Does The Kit Kat Store Sell Kit Kat Bars?

 

On my most recent trip to Toronto I decided to check out the KITKAT Chocolatory at Yorkdale mall. When I decided to go all I knew about the place was that it was a Kit Kat store. I had a few assumptions about the place, but all I knew for sure is that one thing they offered was custom Kit Kat bars. I don't like to brag, but I've taste tested a few variety of Kit Kat bars in my life (you can see all my reviews here), so I was expecting a lot out of this store.

One of my assumptions was that they would sell a selection of Kit Kat bars from around the world. In particular I thought they might have a few of the Japanese variety. This was not the case at all, they don't even sell a variety of Kit Kat bars from North America. It appears that every single Kit Kat bar they sell is made in house.

I will say that the house (the store) they built is very fancy. Many of the different variety of custom Kit Kat bars they sell were beautifully displayed in these glass display cloches. The fanciness does come at a price, as these might be the most expensive non-imported Kit Kat bars I've ever seen.

Even the packages display them as more of a fine chocolate than a simple candy bar. This leads me to the a few of the problems I had with this place.

First of all, it's very expensive, I walked out of this place with nothing because I just didn't feel like it was worth the price. My bigger problem comes from how they make the different "varieties" of Kit Kat bars. Most varieties of Kit Kat bars sold in stores around the world incorporate every aspect of the Kit Kat bar. Meaning the chocolate, the wafers and the cream between the wafers are often different in the various varieties of Kit Kat bars sold in regular stores. The bars at this store are just three variety of Kit Kat bars, white, milk chocolate and dark chocolate, with random ingredients stuck to the top. The random ingredients available where also fairly standard in the chocolate making world. While I'm sure they tasted fine, it really didn't feel that adventurous, particularly for the very steep price tag. 

This with the fact that they didn't offer any of the hundreds of imports available, really turned me off of this place. If I was describe this store, I would say it's a Kit Kat themed fancy chocolate store. While Kit Kat is there, the true spirit of the brand is not. I don't blame you if you want to try this place out, as I'm sure the treats taste great, I was just hoping for a little more adventure than what was on offer.

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Junk Fud on the Road in Qatar

This is the second part of our journey to the Middle East. In the first episode we visited Oman, this time we went to Qatar, although the focus is really on Doha,

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Reading Snack Facts - Issue 12

Sit back and relax while I read you every issue of Snack Facts. Today I'm reading issue number 12 all about cookies.

If you want to pick up your own copy of Snack Facts in either the micro edition or the full sized edition visit http://candycritic.org/snackfacts/

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Simply Beautiful Desserts

 This truly blurs the line between art and desserts.

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Time To Try Something... Well I'm Not Really Sure What It Is

 I always get nervous if I have no idea what I'm doing.

Make sure to follow me on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram to see all the strange stuff I might be eating.

Also be sure to follow me on Patreon for extra stuff too.

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Reading Snack Facts - Issue 11

Sit back and relax while I read you every issue of Snack Facts. Today I'm reading issue number 11 all about ice cream.

If you want to pick up your own copy of Snack Facts in either the micro edition or the full sized edition visit http://candycritic.org/snackfacts/

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Defining Candy Is Hard

I think I would call myself a candy expert, I've been eating a writing about candy for a very long time. The thing is, I don't know everything, in fact I know a very small percentage about candy, snacks and treats. I don't think there's anyone who knows everything, and even more important, I feel like people have different knowledge depending on where and how you were brought up. This might seem frustrating to some, but for me it's one of the things I love most about candy. I was reminded about how little I know when I was writing this latest review. It's for a praline, and it's a praline that feels different than other pralines I've had in the past, yet I don't feel like I'm expert enough to say if it's a real praline or not.

Check out the full review and let me know if you think this is a praline or not.

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Another Willy Wonka

 My general opinion of this trailer is that it's very weird, having said that, I feel that any movie featuring Willy Wonka should be weird. The question is if this movie is weird enough.

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The Violence Of Popcorn

 

I’ve just been doing a doodle to celebrate National popcorn day (see above) and while doing a little research I made a horrifying discovery. Popcorn might be the most violent and disturbing snack in the world. While it’s very tasty, and one of the most versatile sacks out there, it has a very violent birth and destruction. It even looks like it’s in totally agony when it’s sitting in a bowl. After looking at close up pictures of popcorn, and then drawing my doodle, I was a little horrified.

I guess while it’s corn it’s not that violent a life, although I know almost nothing about the harvest and production of popcorn. Come to think of it, a tour of a popcorn farm and factory might be fun. I’ll be sure to put that on my list of future adventures. The thing about popcorn is the first thing people do to it is put it in a really hot environment until it explodes. However popcorn is designed not to explode all the way.

Instead, popcorn is designed to almost pause in time, at that moment after exploding, but before it splits apart into millions of pieces. This is likely why I feel like popcorn looks like it’s in agony. It looks like the slow motion close up on a villains face during the climax of an action movie. Twisted in a way that looks impossible. Then, after you’ve frozen your popcorn in the middle of a large explosion, you often pour hot oil (or sometimes molten sugar) on it. It’s final demise is when it’ finally crushed in your mouth.

If I was to ever write a movie about the life of a kernel of popcorn, people would find it super disturbing. It would be interesting to make that movie as the people likely to be watching it would actually be eating popcorn at the time.

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Reading Snack Facts - Issue 10

Sit back and relax while I read you every issue of Snack Facts. Today I'm reading issue number 10 all about marshmallows.

If you want to pick up your own copy of Snack Facts in either the micro edition or the full sized edition visit http://candycritic.org/snackfacts/

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Chicken Wings Start A Review-a-thon

 I feel like starting this week's candy review-a-thon with a gummy chicken wing is perfect. It's a great way to show how strange and beautiful gummies or any candies can be. One of my biggest complaints about candy is the lack of creativity, but every so often I'm pleasantly proven wrong. This gummy is so strange, but its weirdness doesn't get in the way of it being a candy. When I started candycritic.org, I had a sweet tooth, but the longer I've been doing it, the more I want to discover really creative treats. At times like this I'm greatly rewarded.

Make sure to read this full chicken wing review.

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Cookie Flute?

 I mean what else would you expect with a video featuring Cookie Monster and Lizzo?

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Reading Snack Facts - Issue 9

Sit back and relax while I read you every issue of Snack Facts. Today I'm reading issue number 9 all about chocolate Easter bunnies.

If you want to pick up your own copy of Snack Facts in either the micro edition or the full sized edition visit http://candycritic.org/snackfacts/

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It's Not The Snack, It's About What I Was Promised

 

Sometimes a middle of the road snack can get a much lower review than it normally would. This is the case when a snack calls itself something, but doesn't deliver. I'm not talking about a snack that claims to be the best, but instead it's when a snack promises something very specific, like a flavour or a texture, then it doesn't deliver. If a gum claimed to be the chewiest gum in the world, and it was just average bubble gum, then it's not holding up its end of the bargain. For something like this I'd likely knock points off the review not only for novelty, but also texture. This is the case with my latest featured review, the chips are okay (not great), but what they promised is nothing like what they delivered.

Check out the full review to find out why these chips didn't deliver.

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Popcorn Can Be Weird

 If you've ever wanted to see the weirdest stop motion short film on the subject of popcorn, then you're in luck.

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Is Carnival Food Too Much?

 I feel like the world of carnival food has changed a great deal over the last decade or so. As a person that gets sick on rides, the average carnival only offers me two things really. First of all it offers me a chance to look at life in the more rural areas of the world, secondly it offers me food. In particular carnivals offer me food that I can't really find outside of the carnival gate. I always have a great time visiting carnivals, and in particular tasting the food (despite my stomach aches afterwards).

Having said that, not all carnival food is equal. There are two categories of carnival food that I really love. The first is the local specialty. Often carnivals will offer food that is made local by people who may sell their treats and meals at around the area where the carnival takes place. These can be anything from baked goods to specialty meats, even some local restaurants might pop in now and again. Food trucks have also made their presence known in many carnivals, and it's great. It actually seems like the last place in the world where chain restaurants are not the leaders of the food industry. While I've seen a few chain restaurants with stalls at carnivals, most of them don't really have long lines. 

The other food I love from carnivals is the classic carnival treats. These are often simple treats that give zero interest in nutritional value. Most of these classic carnival foods focus on your primal instinct to consume carbs, sugar and fat. It could be a waffle ice cream sandwich.

A corn dog with mustard, an essential topping I might add.

Or the only essential thing for us to get every time we visit a carnival, the mini doughnuts (from Tiny Tom Donuts whenever possible). These classic carnival foods prove that dietary rules do not count at the fair, and any stomach ache you might have afterwards came from being in the sun too long or too many rides on the Gravitron and not the amazing amount of fat you just consumed.

There is one type of food however that always makes me nervous at carnivals. It's the over the top stunt food that seems like it just shouldn't work (above is a deep fried Twinkie that just didn't taste great).  While I like over the top food, I have a problem with the latest trends in this kind of food at carnivals. First of all I feel like many of the options are not going to surprise you in how good they actually are.

Take for example this recent treat available at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto. Ketchup and Mustard flavoured ice cream. I saw several videos and post of people trying it out, and almost all of them didn't really like it that much. It makes sense, it doesn't really seem like something people would like. The second problem with this is that unlike many carnival foods, stunt foods like these are often very expensive. I believe each cone costs around 12 dollars. It became a treat for social media influencers with a bit of extra money. I don't totally hate the idea of stunt food at carnivals, but I feel like some foods are a little bit outside the carnival spirit. Don't dare me to eat something at a carnival, make something so weird, yet so tempting that you have to dare me not to buy it.

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The Best VS The Worst

 I'm starting to creep up on 2000 reviews for candycritic.org. While most of those candies rank somewhere in the middle, there are two reviews that are on the far edge, and one is at each end.

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Reading Snack Facts - Issue 8

Sit back and relax while I read you every issue of Snack Facts. Today I'm reading issue number 8 all about lollipops.

If you want to pick up your own copy of Snack Facts in either the micro edition or the full sized edition visit http://candycritic.org/snackfacts/

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A Little Pride In Your Ice Cream

This treat brings up an interesting debate that's been around for a few years. Is it positive for large brands to make a Pride version of their treats? On one side of the coin it's great that inclusivity is being celebrated, but on the other side of the coin one wonders if this is being used as a marketing ploy. Celebrations and holidays have been used to sell items for a very long time, but it seems like there are certain holidays and celebrations that are off limits. I don't really have an opinion on this particular treat, other than the fact that it's a new design and flavour combination that I've never seen or tasted before. While I endorse inclusivity in all its forms, I don't have an opinion on how others choose to celebrate Pride.

While I avoid a great deal of the politic, you can read my review and find out how I felt about the ice cream treat.

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The Best Spice Is Tree Bark

 Interesting where cinnamon comes from, and even interesting to watch them harvest it.

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Time To Mound On Some Science

 I'm not a huge fan of Mounds bars, but I thought that maybe I could improve them by adjusting their temperature. Turns out I was right.

Follow me on YouTube for all my videos as soon as they come out.

Also check out my Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to see what I'm working on right now.

While you're at it, check out my book called Treats and Beasts, it'll make you happy I'm sure.

Reading Snack Facts - Issue 7

Sit back and relax while I read you every issue of Snack Facts. Today I'm reading issue number 7 all about Valentine's Day chocolates.

If you want to pick up your own copy of Snack Facts in either the micro edition or the full sized edition visit http://candycritic.org/snackfacts/

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Classics, But Not For Me

 

When I first started candycritic.org, there were a few classic treats that I thought I'd never review. These treats just weren't my cup of tea, and I figured if I wrote these reviews I'd only be slagging a candy that I knew I didn't like. This week's featured review is most certainly one of those treats, but as time has moved forward, my opinion on treats has changed. My sense of completionism makes me want to check every single candy check mark that I can, and my feelings about trying to like things that I used to hate has grown. So it may have taken me years, but I'm slowly starting to review classic candies that I never really liked. Sometimes I might change my mind, other times... well...

Find out if I changed my mind about mounds.

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How They Make Gelatin

 If you're squeamish you might not want to know.

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Is Choco Like, Like Better Than Nutella

I would say that curiosity was the reason I bought this jar of chocolate spread. I don't really understand the name, and most importantly I was curious if it actually contained any chocolate. The reason I wondered is because I wasn't sure if the word "like" meant that it was similar but not chocolate, or if it was just saying that it approved of chocolate. Considering it contains cocoa powder I'm guessing the latter. I probably could have answered that question in the grocery store by just looking at the package, but then I wouldn't have found out how it compares to Nutella. 

Of all of the spreads I've tried since starting this series of blogs, I would say that this spread is the closest to Nutella. Maybe not in quality or at the very least how much I like it, but as far as being a simple chocolate hazelnut spread. I feel like it's not as good as Nutella, but it's also not bad at all. In a pinch I would certainly recommend this if you're really craving some hazelnut spread and Nutella isn't available.

While the spread is just fine, the name is bold and a little weird, and I like that. Now that I know it contains cocoa, and is in fact made with chocolate like ingredients, I'll read the words "Choco Like" in a 1980s valley girl voice.

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Reading Snack Facts - Issue 6

Sit back and relax while I read you every issue of Snack Facts. Today I'm reading issue number 6 all about theaters snacks.

If you want to pick up your own copy of Snack Facts in either the micro edition or the full sized edition visit http://candycritic.org/snackfacts/

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Candy Critic's Monthly Review-A-Thon Starts Today

 I think I mentioned this earlier, but I've decided that I'm going to have a review-a-thon every month on candycritic.org. For those unfamiliar, instead of just posting two reviews this week, I'm going to post a new review every day. This week I've got some neat new treats, including a treat with the best cookie design I've seen in a long time. I also have a Pocky variety that confused me a little, and a bag of chips that was missing a few crucial elements. So make sure to follow us on social media so you can keep up with each and every new review.

To start us off, I've decided to look at a piece of chocolate, from a place that really knows their chocolate.

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Where Pineapples Grow

 I've seen pineapples grown, but I've never been to a pineapple farm.

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Reading Snack Facts - Issue 5

Sit back and relax while I read you every issue of Snack Facts. Today I'm reading issue number 5 all about candy canes.

If you want to pick up your own copy of Snack Facts in either the micro edition or the full sized edition visit http://candycritic.org/snackfacts/

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Can Retro Candy Be Too Retro

 

There's the common idea that all retro candy is great, but I'm not sure that I completely agree. In fact I have several reviews on this site for retro candies that are nowhere near the best candy ever. There is the fact that some candies that where made a really long time ago, may not be much more than burnt sugar. These candies did not have the technology that we have now, or even the technology that's been around for the last 40 years to make something great. I will however admit that I am as guilty as anyone for loving a candy not because it's objectively good, but because it takes me back to my childhood. Sure I try and point that out in my reviews, but I'm sure some nostalgia slips through the cracks.

Check out my latest review of a truly retro/nostalgic treat.

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A Deep Dive Into Turkish Ice Cream

 One might argue that it's not technically ice cream, but there's a good argument to say it is too.

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Making a Chocolate Dinosaur

If you're unfamiliar with Kracie Pop 'n' Kitchen, it's a series of do it yourself candy making kits from Japan. The theme of most of these kits is to make miniature candy/snack versions of popular Japanese meals. The process to make these kits is can be very complicated, but also a lot of fun. I recently came across a new kind of kit from Kracie, one that focuses on learning, as opposed to eating, and it's also a bit less labour intensive. I picked up one of these kits that teaches you something (?) about dinosaurs.

The aim of the kit is to have you make several chocolate dinosaur parts out of chocolate, then using the handy placemat that also happens to be the bag holding everything together, figure out which dinosaur(s) you got and learn something about them. I did not learn anything about my dinosaurs, but that's only because I can't read Japanese. Fortunately for me my focus is on making the chocolates.

The instructions on how to make your kit are half illustrations and half in Japanese. I might have been able to figure out most of this without Google translate, but I may have had a few challenges figuring out the timing for letting the chocolate melt and set.

Speaking of melting the chocolate, that was the first step towards making these chocolaty dino shapes. It was surprisingly easy, and I can only assume I did it right. All you have to do is take the two bags of chocolate chips and put them in a cup of boiling water for 5 minutes. This was the part that I had the most guess work as even the translated instructions didn't make much sense. Fortunately it seemed to work fairly well.

After the 5 minutes I tested to see if the chocolate had melted by squishing the bags. I was pretty amazed at how quickly and smoothly the chocolate had melted, but I probably shouldn't be as the folks at Kracie are masters of candy chemistry. After melting the chocolate I folded it as shown on the package and cut the tip off.

The next step is probably the one that requires the most patience and steady hand of this entire project. Having said that, compared to the other Kracie kits I've done (see video here), it's still pretty easy. I had to carefully squirt the chocolate into the mould. One of the tricks on the package suggests that you tap the mould after you've filled it in order to let the chocolate settle better.

Before the chocolate sets, you're supposed to add the cookie crumbs. I'm not really sure what this adds to the aesthetics of the dinosaur, but it did add a little crunch to the chocolate. After the cookies were added it was into the freezer for 10 minutes (apparently you can also use your refrigerator for 20 minutes instead).

The next part was really the moment of truth. This would be the moment when I discovered if I made any mistakes, or if the kit had any flaws. It was time to pop the set chocolate dinosaur parts onto my plate. Fortunately for me, neither Kracie nor myself had any problems.

It did take a little work to shake out the pieces, some of the shapes were more challenging than others. In general I was pretty happy with the results, and while I had a few small bubbles in a few places, I felt like I, and the team from Kracie, did a great job making these dinosaurs.

The next stage was to sort out my pieces and construct my dinosaurs.

I had two complete dinosaurs.

A footprint and a shell.

I looked up my dinosaurs on the placemat, and I did find them, however I didn't really learn anything due to the language barrier. I didn't mind though because I always have Google to look up information on dinosaurs, and while I'm doing that, I have some tasty dinosaurs to eat.

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An Omani Adventure on Junk Fud on the Road

 This was our first true travel adventure since Covid, and it was so amazing and fun.

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Reading Snack Facts - Issue 4

Sit back and relax while I read you every issue of Snack Facts. Today I'm reading issue number 4 all about potato chips(crisps).

If you want to pick up your own copy of Snack Facts in either the micro edition or the full sized edition visit http://candycritic.org/snackfacts/

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Puddin' Puddin'

 A deep dive into the origins of pudding. Spoilers, it starts with meat.

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Reading Snack Facts - Issue 3

Sit back and relax while I read you every issue of Snack Facts. Today I'm reading issue number 3 all about Halloween.

If you want to pick up your own copy of Snack Facts in either the micro edition or the full sized edition visit http://candycritic.org/snackfacts/

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1701 Candy Reviews

This very review marks the 1701st review on candycritic.org. That means that I can now brag that I've got over 1700 reviews on Candy Critic, and I can even say that we're nearing 2000. One thing that many people tell me about reviewing candy is that at some point I'm going to run out, personally I doubt that at this point. There are times now when I'll visit a store and discover that I've reviewed each and every candy on the shelf, but I have yet to go on a trip where I don't find something brand new. I'm also inundated with all kinds of news and press releases talking about brand new treats coming out. I know for a fact that I'm going to make it safely to 1800 reviews, but I also imagine that I'll make it to 2000 as well.

Check out my 1701st candy review right now!

You can also check out my very first review right here.

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Vending Machine Heaven

 If you like buying odd foods from vending machines, this is the perfect video for you.

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Is A Chocolate Teapot... Better Than Nutella?

In my continuing effort to try all of the chocolate spreads I can find, and find out if they're better than Nutella, I present to you the most unconventional of all chocolate spreads, Teapot. Teapot is traditionally not chocolate flavoured, however they make a version that is chocolate, and I believer it's very popular. Teapot is actually something that many of us have been eating for years, but just didn't know that it works as a spread on toast, sweetened condensed milk.

To be fair, Chocolate Teapot is nothing like Nutella, other than the fact that you put it on toast (or other pancake/waffle like things) and it's chocolate. The texture of Teapot is much thinner, and the application is through a tube as opposed to using a knife. To be honest though, if Nutella came out with a tube version I'd be happy to give it a try.

The great thing about Teapot is the fact that it's very creamy. It doesn't have a any kind of nutty flavour either, but I'm fairly nonplused about that. I feel like it's fine being nut free, but I'd also be willing to try a hazelnut version if they ever came out with one. The biggest disadvantage of Teapot is the runny texture, as it tends to drip off the toast. I'll often just apply as I eat to avoid serious messes. Flavour wise I think it's actually fairly on par with Nutella, at least from a quality standpoint. It by no means tastes the same, but it's equally as good.

The one thing about Chocolate Teapot is that it actually has a better way to eat it on toast, and that's something known as Hong Kong toast. Basically you get your bread, put on a layer of peanut butter, then add a layer of Teapot. The traditional way to eat Hong Kong toast is with the regular Teapot flavour, however being a fan of chocolate and peanut butter together I feel as though this works just as well, maybe even a little better.

So is Teapot better than Nutella, maybe not. The big downfall being how messy it gets and how much better it is with peanut butter. If I was to compare Hong Kong Toast to Nutella that might be a different story, but on it's own it's just not as good, but pretty close.

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Too Much Sugar... For Your Drink?

For this new candy experiment I decided to look into the rumour that Pixy Stix used to be drink mixes. I tried each flavour, and may have blown the lid off this crazy idea.

Check out my Facebook, Instagram and Twitter feeds to suggest any new ideas we could experiment on.

Also be sure to check out my Patreon to learn even more.

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Reading Snack Facts - Issue 2

Sit back and relax while I read you every issue of Snack Facts. Today I'm reading issue number 02 all about bubble gum.

If you want to pick up your own copy of Snack Facts in either the micro edition or the full sized edition visit http://candycritic.org/snackfacts/

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It's Just Sugar In A Straw... Or Is It.

Pixy Stix are probably one of the most mocked candy out there. The general assumption is that it's just sugar in a tube. While I can't deny that these are very sugary, and they are in a tube, there's something a little more to these. I'll be honest, I've eaten a few honey and maple syrup based candies that one could also argue is just sugar in a straw, but because Pixy Stix use dry sugar they get a bad rap. I'm not really here to defend Pixy Stix, I just feel like they don't deserve as much mocking as they get.

Ready my full Pixy Stix review.

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Fig Newton Commercial

 Cookie advertising isn't what it used to be.

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Reading Snack Facts - Issue 1

Sit back and relax while I read you every issue of Snack Facts. Today I'm reading issue number 1 all about Gummy Bears.

If you want to pick up your own copy of Snack Facts in either the micro edition or the full sized edition visit http://candycritic.org/snackfacts/

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Back To The Review-A-Thons

 

I've decided to try a little experiment this summer and have regular review-a-thons on the second week of every month. I've actually been accumulating many reviews in my reservoir and I feel like it needs a little thinning out. For those out of the know, a review-a-thon is when I review a new candy every single day. Normally I post 2 or three reviews a week, but on these special weeks I post at least 5. So starting this week I plan on going a little nuts, I just hope I can keep up.

Check out this first, kind of unique candy for this week's review-a-thon.

To keep up with every entry, follow me on social media, or check out the candycritic.org front page.

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Making Peanuts, Literally

Peanuts are an ingredient in candy that's so important. It's great to see where they come from, and look at modern and old fashioned ways to harvest them.

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Tim Hortons in the Middle East

 For all of you Canadians traveling to the Middle East, know this, you will likely find a Tim Horton's near you. When I first started traveling to the Middle East (Dubai I believe), there were tales of a few Tim Horton's locations in that part of the world (I would seek them out whenever I could). Recently I went on a trip to Oman and Qatar, and there were Tim Horton's all over the place. I've actually learned that there are hundreds of Tim Horton's locations in the Middle East at this very moment.

For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, or why this is a little bit odd, let me explain. Tim Horton's is a chain of Canadian doughnut and coffee shops. I would argue that if you're in Canada, you're more likely to come across a Tim Horton's over a McDonalds. I've visited very small towns, large cities and even very rural truck stops with Tim Horton's locations. In some ways this coffee shop has become a part of Canadian culture, even if it means complaining about how it isn't as good as it used to be. 

Over the last few years, I've started to notice that Tim Horton's has decided to spread itself out into the world, including the USA, Thailand and apparently Middle East just to name a few places. The great thing is that it never looses its Canadian spirit. In the Middle East however, I feel like there's something extra going on. In most non-Canadian Tim Horton's locations, there's something about them that makes you feel like you're in a Tim Horton's themed restaurant rather than an actual Tim Horton's. Something that makes you feel like it's a place for people to have a Canadian experience almost like Epcot at Disney World. The difference is, in all of the locations I've visited in the Middle East, it feels more like a regular Tim Horton's, as if the people just enjoy Tim Horton's for being Tim Horton's and not a special Canadian place.

Having said that, there are a few differences between Tim Horton's in the Middle East and Tim Horton's in Canada, and I'm going to name a few.

The one thing I noticed is that they don't have a specialty doughnut feature, instead they have many special doughnuts all of the time. At Tim Horton's in Canada, I feel like there's one, maybe two special doughnuts available at any time, each available for a limited time. In the Middle East they have a bunch of specialty doughnuts available all of the time. This includes:

A very serious Oreo cookie doughnut.

And a tasty Lotus cookie butter doughnut.

On top of having a boat load of specialty doughnut available all of the time, they also offer a few unique treats as well. First of all they offer a pistachio doughnut that actually tasted pretty good. It wasn't just pistachio nuts sprinkled on a doughnut, they also flavoured the icing.

Did I mention that they offer many Timbit versions of their speciality doughnuts as well.

They also offer many different mint themed drinks, since mint is a very popular flavour in the Middle East to add to drinks. This includes this very tasty mint lemonade that was made with real mint and very mint forward.

They also have something called a Zaatar Croissant which is available on its own or with a halloumi cheese sandwich. Zaatar is the green herb you see on the outside of the croissant. I'm not really sure what it is, but it adds a nice herb flavour to the croissant.

One of the more interesting differences I found between Canadian and Middle East Tim Horton's is the way they glaze their doughnuts. In Canada glaze is pretty much a hard sugar crust on the outside of your doughnut. In the Middle East they seem to go with a syrup that soaks into the doughnut instead. While I wouldn't call it better than the Canadian version, it's pretty unique and worth giving a try.

I've been very lucky to travel the world, and sample Tim Horton's in many places. Some might find it a little weird to go into a Canadian doughnut shop when you're a Canadian traveling abroad, but I find it a little comforting. First of all I'm away from home more than I'm at home, so it's a little taste of home when I need it. Secondly it's nice to see that people appreciate one of the great Canadian traditions all over the world. In the Middle East they not only appreciate it, but I feel like they treat it very well. Every time I've gone into a Tim Horton's in the Middle East I see people just relaxing, enjoying their drink or treat, talking, or just contemplating whatever has crossed their mind.

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Reading Snack Facts - Issue 0

Sit back and relax while I read you every issue of Snack Facts. Today I'm reading issue number 0 all about the origins of Sir Francis Sweetums and Barbara. If you want to pick up your own copy of Snack Facts in either the micro edition or the full sized edition visit http://candycritic.org/snackfacts/

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Mysterious Packages

I feel like the lesson about taking candy from strangers was completely lost on me. I regularly accept candy from strangers, and open packages and eat contents for things that I have no idea who may have made it. My general assumption is that if it's packaged well than it mush be okay, but sometimes I don't even follow that rule. I've bought candy off a vendor at the side of the street in a package that's been poorly taped up. I eat candy found in packages from foreign lands with no idea what I'm getting into. This week's feature review is a fine example of that. I opened the bag and...

Find out what was in this very random red envelope with Japanese writing on it.

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Cake In a Can

Japan is a truly amazing place. In Japan they not only think of putting cake in a can, but they manage to make it work. Making something innovative work is the key to amazing treats.

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Another Round Of Questions

 These three questions (although one is more a comment) are a little more obscure than some of the other common questions I get, but I do get them pretty regularly.

Make sure to follow me on YouTube to keep up with all my fun videos.

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Zillions of People Love Treats and Beasts, and so Will You

 Make sure to pick up your own copy of Treats and Beasts.

You can also get all kinds of fun Treats and Beasts merch.

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Retro Commercial Is Awesome

Not only is the commercial amazing, but the candy bar it's selling looks great too. I imagine that this bar no longer exists, but maybe if enough people ask nicely...

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