Japanese Candy Review: Meiji Chocorooms

Meiji Chocorooms

Chocorooms do not contain mushrooms of any kind. Let’s be clear about that. Not Red Belted Polypore, not Queen Boleti, not Morel. No mushrooms at all. Instead, these are “sweet and crispy” Japanese candies that happen to look like rather small mushrooms. They have cookie-like stems, with chocolate tops.

Okay, so what do these fake fungi taste like? Let’s start at the bottom. The stems are not tasty in the least. They’re very bland, like a really boring biscuit. They remind me of fortune cookies a little bit, too. They also leave a slight film in your mouth.

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Candy Review: Jelly Belly Sunkist Citrus Mix

Jelly Belly Citrus Mix

photos in this post courtesy of Anthemic Tangle

I find Jelly Belly jelly beans really fun to eat so I was delighted to try the Sunkist Citrus Mix. As an added bonus, these jelly beans have added Vitamin C, so you can justify your sugar fix with the knowledge that you’re actually getting some nutrition.

Sunkist Lime: I only had one of these in the bag. The lime flavor was sweet with a little bit of bitterness and a little bit of tartness to it. Even though I only had one to try, the flavor really lingered.

Sunkist Orange: This jelly bean had an artificial orange candy flavor that faded quickly. It was also very sweet. There were lots of these in the bag, but eating more than one didn’t help the flavor to last.

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Candy Review: Game Night Candy

Board Game Candy

While frolicking away inside the candy store, I came across these little boxes of candy. Of course I was drawn in by the pictures of board games on the outside, as Monopoly was and is my favorite board game of all time.

I also noticed there were others as well as Monopoly: Clue, Sorry and Life. So I grabbed these off the shelf and decided to take them home. Doing a little research online about them, I found out they are licensed by Hasbro and are generally sold in a four-pack called Game Night Candy.

Each box of candy shows a picture of the board game it represents and each box is about two inches long, containing a bag of candy inside.

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Candy Review: Das Foods’ Das Lolli Assortment

Das Lolli

When I think of lollipops, I think of, well… lollipops. I try not to read too much into the whole adult humor and related connotations that can be associated with such a candy. Apparently, the folks at Das Foods think differently than I do.

I was supposed to receive a shipment from them, but for some reason it never arrived at my doorstep, but as luck would have it, they were attending the All Candy Expo, which provided me an opportunity to pick up some samples on site.

It was hard to miss to the Das Foods booth; they hired four dancers from UIUC to perform a Das Lolli dance routine and socialize with the attending clientele. Since most of the people attending the convention were males, I suppose their ploy worked, as there was always a crowd at their booth.

Even the packaging (think something circular within a square, plastic wrapper that isn’t candy) or the taglines of “What’s your flava?” and “Shamefully delicious lollipops” are begging for an adult audience, which is odd given the premise that these are all natural lollipops made without preservatives, HFC, and chemical additives. Seems like a good thing to give your kids, but I’m not sure how you explain what exactly “Man Bait” is supposed to mean…

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Candy Review: Sugar Factory Couture Lollipop

Sugar Factory Lollipop

I am not what most people would call fashionable. From my short stature to my complete disdain for makeup to a wardrobe described by former neighbors as “like a cartoon character,” I’m probably one of the least chic people you’ll ever meet. But I’m a complete Candy Addict, and am intrigued by pretty much anything new and different that happens in the world of sugary goodness. So when I was given the opportunity to review a lollipop that serves double-duty as a fashion accessory, I wasn’t about to say no.

Judging from its website, the Sugar Company looks to be one of those brands that’s more about style than substance. Most of the products on offer are cleverly packaged, overpriced versions of old standbys easily found in your nearest mall. Chocolate-covered gummi bears, saltwater taffy, licorice mix… solid, dependable candies to be sure, but nothing really unique to the company.

The Sugar Factory’s Couture Pops, though, are their real claim to fame. Comprised of interchangeable, bejeweled sticks and color-coordinated candy heads, these just might be the coolest candy fashion statements on the market right now. They even come with ringing celebrity endorsements. Yep! Britney Spears, the Pussycat Dolls, and Kim Kardashian are all big fans of the customizable lollipops.

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