a review as well as a few science experiments in the future.

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Sugar Doesn't Melt

The first sentence of the article linked below is both fascinating and disgusting "University of Illinois researchers have demonstrated that sugar doesn't melt, it decomposes."  It goes on to explain why this is a good thing for candy makers and candy fanatics all over the world.  I'm just thinking that the word "decomposes" might be a little harsh.

Click here to read more about "decomposing" sugar.

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Ice Cream Fake

I was walking up the street the other day, and out of the corner of my eye I saw two signs in the window shaped like ice cream cones.  I thought that maybe a new ice cream place had opened up in my neighborhood and I was overjoyed.  Once I got up close to the place, I quickly realized that it wasn't a ice cream parlor.  Instead it was just a shoe store that for no apparent reason decided that deceiving people into thinking they sold ice cream is a good way to drum up sales.

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Does Chocolate Cause Acne?

According to this article the science is pretty weak at this point.  They say that only one scientific study into this problem has ever been done and that's not enough to make a full on conclusion.  I figure it's either true, or it's a great way for parents to scare their kids into eating less chocolate.

Click here to read more about it.

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Quick Note To Candy Store Owners

If you own a candy store and would be willing to take some photos of it in exchange for some free promotion on candycritic.org let me know.

You can contact me by leaving a comment, or by contacting me here.

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Monday, August 08, 2011

How's Your Breath?

What do you think of mint?  Do you think it actually tastes like mint?  Do you carry mints to work or on a date?  How much do you really know about the sales and consumption of mint products?  Myself, I think some mints are OK, unless they're so strong they make your eyes water.  I don't think most mint candies taste like real mint, but they're still OK.  I don't carry mints, but I do have some sitting at the front door of my house right now for guests.  I know a lot more about mint product sales after reading this overly detailed article on the subject.

Click here if you want to learn a ridiculous amount about the sales of mint products... See if your mint gum lasts long enough for you to get through the whole thing.

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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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There's Money In Them There Candies

According to Forbes magazine, the owner of Ferrero, makers of Nutella and many other find chocolate type products, is one of the richest men in the whole world.  Maybe I should stop promoting his chocolate hazel nut spread so much on this site until he drops me a check or two... alas I don't think I can, it just tastes so good.

Click here to read about Michele Ferrero.

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Friday, August 05, 2011

What's The Name Of That Snack?

Mental Floss has compiled a list of 5 salty snack companies.  Not only that, they've included the strange and wonderful origins of these companies in this list.  My favorite story has to be how "Pringles" got their name.  It's so mundane and simple that it's hilarious.

Click here to read the list.

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Stuff I Want To Try

"Excitemint” Flavored Gum - Pür Gum - It has a cool name - Click here to learn more about this treat.

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Huge Waffle Fort


It reminds me a lot of Epic Meal Time (A weekly youtube show I watch regularly) because it both turns my stomach and makes me hungry at the same time.

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Thursday, August 04, 2011

Japanese Candy and Japanese Culture

Although short, this article really highlights the connections between candy and pop-culture.  Although it only talks about Japanese culture and Japanese candy, if you look hard enough you'll find that almost every candy in the world is somehow tied to pop-culture, some even cross borders and are attached to multiple pop-cultures.

Click here to read about Hi-Chew's pop-culture connection.

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Stuff I Want To Try

I'm starting a new feature here on the blog called "Stuff I Want To Try".  Whenever I hear about a new treat that I want to try I'll simply type the name, who makes it, what kind of treat it is, and then post a link that has a better description.  So here's the first one:

My Purple Bar - Nestle - It's like the purple Quality Street chocolate - Here's where you can read more about it.

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Sugar Cube Package Art

Back in the olden days sugar cubes where a lot more common then they are today.  You used to be able to even find them wrapped up at restaurants and bars, much like sugar packages today.  Some of the art on these packages where fantastic, and some of this fantastic art can be found on this Flickr pool I've discovered.

Click here to check out he sugar cube package art.

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Wednesday, August 03, 2011

Most Marshmallow Roasters Ever?

A group of campers in New Jersey attempted to break the Guinness Book of World Records record for the most marshmallow roasters in one place.  When I was a kid I always wanted to try and break the record for the most marshmallows roasted by a single person with a single, very complicated, stick.  I don't think I ever achieved my goal, but I did eat a lot of roasted marshmallows.

Click here to read about the New Jersey marshmallow roasting record attempt.

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M&M's Party Today

Sorry for the last minute warning, but today in New York, M&M's is celebrating the one year anniversary of pretzel M&Ms.  They're celebrating with the worlds largest pinata, how cool is that?

Click here to read more details.

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What Would You Pay For An Ice Cream Bar?

Do you like ice cream bars?  Do you like really cute things?  Do you like stuffed toys?  Do you have 75 bucks burning a hole in your pocket?  If the answer to all of these questions is yes, then the folks at Boing Boing may have found the perfect purchase for you.

Click here to check out the ice cream bar sandwich toy... for only 75 bucks.

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Big Fat Greek Wedding Treats

Recently Allison and I went to a Greek wedding, and what they say about them is so true.  There was lots of food and lots of Greek dancing.  Best of all there was lots of great people too.  At the end of the ceremony we got this great big frilly bundle filled with confetti candy.  Sure I didn't look very manly carrying it, but it's candy, so I don't care.
We also got these great little cupcakes made in a very Greek style.  It had walnuts, filo dough, and lots of syrup.
We also got a little bag of rice, I was going to eat it, but Allison told me to save it and throw it at the bride and groom instead.  I can't turn down a good food fight so I pelted away at the right moment instead.

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Tuesday, August 02, 2011

Box Magic

A few times here in Europe, Allison and I have come across these strange cereal boxes that have tabs and folding things that make no sense to us at all.
Well Allison never gives up on a puzzle and she sat down with this box of chocolate granola and figured it out.  After you know how it's supposed to go it makes sense, but figuring it out takes a mind that only Allison has.

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Chocolate and Child Labor

The chocolate industry is really taking a beating with accounts of child labor problems.  I've read several articles on the subject and I can't deny the fact that this seems to be a real issue.  I can say however that many candy companies appear to be attempting to change this and I really think it's because people are better informed on the subject.  In many cases, the articles I read on the subject are very harsh and one sided, however it's important to read into every side on this issue to get a better understanding.


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Sugar Covered Sweets From Poros

My friend Zoe brought me back a box of treats from her trip to the island of Poros.  Zoe is one of those people that always brings great treats.  Best of all, she always brings good treats.  I can't remember what these are called, but they're chewy, sweet, and yummy.

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It's National Ice Cream Sandwich Day

Two cookies and some ice cream are the perfect combination.

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Monday, August 01, 2011

Candy Shop In Houston

If you find yourself in the Houston area, you might want to check out this candy shop.

Click here to read more about it.

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Chinese Chocolate

A few days ago I posted an article about chocolate quality and how we perceive it.  In the article, a lesser chocolate was often described as a chocolate made in China.  As it turns out there might be a reason to think that Chinese chocolate is a lesser quality.  According to several articles I've read on the subject, the Chinese chocolate market is pretty low.  For the most part, culturally, Chinese people really don't like the stuff.  So it would make sense that their taste in chocolate probably doesn't fit with the European or North American taste.

Click here to read more about the chocolate industry in China.

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What Makes These Cookies Great

At first glance you might look at these cookies and say they're fairly average.  Sure they might be tasty, and chocolaty, but you wouldn't guess that these are some of the best most unique chocolate cookies I've ever eaten.
The key to these cookies might be visible if you look closely at them, but is certain obvious the minute you bite into them. The great, unique thing about these cookies is salt.  I'm not just talking about the normal amount of salt you ad to cookies to make them bake properly.  These cookies actually have a salty flavour, but it doesn't ruin them at all. The salt is just enough to effect the flavour, but the balance with the sweet is absolutely perfect.  I love salty and sweet together, and I've never had a cookie that does it so well.

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Summer's Here and The Time Is Right....

For getting away from the computer a bit.  Over the next few weeks I'll be posting a little less here on the blog in order to enjoy a little summer vacation time.  Don't get me wrong, there will still be posts, but probably not as many as usual and maybe even a few days without.  But don't worry, I'll be back soon and there's no way I'll leave the candy world behind.  I also have a few new ideas that I'll be posting as well.

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Friday, July 29, 2011

Gelatin, The Hidden Meat

If you're a vegetarian and you enjoy the following foods: Gummies of any kind, (some) soft serve ice creams, or marshmallows, I have bad news for you.  Most of those products contain gelatin, and gelatin is most often derived from animals.  There is a glimmer of hope however, more and more companies are starting to use gelatin alternatives such as seaweed.  I've tried seaweed treats and I have to say I'm really impressed.  I'm not sure if it has the same wide range of use as gelatin yet, but for really soft treats it works very well.

Click here to read more about gelatin and gelatin alternatives.

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The Story Of Dippin' Dots

I'm sure you're kind of hot right now, or at the very least I'm sure it's kind of hot outside.  How about a big bowl of tiny little spheres frozen solid in a variety of flavours.  It's funny, I tried to make that sound technical and not tasty at all, but it didn't work.  You can pretty much say that no matter how you describe Dippin' Dots, it's a good idea.

Click here to read the story of Dippin' Dots.

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Learning With Candy


This video combines my worst problem in life, my allergies, with one of my favorite things, candy.  However it does educate me as well, so I guess it's OK.

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The Best Way to Eat Chocolate Hazelnut Spread Part 5 With Hazelnuts

All this week we will be presenting you 5 great ways to enjoy your chocolate hazelnut spread fix.  Sure I could have simply said "5 great ways to enjoy your Nutella fix", but there are so many more brands of this stuff and I figured this would be a little more fair.  For the most part people only really think about eating this stuff spread on bread, or sometimes in a crepe, but I've discovered some other great places to smear this stuff.
So here's a silly idea I came up with just to cap off my week of highlighting great alternative ways to enjoy chocolate hazelnut spread.  This idea came to me because I'm a huge fan of the obvious and simplicity.
Why not simply get a spoonful of chocolate hazelnut spread and stick a few extra hazelnuts in it.  I figure it's pretty much a lock that the flavour will work out and the nuts can only add a little texture to the mix.  My only concern was that the hazelnut flavour may be too over powerful.  Fortunately that never happened, and I ended up with what I like to think as one of the most decadent yet simple ways to enjoy the tasty spread.

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Thursday, July 28, 2011

New From Kraft/Cadbury For Christmas

I know it's a little early to think about Christmas, considering how many people are suffering through heatwaves right now.  However I read this short piece about what's coming down the pipeline from Kraft/Cadbury and I have to say I'm a little excited about one particular treat.  They're apparently making a Terry's Chocolate Orange with honeycomb in it.  It sounds like it might be really tasty, if only I didn't have to wait till Christmas to try one.

Click here to read more.

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Got Some More Natural Vines

Some nice folks, from a nice company, decided to send me a couple of bags of Natural Vines licorice.  Now some of you (very few of you probably) might remember that this isn't the first time I've received these treats.  However last time I only reviewed the red Natural Vines.  Since they where nice enough to send me some more, I think I'll review the black ones.

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Food Is A Big Industry In Canada

According to this article, the food industry in Canada is actually one of the biggest industries in Canada.  More people are making food in Canada than other things, like Blackberries (although the name sounds like a food) and auto parts.  Best of all one of the top food makers in Canada is Honibe, a company that makes some of the best honey candies I've ever had the pleasure of eating.

Click here to read more about the food industry in Canada.

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Ice Cream Bar

I love the idea that at one point in time certain ice cream companies thought they where too good to make ice cream bars.  This appears to be the moment Häagen - Dazs decided that they had to start.


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The Best Way to Eat Chocolate Hazelnut Spread Part 4 With Butter

All this week we will be presenting you 5 great ways to enjoy your chocolate hazelnut spread fix.  Sure I could have simply said "5 great ways to enjoy your Nutella fix", but there are so many more brands of this stuff and I figured this would be a little more fair.  For the most part people only really think about eating this stuff spread on bread, or sometimes in a crepe, but I've discovered some other great places to smear this stuff.
This idea isn't as much a "new way" to eat chocolate hazelnut spread, but instead an addition to the classic way.  It's a simple addition, and maybe most of you already do this.  Allison is fanatical about making sure that every piece of bread she eats has a layer of butter on it.  She even goes so far as to butter her chocolate hazelnut spread toast with butter.
The thing is, it's actually really tasty.  For those of you out there that really like sweet mixed with salty, this is something you really should try.  It's simple enough to make, and it changes the flavour of this classic combination so much.

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It's National Milk Chocolate Day

So go out and eat some milk chocolate!

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Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Chocolate VS The Sun

According to a new study some of the chemicals found in chocolate might actually help prevent a sunburn.  Apparently the chemicals might actually increase the bodies production of SPFs.  Now I'm actually planning on a beach trip this weekend and I was going to slather on the sunscreen.  Now I'm thinking a box of chocolate bars would be more appropriate.

Click here to read more.

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Reverse Product Placement

How many times have you been watching a movie when one of the characters pulls out a bottle of Coke, or a bag of Doritos.  Product placement doesn't really bother me that much, but fake product placement can sometimes get on my nerves.  Fake product placement is when a movie pulls out a product that doesn't exist, but I truly wish it did.  Mental Floss has a list of fake product placement products that eventually came to life and are now available.

Click here to check out the list and go eat some Cheesy Poofs.

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Candied Almonds

I don't want to say that these candied almonds are the best in the world.  The only reason I don't want to say that is because I have not tasted every single candied almond in the world.  I also don't want to say that these candied almonds are the best nuts in the whole world.  Again, I don't want to say it because I have not tried every single nut in the world either.  I can safely say that these are the best candied nuts (almond or otherwise) that I have ever tried in my life and maybe even the best nuts.  It may not sound like much, but I have tried hundereds of candied nuts and even more candied other things in my life as the Candy Critic.
I'd love to tell you where you too can get your hands on these nuts, but that's where this gets complicated.  I buy mine from a small bakery around the corner from my house.  The people at this bakery do not speak a word of English, and my Greek isn't good enough yet to get an explination.  They come only in these clear containers with no labels at all.  So I imagine they're hand made somewhere by some kind of candied nut saint.

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