Bubu Lubu

My boyfriend recently returned from a work week in Mexico and brought me back some Mexican candy.  One of the treats was the Bubu Lubu candy bar, which apparently is very popular in Mexico.  The candy bar is comprised of a layer of strawberry flavored jelly and a layer of marshmallow all covered in a chocolate-flavored coating.         

I'm usually not a huge fan of thick jelly layers on anything, but it actually works well here.  The jelly, though not very strong in the strawberry flavor department, is more chewy than slimy.  The marshmallow layer is not as fluffy as a Peep and almost matches the consistency of the jelly.  The "chocolate-flavored" coating that holds it all together is quite tasty and probably my favorite component.  I know it's not "real" chocolate, but I figure if I'm eating something called a "Bubu Lubu" in a shiny blue wrapper with a creepy snow creature kid on the package, should I really be picky about artificial flavoring?

The Bubu Lubu reminds me of this chocolate-covered marshmallow cookie I used to get when I was a little kid.  I don't remember the name of the cookies, nor do I know if they are still made, but their chocolate coating was very similar to the stuff on the Bubu Lubu.  I've read some other blog posts about the Bubu Lubu, and generally everyone else hates it!  Could my fondness for this candy be blinded by nostalgia for cookies past? 

UPDATE: I saw the cookies I was thinking about at the grocery store.  They are Nabisco Pinwheels.

Paul Rudnick, You're My Hero

This afternoon I received an email from my sister asking me if I had ever heard about the guy who only eats candy.  She told me he wrote a book called something like "Living for Sugar, and Sugar-Coated Goblins."  Of course, being the librarian that I am, I Googled the phrase and found out that while "living for candy, and sugar-coated goblins" is not the name of a book, it is the title of a NY Times article written about author Paul Rudnick.  Turns out Mr. Rudnick does have a book out but it's called "I Shudder: And Other Reactions to Life, Death, and New Jersey."  I haven't read the book but of course I now have to. There are Peeps on the cover and it's endorsed by David Sedaris, win-win.  
 
Back to the NY Times article, the focus of which is how candy comprises most of Mr. Rudnick's diet yet he's healthy, happy, and still retains a full set of teeth.  Paul Rudnick is living the dream.  Read all the full article at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/28/dining/28Rudn.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1.  You can also check out photos of Mr. Rudnick's house that looks like something out of the Addam's Family - double awesome. 

While at the NYT, be sure to also check out the Diner's Journal Blog post "Sweet and Sour" where Mr. Rudnick discusses some of his favorite and least favorite candies.  Without giving away everything, let me just say that he likes Hostess Sno Balls and dislikes "gourmet" candy.  Paul Rudnick, you had me at "Sno Balls."

http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/27/sweet-and-sour/

Wonka Sploshberries Gummies

I was very excited to find these new Wonka Sploshberries Gummies at Target over the weekend. I assume they are part of the new Wonka "Gummies" product line which includes Sour Puckerooms and Sluggies, however the Sploshberries are not listed on the gummies page at wonka.com. The Sploshberries come in four shapes and flavors - raspberry, blueberry, goji berry, and cloud berry. Raspberry and blueberry I had covered, but I was unfamiliar with both the cloud berry and the goji berry. To my surprise, both are real. Cloud berries are an edible, amber colored fruit that grow in the Northern Hemisphere. In North America, they are mostly confined to Canada, Alaska, and a few northern states like Minnesota and Maine. The goji berry is the popular name for the wolfberry. Goji berries grow in China, Mongolia, and the Himalayas. They carry claims of possessing "superfruit" cancer fighting properties, along with other health benefits. Am I crazy to picture Oompa Loompas in the Himalayans picking these rare berries for this candy? I love the thought, but I'll have to ignore the fact that neither goji or cloud berry juice are listed ingredients.


The "splosh" in Sploshberries comes from the dab of fruity gel filling found at the center of each piece. The candies actually have three components. There is a gummy top, a dense marshmallowish bottom (which is kinda of similar to the white part of a peach gummy ring), and a fruity filling. Each piece is also decorated to resemble its namesake. Judging by the photos I viewed online, the goji and cloud berries really do look similar to the real thing. But of course the most important question here is, how do they taste? I surprised myself by really liking the Sploshberries. At first thought, gummy and fruit filling didn't appeal to me but the gummy portion is not at all slimy and holds up nicely to the fruit filling. I think the marshmallowish bottom also contributes to a tougher chew which I prefer. The flavors were also very nice. As I mentioned earlier, I have no point of reference for the goji or cloud berry, but like the raspberry and blueberry, they all just tasted fruity.

I like these candies. They are fun, eye-catching, and taste good. And if I want to imagine they were created for me by Oompa Loompas, that's an added bonus.

Kiss M&M's

I've never been a big fan of the band Kiss, but I have to admit, the detail found on these Kiss M&Ms' is pretty cool. Each candy is stamped with the likeness of one of the four instantly recognizable Kiss members. I have yet to see the Kiss M&M's in person, but if you're interested in picking up a bag, you'll have to head to Walmart because that is the only place they are being sold. So grab your screaming toddler and head over to Walmart for a piece, more like pieces, of pop culture!



The Metal Misfit already has a bag. Check out his blog for more pics and details.

Halloween Dots

Guess what kids, summer is over which means it's time to start planning trips to the cider mill and stocking up on Halloween candy! Let me introduce you to Halloween-themed Dots, who could pass up such a thing? I found these Candy Corn and Bat (blood orange) flavored Dots at Kroger. There is also a Ghost version available that are a neon green translucent color and fruit flavored, but I did not buy them. The candy corn flavor initially PIQUED my interest because they looked really cute and I have to admit, sometimes I do crave me some candy corn. It's not a candy I can eat in large batches or very often, but about once a year I find a nice fresh bag thoroughly enjoyable. A couple years ago around this time I found candy corn flavored salt water taffy that was quite awesome. Which reminds me, I should look for that again, but I digress...on to the Dots!


The Candy Corn Dots are pleasant. They sport the traditional dome shape and size of a Dot. Each piece has a yellow and orange layer mimicking real candy corn minus the white tip. The candy corn flavor is not very strong, nor are they overly sweet. In fact, I couldn't even taste much until a few seconds into the chew. They have a caramel flavor, whereas traditional candy corn has more of a honey flavor.

The Bat Dots were quite a surprise. First of all, I almost passed them up because I assumed they were black licorice. When I read they were blood orange flavor, I was intrigued, so I grabbed a box. I have to give the Tootsie Roll people credit for the clever tie between blood orange - "blood" - and Halloween. I can't say I've ever had a real blood orange, but I love the way these Bat Dots taste. I couldn't stop eating them. They remind me of a cross between grape and orange soda. They also have something in common with an orange slushie in that there is a nice tangy sparkle to them.

Both the Candy Corn and Bat Dots are nice additions to this year's Halloween candy offerings. Out of the two, I have to say I prefer the flavor of the Bat Dots. My only complaint is that they seem to make their way into ever crevice of my teeth. Very sticky, but delicious.

Chocolate Flavored Smarties

Non-chocolate "chocolate flavored" candies are quite a conundrum. Sometimes they work out great, like Tootsie Rolls, chocolate-flavored Tootsie Pops, or even chocolate Necco Wafers; but quite often the result is pretty grody. If you've ever tasted chocolate licorice or chocolate bubble gum, you know what I'm talking about. Nevertheless, when I heard about Chocolate Flavored Smarties, I was curious and a little bit hopeful.

I found this roll of Chocolate Flavored Smarties in the well-stocked candy section of a Party City store. If you can't tell from the photo, or just think I have really tiny hands, this happens to be a Smarties "mega" roll where each piece is about the size of a quarter. I'm not sure if this flavor is available in the traditional Smarties size.

As I untwisted the wrapper, the first thing I noticed about the Smarties were the smell. They definitely have a "chocolate" smell, but not real chocolate. It reminded me of a cross between the chocolate-scented pencil erasers that I would get as a kid and the scent of a Cabbage Patch Kid. More recently, I experienced the same smell from the Chocolator, the chocolate bar shaped chocolate-scented calculator that my sister bought me for my birthday. I took the Smarties smelling like plasticy rubber as a bad sign, and my gut was right. Sadly, the Chocolate Smarties not only smell like plastic, they taste very artificial. I couldn't eat more than one and half without getting grossed out.

Tropical Chewy Lemonheads

So I was on the elevator at work headed up to my office when I spotted a woman holding a small light blue box and all I could make out was the smiling face of Mr. Lemonhead. Hmmm...light blue? I didn't know of any Lemonhead product that came in a light blue box. I knew this had to be something new, so I had no other choice but to head back down to the first floor and survey the gift shop where I found displayed at the register Tropical Chewy Lemonheads. Last July I wrote about Chewy Lemonheads & Friends, the first incarnation of these candies. Tropical Chewy Lemonheads put a spin on the original product by putting two flavors in every piece, kind of like Crazy Core Skittles, and giving Mr. Lemonhead a hawaiian shirt. The flavors break down like this:

Peach Mango (orange w/green center): Generally the first flavor listed is the one that makes up the outer shell. I'm not a big fan of peach flavored candy, and here it kind of tastes like cat pee, luckily once the peach flavor dissolves the mango is pretty good.

Berry Banana (blue w/yellow center): I'm a fan of artificial banana flavor, but still I was skeptical of this one. It turned out to be my favorite of the box. The berry flavor has a nice tanginess and the banana is flavorful yet mild.

Pink Lemonade & Lemonade (pink w/yellow center): Two types of lemonade may seem redundant but this flavor works. It tastes like very much like a regular Chewy Lemonhead only a not as sour.

Cherry Watermelon (red w/pink center): Tastes like a Cherry Head. I can't really tell there is watermelon inside, but I still like it.

Kiwi Strawberry (green w/red center): Does anyone really know what kiwi strawberry tastes like? I usually only get strawberry flavor with a tiny kick of sourness. Nevertheless, I like this flavor. It reminds me of Kiwi Strawberry Snapple.