Back in 1996, a new candy appeared on the scene here in Canada. They were created by two guys from Winnipeg, Chris Emery and Larry Finnson, who decided to try marketing their Grandma’s candy recipe. They were an overnight sensation, and today they’re found on store shelves everywhere next to the big boys like Werthers’ and Starburst. The name? Clodhoppers.
According to the Phrase Finder website, clod hopper is a very old term for “a rough, unsophisticated countryman†or, more recently, a pair of ploughman’s boots. Clods, of course, refers to clods of dirt. What kind of candy names itself after a lump of dirt? A darn good one, as it turns out.
Clodhoppers consist of clumps of Rice Krispie-sized graham cracker bits covered in just enough chocolate – well, OK, mockolate – to keep the graham clusters together (there are a lot of loose “clods†in the bottom of the bag). They come in four flavors: Original Vanilla Fudge, Dark Chocolate, Cookies & Clods (which substitutes chocolate cookie crumbles for the graham bits) and this one, Chocolate Fudge, which I was fortunate enough to find in a snack-sized bag at Dollarama. (I hear big bags of Clodhoppers are legally classified as a deadly weapon – put one in front of someone and they’ll eat until their arteries harden up and they die.)
Unlike the cereal they resemble, the graham bits have a rather dense, crunchy texture. They have a very toasty, almost burnt cereal flavor that is a little overwhelming at first bite, but gradually mellows itself out to a refreshing saltiness that lends itself well to the mockolate coating. The mockolate is sweet, mild and milky, with a very slight yogurt-y tang, and there’s just enough of it to add flavor and a slightly cooling mouthfeel. These would be godly with real chocolate and a little more of it, but as is, they’re still addictive as all heck – not quite awesomely so, but still, a very good candy and one worth tracking down if you’re ever in Canada. Not too shabby for a couple of Manitoba boys and their Grandma’s recipe.
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Yup, these are pretty addicting. I also bought them at a dollar store. Hmm…I wonder if they had real chocolate would they be sold in a dollar store?
August 22nd, 2008 at 4:21 amAddicting indeed
August 22nd, 2008 at 9:44 amThe off-brand of these are even better. Those seem to have the same sort of chocolate that cover Raisinettes. YUM!
August 22nd, 2008 at 10:07 amAddicting and tempting. You just can’t control the urge to eat.
August 23rd, 2008 at 1:51 amThey had these in the US at Costco, but I’ve only seen them there once. (The dark chocolate flavor.) Very addictive! Got my fix this summer when we vacayed on Vancouver Island, and was able to try the milk chocolate kind.
August 27th, 2008 at 8:29 pm