Monthly Archives: April 2009

Candy Review: Teenee Beanee Jelly Beans

Posted on by
2

Teenee Beanee Jelly Beans

Three years ago, I found myself working as a “Mad Scientist” for a similarly-named company. Donning a white lab coat, goggles and a goofy pseudonym, I traveled far and wide to spread scientific curiosity and slime to as many schools and birthday parties as possible. These “Mad Science” programs had all sorts of themes. They were all interactive, and messy.

One of our most popular themes was “Taste and Smell,” and it wasn’t hard to see why – the “class” involved scented slime and a taste test. The blind, nose plugged taste test was supposed to demonstrate that what we call “taste” is really 80% smell. We used generic jelly beans. The results were undeniable – without their distinctive hues and scents, the flavors couldn’t be distinguished. Grape was identical to lemon!

While taste may be mostly smell (and I’ll admit the two are linked, but I’m skeptical of the 80% figure!), the part that’s not smell makes quite a difference. Especially when it comes to jelly beans. Consider Jelly Belly – even with your nose plugged, there’s no way you’d ever confuse the warmth and mildly salty tone of their Buttered Popcorn flavor with the rich fruitiness of their Strawberry Daquiri. As far as I’m concerned, the beloved little beans have nothing in common with the blandly syrup-flavored variety utilized by Mad Science.

Continue reading →

Candy Review: Dove Promises Milk Chocolate With Peanut Butter

Posted on by
1

Dove Promises with Peanut Butter

It’s no secret that Dove makes some of the best mass-produced chocolates on the market. With its super-smooth texture (resulting from high levels of cocoa butter) and an unbeatable chocolaty flavor, it has always seemed a cut above the Hershey’s and Nestle brands sold alongside. And their venture into the “miniature” chocolates arena, Dove Promises? Melt-in-your-mouth and perfectly satisfying. Seemingly sinful, yet pretty much guilt-free.

What might come as a surprise, though, is that Dove has only recently released its take on the classic chocolate-peanut butter combo. Though I hadn’t seen a Dove peanut butter candy before, I’d always just kind of assumed that one had to be out there somewhere. Every sort of chocolate, I’d thought, had its peanut butter, and vice versa. So when a bag of new Dove Promises Milk Chocolate with Peanut Butter arrived on my doorstep, after recovering from my initial surprise, I was eager to try such a great brand’s take on the blend.

Continue reading →

Candy Review: Wiseman House Chocolates Wild Woman Baton Truffles

Posted on by
Reply

Wiseman House Truffles

When I recently reviewed Wiseman House Almond Toffee, I alluded to the fact that my friend Greg (still awesome) not only purchased a bag of their Almond Toffee, but also a small baton of truffles.

The truffles are actually what first gave notoriety to this small line of high-end confections. Founders Kevin and LaDonne Wenzel had a dream about settling in the country and making chocolates out of their own home. In 1996, they purchased a house designed by artist Rufus Wiseman and began creating chocolates with the intention of crafting something pure, fresh, and delicious.

Neither Kevin nor LaDonne anticipated the immense popularity of their chocolate. Originally, their intention was only to give out the chocolates to family, friends, neighbors, and the occasional person who passed through the town of Hico, Texas. That all changed when a reporter stumbled through, sampled their products, and wrote a front-page review about them for a national publication.

There are many truffles sold by Wiseman House, but the box for sale at the food and wine festival was what they call their Wild Woman Baton – a six-piece assortment of truffles made of dark chocolate.

Continue reading →

Candy Review: Seeds of Change Chocolate

Posted on by
Reply

Seeds of Change Puffed Grains

I resist the idea of buying a food because it’s politically correct. I have to admit I find Seeds of Change interesting, though – their mission is “to make organically grown seeds available to gardeners and farmers, while preserving countless heirloom seed varieties in danger of being lost to the ‘advances’ of modern industrial agriculture.” And they donate a percentage of their sales to support organic farming.

But let’s face it: none of this matters unless the stuff tastes good. Because if it doesn’t taste good, they don’t have any sales to donate a percentage of, right?

Looking at the flavors of their new line of chocolates, these people totally have my number: dark chocolate with mango and cashew, dark chocolate with cherries and vanilla, milk chocolate with “puffed grains,” dark chocolate with coconut. If they only had dark chocolate with ginger, I’d think they’d installed a chip in my brain and were reading my thoughts.

Continue reading →

Candy History: Orbit Gum, Then and Now

Posted on by
Reply

Orbit Gum Tattoo Package

Image from Gasoline Alley Antiques

I’ve always enjoyed studying history, especially U.S. history. When I learn something new I’m amazed at how ignorant and totally clueless I can be, even when it comes to something as simple as gum.

For years I thought Orbit gum was a relatively new product from Wrigley. Wrong!

Orbit has been around since World War II when Wrigley began shipping all of their gum production overseas to the Armed Forces. With no JuicyFruit, Spearmint or Doublemint available for civilians in the U.S., Wrigley introduced Orbit.

After the war, in 1946, Wrigley brought the big three back to the States and phased out Orbit. It wasn’t until 1976 that Orbit returned – only to Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands – as the first sugar-free gum ever released under the Wrigley name.

Continue reading →