Categories: Candy,Candy News
It’s May, so you know what that means. We’re not talking about blooming flowers or May showers… no, May for Candy Addicts means All Candy Expo time! This year I’ve brought along Laurie and Robby to revel in the goodness of the Expo.
Today is the first day, and already I’ve discovered a brand new candy that has me absolutely over the moon. I’m not going to give away too much, but suffice it to say it’s like freeze dried ice cream but BETTER. If you know me, you know I love freeze dried ice cream, but I’m always thwarted by the price and the difficulty finding it. This stuff is not only better tasting, but hopefully will be cheaper and easier to find. I’ll write a full review later, but I’m totally stoked about it!
In a total coup (no, really, there was almost a fistfight) I also scored a box of the Star Trek Gummies to try, so keep on the lookout for that review soon!
More news to follow!
Categories: Candy,Candy News
I’ve only been home for a few days, but I already miss the All Candy Expo. It was strange to wake up on Friday morning and not take a train to a magical place where Willy Wonka danced around the aisles, where giant caramel creams hung suspended from the ceiling, where bins of Atomic Fireballs were waiting to be scooped up by the handful, and where candy was the number one priority for the thousands of people roaming about the room.
Thankfully, I have about 30 pounds of Expo candy at my house right now to help me replicate the All Candy Expo experience! I have seriously never seen so much candy in all my life, and I was a champion trick-or-treater as a kid. My haul from the Expo blows away even my greatest Halloween pillowcase fillers by leaps and bounds.
I had so much candy in my suitcase that I actually had to take some out and carry it in a tote bag so that my suitcase didn’t go over the 50 pound limit. I got some pretty strange (and amused) looks from my fellow passengers, who I’m sure were quite curious as to why I had about 10 pounds of candy on my arm.
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Categories: Candy,Chocolate Candy,Gum,Mint Candy,New Candy
Hershey’s has some great candy hitting stores during the rest of 2008. We’ve already reviewed some of them and thanks to Hershey and the All Candy Expo, we have samples of many of these so look for reviews of these soon. Here is some quick info on the upcoming candy from Hershey.
- Hershey’s Bliss™ – Hershey’s Bliss individually wrapped chocolates feature a smooth, creamy texture for an indulgent personal chocolate experience. Hershey’s Bliss is now available in Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate and Milk Chocolate with a Meltaway Center. Hershey’s Bliss chocolate will welcome Raspberry with Meltaway Center to its line in December 2008.
Candy Addict’s review of Hershey’s Bliss
- Starbucks Chocolate™ – When coffee dreams, it dreams of chocolate.™ Distinctive, artistic and handcrafted, Starbucks Chocolate combines the highest quality chocolate with Starbucks® coffee, tea and coffeehouse flavors. Product offerings include: truffles, tasting squares, signature bars, and chocolate-covered coffee beans. Now available where groceries are sold.
Candy Addict’s review of Starbucks Chocolate
- Twizzlers® Pull-n-Peel® Cinnamon Fire Candy – New hot cinnamon flavored Twizzlers offer consumers a bigger, bolder licorice flavor. Now available.
Candy Addict’s review of Twizzlers® Pull-n-Peel® Cinnamon Fire Candy
- Reese’s® Select Clusters – Reese’s Select Clusters wrap pecans, peanuts, peanut butter and caramel in milk chocolate. Individually wrapped, Reese’s Select Clusters will be available in August 2008.
- Hershey®’s All Natural Extra Dark Chocolate with Pomegranate and Infused with Raspberry Flavor Assortment – Hershey’s Extra Dark delivers velvety smooth, rich dark chocolate from a select blend of cacao beans for just the right balance of taste, aroma and sweetness. The line will add two new flavors including Pomegranate tasting squares in June 2008 and a Raspberry-infused flavor assortment in December 2008.
- Cacao Reserve by Hershey’s® Truffle Crunch – The latest addition to the Cacao Reserve by Hershey’s chocolate line, Truffle Crunch delivers a three-layer tasting experience that begins with an intense outer layer of rich chocolate surrounding a silky center of creamy chocolate and delicate cacao bits from the heart of the cacao bean. It’s a deliciously unexpected flavor adventure in 35 percent Milk Chocolate and 65 percent Dark Chocolate. Available August 2008.
- Jolly Rancher® Doubles – A new twist on Jolly Ranchers, Jolly Rancher Doubles combines two bold Jolly Rancher flavors. Combinations include: Cherry-Orange, Grape-Apple and Blue Raspberry-Watermelon. Now available.
- Good ‘N Fiery™ Candy – A new twist on an old favorite. The Good ‘N Plenty® and Good ‘N Fruity® family will welcome a new member with a hot cinnamon flavor – Good ‘N Fiery. Available December 2008.
- Hershey®’s S’mores Snacksters® – The Hershey’s Snacksters line expands with the addition of Hershey’s S’mores Snacksters – a delicious combination of graham cracker cereal squares, mini marshmallows and Hershey’s Milk Chocolate chips housed in 100 calorie packages. Available June 2008.
- Ice Breakers BURN™ Mints – A new mint variety will join the Ice Breakers wellness line delivering a combination of flavors and ingredients designed to enhance the mind, body and spirit. The Peach-Mango flavored Ice Breakers BURN Mints provide a unique, tasty way to add the B complex vitamins of Thiamin, Niacin, B5 and B6 to the day. Available June 2008.
- Ice Breakers® Chewy Sours – New Ice Breakers Chewy Sours deliver an intense sour flavor and exhilarating mouth experience. The soft, chewy fruit-crystal center is wrapped in a crunchy candy shell. Sugar-free Ice Breakers Chewy Sours will be available in two flavors: Strawberry and Pomegranate Lemonade. Available June 2008.
- Ice Breakers® Ice Cubes® White Chewing Gum – The power of whitening gum will bring an extra blast to the cool cube shape of Ice Breakers Ice Cubes Chewing Gum. Frosted with a proprietary process, the sugar-free gum is an extra-cold, refreshing alternative to stick and shell gums. The cool cube shape, reflective of an ice cube, reinforces its refreshing, ultra-cold and now teeth-whitening benefits. Ice Breakers Ice Cubes White Chewing Gum will be available in Wintergreen Splash and Mango Kiwi Cooler flavors. Available December 2008.
- Breath Savers® Strong Mint Menthol and Energy Mint Caffeine – The popular and powerful Breath Savers Mints adds two new varieties. Breath Savers Strong Mint Menthol takes breath freshening to a new level while Breath Savers Strong Energy Mint Caffeine offers a “boast of energy†with a touch of caffeine. Available December 2008.
Reading through this list of upcoming candy from Hershey makes my mouth water!
Categories: Candy,Candy News
Well, the All Candy Expo is officially over and I am officially beat. I can say that almost everyone there was really nice and happy to talk to us. Many of them, including the biggies like Nestle and Hershey, even read the site to keep up with consumer opinion (which means that every comment you leave might go straight to the bigwigs)!
In addition to the observations made by Brian and Jamie, I just wanted to add a few of my own. One thing I noticed a lot of was pomegranate flavoring, in everything from chocolate to Tootsie Roll Pops. In the past we’ve mentioned a few products with pomegranate, but it definitely seems like it’s suddenly a big trend for the major companies.
I also saw quite a few products geared toward the Hispanic sector, with many companies based in Mexico starting to market products in the US. Along with this are a lot of candies that include spices like chili or paprika – not my cup of tea, but I’m sure there’s a big market out there for such confections.
For the record, my “candy suitcase” came in at 45lbs, so I guess all in all it was a pretty good haul. Of course, my feet may never recover from all that standing and walking, but at least I’ll be kept well stocked with candy while I convalesce!
Categories: Candy,Candy News,New Candy
Hey Candy Addicts!
You would not believe how awesome the All Candy Expo is so far. Seriously. There is SO. MUCH. CANDY.
I am completely overwhelmed, in the best possible way. I spent all day yesterday just staring at the Expo floor with my mouth wide open, trying to figure out how to describe it to all of you. It is tremendous. Everywhere you turn, there are giant candy displays, with lovely sugar-filled shelves of new and exciting products. It’s a bit like Willy Wonka’s Imagination Room (and yes – Mr. Willy Wonka himself is here!), with giant lollipops and enormous jelly beans around every corner. Going from booth to booth and sampling new candies is fantastic, and I keep having to bite my lip to stop myself from saying “Trick or Treat” every time I come to a new booth, as the whole thing has a definite Halloween feel to it.
In the day and a half since we arrived, I’ve learned a lot about the candy business. It’s great to meet company representatives who are just as excited and in love with candy as we are, and who know the importance of keeping candy fun. The atmosphere here is very positive, and the colorful, wacky displays just go to show that even though candy is a serious business, the element of fun is still a top priority, which is GREAT to see.
I’ve noticed a few trends emerging during the Expo: fruit/chocolate fusion candies are very hot right now, with unique fruit flavors such as blueberry, cranberry, and banana leading the way. Dark chocolate continues to be massively popular, and it looks like companies are pushing even darker, more intense chocolates to meet consumer demand.
I am particularly psyched to see the amount of chocolate/nut based candies hitting the market. Milk and dark chocolate with peanuts, pecans, peanut butter, almonds, and hazelnuts are all over the place, which is really exciting for me, as those are my favorite combos.
It’s always fun to see new twists on old favorites: one product in particular that I’m really excited to try (and will be reviewing soon) is the chocolate Abba-Zaba bar. Sweet!
I will be writing more soon, but the floor beckons, and there are many more things to see and many more sweets to eat!