Starburst Sweet Fiesta

One of my favorite new candy finds is Starburst Sweet Fiesta.  I picked them up at a 7-Eleven when I was actually searching for the lackluster Skittles Blenders.  Starburst Sweet Fiesta was the better of the two candies I bought that day and here's why - the Strawberry Pineapple chew. One of the four flavors in the Sweet Fiesta pack, the Strawberry Pineapple chew is one of the best candy flavors I have encountered in a long time.  It has a wonderful fresh pineapple tartness coupled with sweet and tangy strawberry.  Really awesome.  I would buy a whole pack of Strawberry Pineapple chews if I could.

The remaining 3 flavors in Sweet Fiesta are also good, just not as good as Strawberry Pineapple.  They are Cherry Mango, Melon Berry, and Peach Guava.

I hope the Starburst Sweet Fiesta stick around for a while.  I'm done with my pack and already want more, however I am noticing that this flavor is hard to find!  I guess I'm headed back to 7-Eleven.

Skittles Blenders

It's been way too long since my last post, but I'm back and there is lots of great candy to get to so let's do this.

Introducing new Skittles Blenders.  Oh Skittles, dear sweet Skittles.  Sometimes all it takes is one bad flavor to spoil the whole batch, yeah I'm talkin' about you Melon Berry Burst, but I'll get to you later, good things first.


The idea behind the Blenders is that they are "blended fruit flavors."  Let's look at the combos offered in a very particular order (best to worst):

Cherry Tropicolada - The red one. Tastes like cherry Lifesavers with a hint of coconut.  Yum.

Strawberry Lime Blast - The pink one.  The lime flavor isn't really strong, but the strawberry is pleasant with a tiny tang of sour.  Good.

Watermelon Green Apple Freeze - The green one.  I don't know where the "freeze" comes into play.  Is it supposed to taste like a slushie?  This one reminds me of a green apple Laffy Taffy.  Nice.

Mango Lemonade Freeze - The orange one.  On first chew, I couldn't really tell what flavor this was supposed to be.  However, the more I ate the more I could taste the lemonade flavor.  The mango is missing.  Eh.

Melon Berry Burst - The blue one.  This was my least favorite flavor and unfortunately the most plentiful color in my bag.  Why do candy companies insist in making melon flavored candy?  They are never good.  This one tastes like cucumbers and parsley.  Don't eat it first or it will ruin your whole palette.  Bleh.

Every Burger

The 85 degree temperatures in my non-air conditioned apartment have wreaked havoc on my candy supply.  Chocolate is melting all over the place and I've been forced to re-purpose my refrigerator's fruit bin into a "chocolate bin."  I'm in survival mode here.  I figured it was time post about the Every Burger before they ceased to exist in their intended form.  Allow me introduce you to the awesome Every Burger.

 A few weeks ago my friend Kurt took me to Chinese supermarket near his home in Ypsilanti with the promise that it had a really cool Asian candy section.  Walking into the market I initially had doubts that I would find anything appetizing.  The overwhelming smell of fish and creepy packages of freeze-dried baby octopi (for real, I have photos) clouded my judgement.  But then, at the front of the store out of fishy smell range was an entire aisle of bizarre, interesting, and beautifully packaged Japanese candy.

If there is one thing the Japanese do right it's cute.  Need proof, think Hello Kitty.  The Every Burger package is cute and the candies themselves are cute.  Each candy "burger" is made to look like a tiny hamburger.  A cookie shell forms the bun, complete with crumbles on top to resemble sesame seeds.  The brown "meat" portion consists of a chocolatey spread that has a smooth, Nutella-like quality to it.  There is even a dab of white spread atop the meat made to look like cheese.  I would compare the flavor to a Twix minus the caramel or a chocolate Yan Yan.  The Every Burger is really a tasty little bite and I appreciate the visual details put into each candy.  If after reading this review you decide that you cannot live another day without trying Every Burger for yourself, they are available for purchase online from various Asian food grocers.

Burger detail with melting chocolate

          

Skittles Fizzl'd Fruits

Oh Skittles...where did you go wrong? 

I don't know how the folks at Skittles ever okayed Fizzl'd Fruits for the market.  The concept is good, but the execution misses the mark.  Ever wonder what a Skittle dipped in baking soda tastes like?  Eat a Fizzl'd Fruit Skittle and you will find out.  The "fizzle" component tastes just like baking soda, and it really doesn't produce much fizzling action...at all.  The overall effect is just strange and unpleasant. 

If you're in the mood for fizzing candy, experience it done right with some Zotz or even Pop Rocks.  Hey, Skittles covered in Pop Rocks, sounds better already!

Hey, this marks my 100th post!  If I wasn't such a lazy butt, I would have reached this milestone long ago, but better late than never!  Thanks for reading!

Erfrischungsstabchen (or Refreshment Sticks)

Erfrischungsstabchen, hard to say but easy to eat.  I won't even try to pronounce it.  I picked these up last time I was in Germany and they have been hiding out in my fridge since.  My German boyfriend was amazed that I had never seen then before, apparently they are a classic treat for German kids.  Erfrischungsstabchen translates to "refreshment sticks" - and they are quite refreshing.  ES are small chocolate tubes filled with a refreshing shot of citrus liquid.  The liquid is clear and free-flowing with a sweet, pleasantly tart citrus taste.  The box says it contains an orange and lemon mix. I can't taste a difference between any of the sticks, so I assume the orange and lemon flavor is combined in each stick.  But I haven't told you about the best part.  Between the chocolate coating and citrus liquid there is a thin, crunchy shell of sugar encapsulating the liquid.  I don't know how they keep the sugar from melting, it must be magical feat of candy engineering. 

There are other brands of Erfrischungsstabchen in Germany, but the one featuring the cute orange and lemon characters is the original.  If you can't get to Germany and are interested in trying ES, you may want to look them up on the germandeli.com.

Anatomy of an Erfrischungsstabchen:

        

Happy National Licorice Day!

Did you know that April 12 is National Licorice Day?  Well, you do now!  Red, black, or watermelon, celebrate by enjoying your favorite flavor.  For me, Red Vines are the only way to go.  I can't begin to understand why anyone would purposely eat black licorice, but hey, to each his own!

Visit the Red Vines site to enter their National Licorice Day Sweepstakes for a chance to win some sweet prizes.

Or, check out the Licorice International site: https://www.licoriceinternational.com/. 

Starburst Summer Fun Fruits

I usually debit my gas purchases at the pump but last Saturday I went inside the gas station to get a fruit punch and I found the new Starburst Summer Fun Fruits.  The Summer Fun Fruits are regular Starburst fruit chews in flavors meant to capture the taste of summer.  So what does summer taste like?  Well, according to Starburst it tastes like kiwi banana, lemon-limeade, cherry splash, and strawberry watermelon.  Here's how the flavors break down:

kiwi banana - I thought this flavor would be gross me out, but it actually turned out to be one of the best.  I really couldn't taste kiwi, but the banana was delicate, fragrant, and not too sweet.  

lemon-limeade - I must admit, I bought the roll particularly to try this flavor but it was kind of a let-down.  I was hoping it would taste like a lemon-lime slush from Dairy Queen, but it had more of a Pine-Sol vibe.

cherry splash - Yum!  Tastes like Kool-Aid!

strawberry watermelon - The watermelon overpowers the strawberry and overall this flavor borders on being too sweet.  However, it works for the summer and is enjoyable in small doses.  

Look for them at a gas station near you!     

http://www.starburst.com/

Get This! Candy Button Wallet

I would say this is the most awesome wallet in the world, but I saw a Nancy Drew wallet last week that I am still pining for.  However, this is tops as far as candy wallets go.  Get one your own Candy Stash Zipper Wallet at the wonderful Fred Flare site for $18.

 photo from fredflare.com

Turning Japanese, I Think I'm Turning Japanese

My friends gave me these outrageously cute packages of Japanese gumballs for Christmas in February.  Each box contains 5 tiny flavored gumballs.  So far I've had banana and orange flavor and the banana are quite tasty.  I just can't get past how cute these boxes are!

 

Cupcake Pebbles

I usually don't write about non-candy products but I can't keep this to myself. Cupcake Pebbles. That's right, Fruity Pebbles cereal only cupcake flavored.  It tastes and smells just like vanilla cupcakes. Trust me on this one. If you like cupcakes, you must get a box. I found this box at Meijer.

You're welcome.

Mike and Ike and Hot Tamales Bubblegum

Every once and a while Walgreens comes through for me in a big way.  On my latest trip I hit the jackpot when I discovered Mike and Ike and Hot Tamales flavored bubblegum.  Each gum carries the flavor of their candy counterparts.  The Mike and Ike gum has lime, strawberry, cherry, orange, and lemon flavored pieces.  Not only are they fruity, they taste exactly like regular Mike and Ike's.  How do they do that?  The only downside is that I am compelled to swallow each piece after chewing it for a while.

The Hot Tamales gum packs some heat!  I find Hot Tamales candy nicely cinnamon flavored and not as hot as Atomic Fireballs for example, but the Hot Tamales gum made me choke it was so hot.  I wasn't prepared for the heat.  It's almost like eating a hot pepper.  However, once the heat wore down and the candy shell was dissolved, the gum actually had a nice and sweet cinnamon flavor.

At Walgreens this gum sells for 2 for $3 or one for like $1.59.  The Mike and Ike bag has 75 pieces and Hot Tamales has 50.  I may have to stock up some more M&I before it's gone.

    

My New Favorite Candy Bars

On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the best) I would probably rate the Nestle Crunch a 2.  In a world that offers Twix and Baby Ruth, I wonder why anyone would choose a thin Nestle Crunch?  I guess I just never saw the allure of the plain crispies in chocolate. That all changed the day I found the Nestle Crunch Crisp.  Like the Butterfinger Crisp that has been out for a year or two, the Nestle Crunch Crisp takes components of the classic candy bar and layers them between light, crispy wafers.  

The Nestle Crunch Crisp is comprised of four crispy wafers layered with the rich chocolate creme.  The wafers are then covered in a sprinkling of crispies and it's all coated in chocolate.  The star here is the chocolate creme.  The creme makes all the difference.  It has this great rich cocoa flavor.  In fact it is even better than the chocolate that coats the entire bar.

     

Equally as delicious is the Nestle Baby Ruth Crisp.  The Baby Ruth Crisp has the same light, crispy wafers but layered with nougat creme, caramel, peanuts - all covered in chocolate.  It tastes like a Baby Ruth only a little more airy, and well...crispy.

Both these candy bars are available at CVS and I imagine, various other drug stores.  If you want to try something new for 2010, give either one a shot.      

Christmas Dots

Who would have thought that quiet unassuming DOTS which have been in existence since 1945 would be rocking my candy world so hard this year?  First, this Halloween, in what turned out to be an otherwise disappointing candy offering, I was thrilled to find the Candy Corn and Bat DOTS.  A month later I stumble upon Christmas DOTS.  Not only are Christmas DOTS adorable (I can imagine them sprucing up a gingerbread house this season...if I ever made a gingerbread house) but they taste good too.  There are two flavors - cherry and lime.  Each flavor is also enhanced by a white cap of vanilla. 

The cherry tastes like maraschino cherries, and the lime reminds me of green Jell-O.  Although the vanilla flavor is not prominent, I figure it must be doing something behind the scenes to mellow these two flavors out since they don't taste anything like the cherry or lime that you find in a box of Original DOTS.

I spotted Christmas DOTS at both Target and CVS in the Christmas candy aisle.  An added bonus of the seasonal DOTS is that the short shelf life guarantees they will be fresh and soft.  Don't pass these up, they're only like $1 a box.   

The Twin Bing

I was really hoping that I would like the Twin Bing.  The Bing has been made since 1923 by the Palmer Candy Co. in Sioux City, Iowa, one of the oldest candy companies in America.  On the outside, the Twin Bing sports an eye-catching, authentically retro red and white package.  But on the inside, I found one of the oddest candy bars I've ever laid my eyes on.  The Twin Bing comes packaged as two chunky looking brown lumps, conjoined at the bottom by a thin bridge of the coating.  The brown coating covering the lumps is a combination of "chocolate compound" mixed up with finely chopped bits of salty peanuts.  This surrounds another lump of sweet and chewy cherry filling.  I'm not sure how to categorize the cherry filling.  It's not fluffy or viscous or creamy, but rather solid almost like a nougat or fondant.

As I alluded to earlier, I can't say I enjoyed the Twin Bing.  The "chocolate compound" coating is waxy and flavorless.  The cherry center does not taste bad, but when taken in a bite with the coating, it's just a weird mix of textures and flavors.  The best feature of this candy bar is the peanuts.  I like how the tiny chopped bits appear in every bite and their saltiness helps to cut the sweetness of the cherry and lend some flavor to the chocolate coating.

I think if real chocolate was used and the cherry lump was just a little more creamy, I would find the Twin Bing much more appealing.  Obviously, this is just my opinion.  The Twin Bing must have its fans, otherwise it would not have survived since 1923.  In 1923, the Twin Bing was actually just the "Bing" and each package only contained one lump of candy.  It was not until 1973 that the second lump was added and the Twin Bing was born.  Because two just wasn't enough, the Palmer Candy Co. introduced the triple lump King Bing in 1986.  Although cherry is the original Bing flavor, the company also makes the Crispy Peanut Butter Caramel Bing.  This Bing has a peanut butter caramel center covered by a coating of chocolate and crispy rice.  This Bing sounds interesting, but I worry that the same fake chocolate coating would ruin it as well.

For additional info on the Twin Bing, check out the book Candy Freak.  In it, author Steve Almond visits the Palmer Candy Co. and witnesses the Bing's creation first hand.  You can also read more about the company's history on their website http://www.palmercandy.com/.

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.