Gum Review: Orbit Mist

Orbit Mist Gum

Orbit Mist is a new line of gum from The Wrigley Company. It’s touted as a premium gum and contains little crystals – called Micro-Bursts – that the Orbit website says will “deliver a hydrating sensation to consumers.”

Now I can only assume that it means “to consumers who purchase and chew Orbit Mist.” When I first read the description, I had a vision of Orbit Mist boxes shooting “hydrating sensation beams” at random consumers in the grocery store. “Hello, ma’am, welcome to Food Land. How are you?”

“I’m good, tha-” (*Hydrating sensation beam fires.*) “Ohhh, I suddenly feel so… moistly healthy…”

Oh, ah-hem, I’m supposed to be writing a review. Sorry…

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Candy Review: Toxic Waste Hi-Voltage Bubble Gum

Toxic Waste Bubble Gum

The Earth’s environment is crumbling around us. Actually, it has been for some time. Most of us would like to protect our planet. After all, as wonderful and convenient as the digital world is, most of us would like to introduce our kids to a non-virtual reality.

But without being a scientist, or being independently wealthy, what’s a person to do? Well, you can recycle, but Candy Dynamics has cooked up an alternative that’s far more fun. Now, you can help the Earth by eating toxic waste!

Yes, you read right! Toxic Waste candies are whacked-out novelties with a mission. With each purchase of a Toxic Waste product, a share of the profits are donated to an environmental protection group. The theme is cute, if slightly creepy.

Aside from a heaping helping of sour, I didn’t really know what to expect when a large box from Candy Dynamics arrived at my door last week. I like jelly belly sours, sour gummi belts, and IceBreakers Sours, but I’m not much of a Crybaby fan. Aside from Trident “Sour Strawberry” gum, I didn’t really have any experience with gums in the sour canon. The packing list described the gum as “Hi-Voltage”. I wondered what I was in for.

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Candy Review: Sour Mamba

Mamba Sour

I first learned about Mamba in high school. A friend of mine, who happened to be a vegan, was making her way speedily through a package of candy during English class. I rarely saw her eat candy as few are designed for vegan consumption.

My initial reaction was one of distrust. She had “shared” her vegan candy with me before, and aside from Jelly Bellys, I tended to dislike the products; however, the voracity with which she was consuming them made me think there might be something more to them than meets the eye. I asked for a piece and she reluctantly offered me a lemon fruit chew. From that day on, English class informally became “eat Mamba and try to learn Romantic poetry” class.

Several months ago, Mamba released a spin-off to the classic flavor set with a sour variety. I found them often living in Los Angeles and regularly consumed them there, but was unable to spot them with the same frequency in Texas. This past week, I finally saw them hanging out at a local bookstore. (Seriously, one, what is candy doing in a bookstore, and two, why is Mamba always around literature?)

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Candy Review: Altoid’s Tangerine Sours

Altoids Sours Tin

My dad has a story that he loves to tell each Christmas. When he was a boy, he and his sister ran down the stairs on Christmas morning, rushed to their stockings and pulled out… oranges? Yes, oranges. And that was in a good year.

My dad’s family considered this orange an exotic treat. My only comment on that? Good thing my mom was in charge of Christmas shopping when I was a kid. Of course, my dad also says he walked 10 miles uphill each way to school, so who knows what really happened on those long-ago Christmas mornings. My dad’s tale of Christmas oranges, though, along with the snow beginning to fall here in the Midwest, convinced me to try Altoids’ Tangerine Sours.

(Yes, I know tangerines and oranges aren’t the same thing. But it’s like crocodiles and alligators: Are they really that much different?)

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Japanese Candy Review: Super Lemon

Super Lemon

Hardcore sour people are like hardcore chili people: always looking for the next fix, forever buying products with labels like “X-treme Sour,” only to be disappointed again and again. As someone who craves intensely strong flavors in both food and candy, it’s a pain I know all too well. (You’ve heard of a supertaster? I’m pretty sure I’m the opposite.) Well, my sour-loving friends, today I’m going to share with you the one candy that always satisfies my sour cravings: the Nobel Super Lemon.

“Oh, Candy Addict Staff Writer Laurie,” you’re probably thinking, “how sour can they be? The bag doesn’t even have the word ‘sour’ on it.” It’s true – in contrast with American sour candies, which scream “Crazy Mouth-Blasting Sour!” if they’ve ever been within a three-foot radius of a grain of citric acid, the packaging seems downright sedate, giving little hint of the pummeling your taste buds are about to receive. (Note that these are also imported by a brand called Santa, who sells them in a different-looking bag, but I’m pretty sure it’s the exact same candy inside.)

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