morinaga grape hi-chew (japan)

I had read about these on another blog, though I can't quite remember which one. I've seen them on j-list and asian grocer but had never been able to try it. I won't lie to you, this package looks like it was designed by a ten year old.

The actual chew was much smaller than I thought it would be, about half the size of a Starburst. The candy had a purple center surrounded by a white "White Rabbit" type chew. It was a bit harder and tougher to digest than I would have liked it, but the flavor more than made up for it. The grape was that of a Welch's grape soda and perhaps even better than that. It tasted like the first bite into a piece of grape Hubba Bubba.

Anyways, I would buy this again, if just to try the other available flavors. I wish it were a bit softer, but perhaps the pack I bought had been sitting on the shelf for a while.

Morinaga Grape Hi-Chew (Japan)
Size: 50g Calories: 210 Fat: 5g Carbohydrates: 42g

More News on FDA Chocolate Takeover...

For those of you who read my last post and helped out by signing the petition against the FDA's approval of the definition change of chocolate, here's another article from the LA Times.

Flowers Brand Haw Flakes (China)

I know what you're saying to yourselves. They look like little Chinese rolls of pepperoni. Well, I'd be lying if I said that they didn't. I was first introduced to these buggers when I was around 8 or 9 years old. My sisters and I would get them from this Asian food market called "Ding How". Oh, the memories. We would make pretend that one of us was a priest (usually me) and use them as Communion wafers.

Anyhow, yesterday I was in our local Asian super center and picked up a few candies, this being one of them. These are Haw Flakes. Simply put, they are slices of Tea. They are somewhat bitter to the taste but have a good amount of sugar added to counter it. Personally, I really don't know what I used to see in them, except that you could buy like 20 rolls of these for a dollar. Times really haven't changed very much, as a six pack still only set me back 39 cents. Maybe if I liked tea better, or perhaps if I scraped my taste buds out with a spoon these would taste much better. Then again, maybe not.

Flowers Brand Haw Flakes (China)
Size: ? Calories: ? Fat: ? Carbohydrates: ?

new shipment has arrived!

My latest shipment of international treats has arrived. From Japan, I received two Pineapple Kit Kats. From Mexico arrived a Bubu Lubu bar, which (assuming I've translated the Spanish correctly) is jelly and marshmallow cubes with chocolate flavor... I'll have to see about that one. From Canada, I got Cinnamon and Peanut Butter Kitters. Finally, from the US came a pack of Kona Creme coffee flavored gum. I'm quite interested in that after my wonderful experience with the Ritter Sport bar the other day. Consequently, I'm still working on that bar. I've been eating a little bit each day because of the massive calories and amount of fat that it has. I'll be reporting on the Bubu Lubu bar first. I'm not usually a fan of jellied candies, so I don't know how this is going to fair with me. Until then...

a funny commercial...

Check out this video I found on iFilm...

ritter sport - cappuccino (Germany)

This is one I've been wanting to try for a while. Believe it or not, it was the super simple packaging that drew me to it. As I wrote in my last post, I've always been a fan of simplicity in package design. The blue logo contasted well against the white square and metallic gold ink. I was quite excited to rip it open and try it.

The chocolate itself was divided into 16 squares, each bearing the Ritter Sport logo. I broke off a square and bit into the chocolate. The smooth milky chocolate melted in my mouth as the cappuccino filling gushed from between the chocolate shell. Together they created a heavenly bliss which I don't believe has been matched by any other coffee flavored chocolate that I've ever happened upon.

I will definitely be buying Ritter Sport bars in the future as they have now tickled my tastebuds. This one fails to receive a perfect score only because it's quite possibly the most unhealthy bar I've eaten! I'm running a race this Saturday and should really be slimming down, but I just can't stop eating this chocolate delight!

Ritter Sport - Cappuccino (Germany)
Size: 100g Calories: 660 Fat: 45g Carbohydrates: 60g

mild bitter kit kat (Japan)

I've had this one in my collection for a while and figured that it was time I gave it a try. The packaging is sure promising. Bitter chocolate. Mmm. I'm not sure if it was implying that the contents were of the dark chocolate variety or it the chocolate itself was made bitter. I was intrigued. The package design itself was pretty decent looking. Clean and simple, one of my mottos when designing.

Anyways, I tore open the box to reveal the two, two-finger packages inside. My first bite into it was one of surprise... It wasn't that the chocolate was milky or dark or used more or less cacao; it's that there was a lack of flavor for the first few seconds. Then after chewing the wafer and chocolate, the flavor of the high cacao content became very apparent.

Now, one might ask what the difference between this and a dark chocolate Kit Kat is. The regular dark chocolate Kitter is still sweet. This one is more indicative of baking chocolate. The normal sweetness seems to have been replaced by the natural sugars of cacao bean. The Mild Bitter Kit Kat, while quite good, is definitely not for everybody.

Mild Bitter Kit Kat (Japan)
Size: 21.5g Calories: 118 Fat: 6.6g Carbohydrates: 13.2g

don't mess with our chocolate!

Apparently, some lobbyists are attempting to "change the definition" of chocolate by allowing inferior non-dairy product to pass off as the real thing. Read the post, then click on the link above to help do your part to save our chocolate. Thanks!

The rules currently state (basically) that chocolate must contain cocoa solids and cocoa butter. Other things can be in there, like milk fat and milk solids to make milk chocolate and a small amount of milk fat can be added to dark chocolate as well. The new proposal would allow products that contain NO COCOA BUTTER to be call chocolate.

Here's a passage directly from the "Don't Mess with Our Chocolate" website...

We love it just the way it is; made with 100% cocoa butter and real milk, rather than some concocted blend of fats and other substitutes. The following lists the primary reasons why we oppose their petition and why this is not in the best interest of the consumer:
1). Without proper labeling, consumers will find it difficult and confusing to differentiate the current gold standard of real chocolate vs. this new concoction, which has substitute ingredients. This will amount to economic fraud to the consumer as the product will become cheaper with inferior ingredients.
2). None of what is being proposed benefits the consumer, nor was any consumer research submitted to support such changes.
3). Their proposed formula will contain large quantities of bad Trans fats, which are not good for your health.
4). They are meddling with everything that we love about chocolate.
5). Cocoa butter is unique; vegetable fats can only masquerade as cocoa butter.
6). The eating properties, flavor and mouth feel will all be different.
7). All manufacturers, even those who do not want to support this, will be forced to convert to the new concoction due to the economic advantages associated with the new formula and their wanting to remain effectively competitive within the category. The net effect will be a total downgrade in the eating enjoyment and quality for chocolate.

ferrero duplo (Puerto Rico)

See? Even Buddy Christ thinks you would enjoy the Ferrero Duplo. But in all honesty, what makes this hazelnut treat any better than any of the other Ferrero offerings? Nothing really. This is another twist on the chocolate/hazelnut/wafer combination. Hey, if it works for them, why screw with it?

Anyways, this one looked like a giant Lego block, with three bumps protruding from a rectangular base. There were strips of chocolate on top of the entire bar. The packaging was simply white with red lettering and bore a picture of the contained goodies.

I broke off a piece and enjoyed such goodness. The hazelnut cream was about as creamy and delicious as possible. The pieces of hazelnut that were swimming in the filling were tiny and soft and provided a perfect compliment. The wafers were extremely light and the chocolate was super-milky. This was almost a perfect score, though I personally don't like nuts in my chocolate. Nice job Ferrero.

Ferrero Duplo (Puerto Rico)
Size: 26g Calories: 150 Fat: 10g Carbohydrates: 13g

nestle lion (England)

Here's another one from the foreign section of the supermarket. I've actually had this bar before while I was on a cruise several years ago. I remember it being quite tasty, but not so much that I was inclined to search for an online retailer. Naw mean?

The packaging is just okay from a graphic artist's point of view. I've definitely seen better from Nestle. It actually looks quite dated and lacks the flare of new packages. The bar itself was quite good, and was made with a mixture of caramel, filled wafers, crisp cereal and milk chocolate. It taste like a conglomeration of Milky Ways, Nestle Crunches and Kit Kats. One would think this would be heaven. However, there's just too much going on here and while there are a lot of good flavors, but none of them is distinct.

Nestle Lion (England)
Size: 55g Calories: 269 Fat: 12g Carbohydrates: 35g

olza prince polo (Poland)

Here's a new one. I'll give you a little background info on this bar from its wiki...

Prince Polo is a Polish chocolate bar. It is sold in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary under the name Siesta, and is popular in Iceland (as Prins Póló), where for many years it was one of the few chocolate bars available. It has long been Poland's top-selling candy brand, but in recent years the similar Princessa brand (manufactured by Nestle) has achieved similar popularity.

Prince Polo was introduced in the early 1950s, during the early years of the Polish People's Republic, by Olza SA in Cieszyn. It is a chocolate-covered wafer, with four layers of wafer joined by three layers of chocolate-flavored filling; it was easily identifiable by its metallic gold-colored wrapper.

I found this bar in the foreign foods section of our local supermarket. The picture on the metallic green wrapper made me wonder if this is a monogatari (see previous post) mint flavored chocolate. The bar felt very light in weight and I was quite eager to rip into it.

As I took my first bite, I realized that I couldn't really place the flavor, but enjoyed the treat nevertheless. It definitely wasn't mint, but reminded of a peanut-like flavor. The wafer was very thin, light and crispy and the chocolate was fresh and left a slightly bitter aftertaste. Apparently this is the most popular chocolate bar in Poland and I can understand why. Though this one might be a bit harder to get your hands on, I would recommend you to try it if possible. It's not my nearly my favorite, but it's not too shabby either.

Olza Prince Polo (Poland)
Size: 38g Calories: 200 Fat: ? Carbohydrate: ?