hershey's chocolate flavor bubble yum (usa)

I picked this up as an impulse buy while the Target cashier was scanning our groceries and Val was running back to pick up the apple sauce she had forgotten to throw in the cart. I had seen this before but had never actually been daring enough to try it. No, wait. Daring isn't the right word. What I'm trying to say is that I didn't want to spoil the Hershey chocolate flavor by making it a part of a chewing gum which would eventually become as bland as a plastic spoon.

Guess what? Three minutes into chewing this gum, it does taste like a plastic spoon. I was extremely disappointed that Hershey would even put its name on this. Initially there is a slight "false" chocolate taste but it fades quickly... I mean within the first thirty seconds. Then three minutes into the process, you might as well be gnawing plasticine. I don't even think I'll finish the rest of the pack.

Hershey's Chocolate Flavor Bubble Yum (USA)
Size: 8g Calories: 25 Fat: 0g Carbohydrates: 6g

mango crispy monogotari (Japan)

If you look closely at the cover of the box on the left, it appears as if there are huge wafers stuffed in the middle of a regular Kit Kat. This however, is not the case. Boy was I surprised when I ripped open one of those brightly colored orange packets and found... No chocolate? Did I get a defective one? What was the deal with this Kit Kat? Something was amiss here.

Actually, nothing was wrong with this Kit Kat. Through a little bit of Googling, I was able to find out that this particular kitter is also known as the "naked" Kit Kat. Ahh... Now it all made sense. But then, what was this kitter going to taste like? After all, without the chocolate, it was just a regular wafer cookie that you could buy from Target. In fact, I just bought a whole 30 pack of passionfruit ones from the Goya section for a whole ninety-nine cents.

So... I bit into the Crispy Monogatari. You know what? I wasn't very impressed. In defense of the Crispy Monogarari, the wafers were extremely light and the mango creme that was sandwiched between was quite tasty. However, when it came down to it, they were still just a glorified version of those Goya wafers. If you're a collector, go ahead and add this one. However, if you're just a casual kitter chomper (that's my new one), save your self a few bucks and head down to Target. It's a shame that something so simple as a creme wafer could have the Kit Kat named tacked on to it and more than sextuple its price. Although it was decent tasting, I'm giving this a mere 6 Goodness Points for lack of originality and deceptive packaging.

Mango Crispy Monogatari
Size: 10.5g Calories: 56 Fat: 0.85g Carbohydrates: 6.5g

Choxie Warm Spiced Caramels (USA)

Saturday, we were doing our weekly shopping at Target. As usual, I was scouring the candy aisles, looking for my weekly treat. I decided on a tin of Choxie Warm Spiced Caramels. I was quite intrigued by the the few words written on the lid. It read, "caramels infused with exotic signature spices, encased in milk chocolate". I couldn't help but buy it.

I didn't expect there to be many chocolates inside, after all the tin only held 1.5 oz of goodies. There seemed to be only about 30 pieces inside. And, true to Choxie's reputation, this was an expensive treat... $2.50 for 1.5 ounces? Ouch! Anyhow, I popped the first one into my mouth curiously excited. The chocolate was smooth, the caramel was soft and gooey (just the way I like it) and... Oh! What was this? Spices! It tasted like I was munching on a gingerbread cookie wrapped in caramel and chocolate... and I liked it! I went ahead and popped about five more in my mouth, one after another.

I had many compliments but only a few complaints. I wished the container and the chocolate itself was a bit bigger. Eating a piece left me yearning for more and feeling quite unsatisfied. I didn't quite like the fact that there were only 30 pieces in the tin and a normal person would need three pieces to feel even somewhat satisfied. Finally, the price. It always seems to be an issue when it comes to the price of Choxie. I can't ever argue the quality of the chocolate, but the price needs some serious re-evaluating. Until next time

Choxie Warm Spiced Caramels (USA)
Size: 43g Calories: 180 Fat: 9g Carbohydrates: 25g

choxie chocolate flakey truffles (USA)

God this new camera can't take macros. I should stick to my dSLR... I apologize for the picture. If I have time, I'll shoot another one.

Although Choxie has magnificently packaged goodies in their product line, and their selection of flavors is usually originally large, Val and I don't usually buy them because they cost too damn much! From a graphic artist's point of view I've always loved their "retro" "60's" "simplistic" packaging. They leave the quality of the chocolate itself to do the advertising.

You're going to laugh at me, but I found this package of Choxie underneath our refrigerator while searching for a cat toy that had traveled underneath. Though at least a year old, it looked to be in good shape, and still bore the red "Target Clearance" sticker upon it... According to me, it was still edible. So I ate it.

Let me just tell you up front that this package of Choxie truffles retails for $2.00. Boy was I surprised to open up the box and find a measly TWO pieces inside. Mind you, they looked like two very delicious pieces of chocolate, but still - a dollar each? I would be better off going to Godiva!

So, I finally bit into the truffle. Oh shat. This was heaven! This might actually be worth a dollar per piece. The chocolate truffles were extremely smooth and creamy and the chocolate flakes added to its delightfulness. Could this be the first "10" that I give out? Thinking it through, there wouldn't be a thing that I would do to this chocolate except possibly lower its price! Well kids, you've heard it from me. Go out and buy your own and try it for yourself. You won't regret it.

Choxie Chocolate Flakey Truffles (USA)
Size: 24g Calories: 140 Fat: 9g Carbohydrates: 13g

valentine's cherry kit kats (USA)

Oh man. Yet another limited edition Valentine's Kit Kat from Hershey. Last night as Val and I were shopping in Target, I stumbled across a bag of limited edition Valentine's Cherry Flavored Kit Kats. Now, I'm not really a fan of cherry flavored anything, but I decided to give them a try on behalf of Kit Kat Palace's 3 readers (myself included).

The wrappers are nice enough looking. Nothing special, but what can one expect from Hershey? They aren't the creative geniuses behind the Kinder Bueno or Aero Bar packaging, but whatever. It's a Kit Kat and that's what matters. When I bite into the pink wafer I'll get a sudden rush of pleasure from the crisp wafers and delicious chocolate and be quite satisfied. But boy am I surprised when I take my first real bite. What the hell am I eating? This isn't a Kit Kat. It doesn't even slightly resemble a Kit Kat, except for the wafer in the center which when mixed with the cherry flavored white chocolate taste like I'm eating a breakfast cereal. Yuck. Boy, this one is disappointing. However, I can't give it horrible remarks because I don't really cherry flavor to begin with. Anybody out there care to give me their opinion?

kit kat conversations... (USA)

I'm probably only going to write one more entry after this one and then there will be about ten days of silence. I'm going to Florida to run the Miami Marathon then relax afterward on a weeklong cruise with my wife. We went back to and once again on an impulse buy, I purchased a bag of Kit Kat Conversations.

Basically, they're regular two finger mini-bars with various messages imprinted on top of the chocolate. The wrappers have pink and red hearts as well as new "friendship exchange" logo on the top left corner. The back of the wrapper has spaces to write your name as well as the recipient's. The Kit Kat itself was extremely fresh and true to top notch Hershey flavor. There's a reason why regular Kit Kats are on top of my list.

While on the cruise, we'll be stopping in Puerto Rico, St. Thomas and Antigua. I'll be sure to bring back some foreign goodies to review.

jones soda co. green apple carbonated candy (USA)

Tonight, my wife and I were in line paying for our merchandise at Target (officially pronounced tar-zhay). As usual, I was scanning the impulse buy shelves, searching for my "treat" of the week. My eyes caught glimse of the shiny green, white & black tin from the Jones Soda Co. Carbonated Candy. For those of you who aren't familiar with Jones Soda Co., they are a carbonated beverage producer whose flavor choices tend to be "different" (see www.jonessoda.com for more info).

I had high expectations for this candy and I'm pleased to say that they were met! It's hard to explain what these lil buggers taste like. I think that the best way to describe them is by calling them "Smarties with a kick". They have a true-to-life green apple flavor that fizzes when bit. I melted one on my tongue and was surprised by the tingling sensation produced by these little green suckers. The back of the candy tin says that this carbonated delight is also available in Fufu Berry and Berry Lemonade flavors. In conclusion, if you see these lying by the cash register, grab one!