When Candy Addict last went to the All Candy Expo, the writers came back raving about the Medlow fruit pectin jellies they sampled, and lamented how hard it was to source them locally. Of course I had to laugh - being the only Australia-based writer, I could get these all the time! It made a nice change from all the candies reviewed here that I can’t get my hands on.

I offered to send them some Medlow jellies, and began hunting around for them. They’re readily available, I’ve seen them in several stores here… but sadly, a search of a half dozen stores left me empty handed. Since then, I’ve been searching high and low and they are nowhere to be found. A recent shopping expedition to Sweet As netted me a box of interesting sounding fruit jellies. It was only once I had the box in hand that I realized I’d found the Holy Grail!

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You know how there are some candies which remind you of certain types of people? Charms Blow Pops remind me of snarky teenage girls, Mentos reminds me of Europeans riding bikes, Werther’s Originals remind me of dirty old men, Tic Tacs of skinny people… you get the idea. For some reason Toblerone is one of those candies which I associate with two types of people: middle aged men and backpackers in Europe. The former because my Dad always ate Toblerone, and the latter because I can recall seeing many a backpacker in Europe carting around those enormous 10 pound size Toblerone bars to take home as a souvenir.

I should say up front that I actually love Toberlone bars - the quality of the chocolate is great, the nougat gives a lovely texture and the unique shape appeals to me. When I saw bars of Toblerone Fruit & Nut on sale, I was intrigued - mostly because I also think Fruit & Nut combos in chocolate are another thing only older men eat. Toblerone + dried fruit = candy bar for the geriatric market?

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When I opened a package addressed to me at Candy Addict, I expected the usual assortment of sugary treats sent by most candy manufacturers. Instead, a bright blue box with the words “Cavity-Free Kit” shone up at me. I wondered if the delivery was my dentist’s idea of a joke. Don’t get me wrong - I don’t want rotten teeth, and have only had one cavity in my entire life (in a baby tooth!) - but as a lover of sugar, I was hoping for a box of sweet stuff.

Curiosity was definitely beginning to overtake disappointment, so I opened the box to find out exactly what a Cavity-Free Kit really is. Inside, I found boxes of gum and mints, a tube of toothpaste, and a bottle of mouthwash. Directions were included with the kit, and after poking through all the boxes to check out the gum and mint flavors, I read about Epic’s ideas for a healthy mouth. Apparently, the sweetener xylitol is key.

Problem number one that I have with Epic is that the directions for obtaining a healthy mouth include using Epic products six times per day. Yes, six. The manufacturer stresses that you can choose the combination of products to add up to six, but I don’t like requirements on my gum and candy. I do, however, love sugar-free gum, especially in pellet form, and was quite excited to give the four flavors a try.

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I have a crush. I can’t stop thinking about it. I’ll be driving my car or typing away at work or sweating in the middle of a Pilates class when suddenly, wham! I’ll picture the object of my affection and my eyes will glaze over a bit. I smile just enough that one would assume I’m daydreaming about Clive Owen again. But sorry, Clive. You’ve got some competition and the name is Damla.

Damla, a Turkish import, is a taffy-like fruit flavored candy with a delicate gel center. Each piece comes individually wrapped and the flavors - apple, cherry, orange, peach and strawberry - are clearly labeled with darling little illustrations on their wrappers. The candy has a bit of a chew, but nothing that will destroy a filling. Actually, it takes on a lovely melty consistency after a bit of chomping.

And oh, the health benefits! The candy touts its fat-free status and at less than 20 calories per piece, I can easily justify eating five at a time for my daily empty calorie snack.

Is it worth it, you ask? Am I blinded by candy lust? Here’s the flavor breakdown:

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Another month, another delicious delivery from Licorice International’s Licorice of the Month Club. Truly, who could ask for more from life? This time around, I got to try Finnska Strawberry Bites, which are a red cousin to the black Sweet Finnish Licorice I tried last year.

Like the black, this red licorice from Finland is short and tubular, but there the similarities end. Unlike the black, the red is extremely moist and sticky to the touch. It’s a pleasant red color, but you have to lick your fingers after each piece or risk getting sticky muck all over the keys on your keyboard. That in and of itself would usually gross me out to no end, but here the surprise comes in - the flavor. They’re good! Really really good. Sweet and fruity (no natural flavors here, unfortunately), there’s really nothing to complain about. They definitely beat Twizzlers - even when Twizzlers are having a really good day - so if that’s your kind of thing, go get some… now! You won’t be disappointed.

• Finnska Strawberry Bites at Licorice International

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Gummi candies are all the rage in Japan right now. The summer heat has not yet dissipated, so to eat chocolate or anything temperature-sensitive is difficult. Gummi candies are the perfect solution when you need your sugar fix and the temperatures aren’t cooperating. JBox.com was kind enough to send me samples of Meiji’s Kaon, a currently popular gummi candy.

The real lure of Kaon (the “ka” stands for fruit) is that there are real bits of fruit in there for a real fruity taste, which I definitely picked up on when I tried these. The Berry Mix has the flavors of strawberry, blueberry and cassis and the Citrus Mix has tangerine, orange, lemon, grapefruit, and mango. Yum! The design of the bag is also beautiful and very eye-catching (something I think is very important!) not to mention useful; it has a resealable top so you can put half away to eat later.

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People associate candy with many things, but “healthy” usually isn’t one of them. Despite the many recent scientific findings showing that chocolate is good for you, candy still has a pretty bad reputation in that department. Here’s where Figamajigs step in.

Figamajigs are chocolate covered pieces of fig that are beautifully packaged in two very recognizable candy shapes: in bar form and as little panned candy pieces. It may sound like a strange combination, but I assure you, this is every bit as tasty as anything you’ll find in the candy aisle in your local store. The figs make up a majority of this candy as they provide a wonderful deep fruity flavor that will grow on you.

I’ve tried all the Figamajigs varieties and the ones with the colorful panned candy shells were my favorite because the shell is quite crunchy and adds another level of texture. The center is figgy and soft with a nice dense chew like a good fudge. You definitely taste more fig than chocolate, which is a good thing since both flavors compliment each other so well.

These are worth a try whether you are a fig lover or not. Even though Figamajigs don’t deliver a true hardcore/full chocolate taste, they’re still sweet, satisfying, and they feel like candy. I’m officially addicted.

• Figamajigs Website

More candy articles about: chocolate, figs, fruit, healthy

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For a long time my official “car candy” was Altoids. I liked the regular flavor, but my husband preferred wintergreen, so we kept two tins on hand (but his disappeared first, since his habit was to crunch through several Altoids at a time!). Oh, but I digress. My current car candy is the tart and lovely Life Savers Fruit Tarts. These come in two varieties: the purple tin contains Grape Berry, Green Apple, and Strawberry Watermelon; the gold tin has Watermelon, Cherry Lemonade, and Mandarin Orange. I usually alternate between the two tins.

The little fruit tarts are sugar-free but not, according to the tin, a “low-calorie food”. Whatever. The tin is very clever and cute. You press down in the center of the lid, and the sides release and pop open. The close, you replace the lid and just pinch the sides, and they snap back into place. Should I confess that I could not for the life of me figure out how to get these tins open? My husband had to show me. In my defense, though, these are car candies, which means I was too busy driving to read the instructions.

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