This week I'm all about Canada Wintergreen Mints! Or "candy refreshers", I should say––that's how I think about all my candy after all. Today I'd like to plead the case for these overlooked and under-appreciated cute little mints. They seem to get a bad rap, and I can understand why... they look just like Tums! That plus a Pepto Bismol color and you've got one very unappealing candy on your hands. Although it seems to me that Necco has never worried about market appeal. There are just some Necco people who keep the brand afloat and then of course a spike in business around Valentine's Day.
I have to admit I'm one of those Necco people but I think everyone ought to give Canada Mints a try. The texture is just perfect and I don't think it would throw off even the most ardent candy heart hater––perfectly soft and melt-in-your-mouth-y despite its jawbreaker appearance. Wintergreen is my favorite minty flavor but I've just discovered that there are actually two more flavors of Canada Mints: spearmint and peppermint. I'm just dying to try them!
Word to the wise: These things color your tongue pink like crazy. You make the call if it's worth it!
Call me a drugstore cowboy because today we're doing a ROUNDUP! That's right, because let's get real, how often do we really go to fancy candy shops to stock up?
No siree––a little personal research will show you that convenience shops and drugstores sometimes have all the classics you need. I've lived in the Northwest and the Midwest of the U.S. and so I've been exposed to the different "local" flavors of chain drugstores. Today I'm ranking three of those that I've experienced most.
#3: CVS
Coming in at last place is CVS Pharmacy, located throughout the Midwest and East Coast. CVS is a fine place to go for your run-of-the-mill candies like Skittles, Sour Patch Kids, and an assortment of candy bars, but not much more than that. I've found their candy selection to be predictable and terribly boring. They do sell Circus Peanuts though, so I guess I've got to give them credit for that.
#2: Walgreens
Walgreens takes second place in this drugstore roundup with an OK selection of candy and a few surprises here and there. While the Walgreen's candy selection is decidedly inferior to our 1st place drugstore, it does stock more than CVS and I've been pleased to see candies like Lemonheads (surprisingly hard to find nowadays!) in no short supply. Walgreens does a pretty good job with seasonal candy, but overall it's a bit pricier than other chain drugstores so in second place it will stay.
#1 Bartell Drugs
Wow, I am just now noticing that red seems to be the en vogue color for drugstores these days! At any rate, Bartell Drugs comes in first, and would you expect any less from this Seattle original? As far as specialized drugstore candies go, this place is tops! The great Haribo selection is truly what pushes it over the edge. Can't beat those Fizzy Colas, Blackberries and Raspberries, and Fruity Pasta. See for yourself:
It's come to my attention lately that the ensemble of my candy reviews aren't exactly indicative of my true tastes. Disregarding my most recent post about Nerds, you might even think of me as rather a gourmand. Let it be known that my candy tastes range far and wide, and that your run-of-the-mill convenience store Starbursts are as dear to me as English foam candy or whatever I happen to get my hands on these days.
As proof, let me sing the praises of Trolli Sour Brite Eggs. Because you know if it's got two or more descriptors in the name of the candy, it's got to be a winner. I honestly don't know how I only just tried these for the first time, but a good friend of mine sent them to me in a birthday package this year and I AM IN LOVE. Seriously, stop reading right now and go get some! SO good.
You know how you always overlook gummy worms because they're just gummy worms but then every once in a while you try them again and realize why they keep selling them? No? Just me? Well the Sour Brite Eggs have a similar flavor to sour gummy worms––simple yet perfect. They have just the right texture with a super thin candy shell that gives way to that chewy, gumminess you've come to expect from Trolli. I love the psychedelic colors too. I bought them again last week when I spotted them at Bartell's and let's just say... I ate the whole bag in one day. By myself.
Today I'm dreaming of the world's largest box of Nerds. For
my twelfth birthday mom made me a plain vanilla cake covered entirely in
Nerds––not sure why I haven't done that since!
This summer Portland became home to a new candy shop! It's
tiny, it's expensive, it's a little tricky to find, but my oh my do they make
yummy candy! Quin is the latest
project of the Portlanders behind Saint Cupcake and is located in a new mini commercial mall across from Powell's
Books. Given the cutesy storefronts and pastel displays of Saint Cupcake, I was
surprised to find myself in Quin's completely minimalist and industrial
atmosphere, their packaging labeled only by stark yellow lettering on gray
backgrounds. Now I'll always be partial to the magical dizziness of your
classic packed-to-the-brim candy shop, but I also understand the power of a
simple approach in showcasing homemade and deliciously pure candies.
After finding out that Quin's chews were the most popular
seller at the store and trying a sample myself, I was easily persuaded to buy a
package for myself. That may not sound like a big deal, but consider also a
price of $10.00 for a 20 piece package.
The candy chews come in three flavors (although I think they
may have added more since my purchase): tangerine, lemon and strawberry. My
absolute favorite was lemon. I thought it tasted just like lemon meringue pie. As
fate would have it, I got stuck in a big traffic jam on the way home from Quin
on a hot summer's day and cursed my broken air condition for the loss of an
entire package of heavenly chews. My luck changed quickly when I took a
desperate bite of a sticky, warm lemon chew––even better when they're melt-y!
All was not lost and I even managed to save some to share. Worth the price?
Absolutely––for a lovely once in a while treat!
You really can't go wrong with candy recipes that have stood
the test of time. Except maybe for horehounds,
but more on that later. Cedrinca hasn't been around for quite as long as
horehounds and maybe that's a good thing, but the recipes they use are
the same
ones they came up with in 1910 on the shores of Garda Lake. The Caramelle al' The are the first
I've tried of this
Italian candymaker and I have to say they caught my attention.
The translation on the package reads Tea Candies in Peach and
Lemon
flavours and as soon as you open the bag the fruity and herbal scent
couldn't be more apparent. The candies are individually wrapped in
delicate
pastel wax paper and their pale colors reflect the absence of artificial
dyes.
I liked peach the best. I used to drink Celestial Seasonings Country
Peach
Passion back in the days when I thought tea was best when there was more
sugar
and cream than water (...yesterday?). The peach caramelle flavor tastes
almost
exactly like that tea and it reminds me of happy and cozy evenings in my
parents' house. The tea candies are hard and a little gooey on the
outside and
stick all over your teeth if you chew too soon.
I bought mine at the little Italian store called DeLaurenti
next to Pike Place Market, but I would guess you could find them in lots
of
specialty Italian grocery stores. Do you have any favorite Italian
candies?
Why haven't I had these before?? Stop reading this and go find
your nearest Jelly Baby supplier. Just be careful to clarify, because there's
also a mushroom by the same name
(although that could be fun too).
It just isn't fair that a candy lover like me be born in the
States when all the good candy is across the Atlantic. And if it's 2013
shouldn't it be easier to import candy? And so naturally, these yummy cuties
hail from England and I suppose I shouldn't complain because I did buy them
stateside.
Last month I moved to Seattle for work and of course I had
to familiarize myself with the local candy shops. Sweet Mickey's in Ballard was encouraging to find, small though it
may be. It's everything a little neighborhood candy shop should be and perfect
for a treat or two after exploring the city. The natural highlight there seems
to be the homemade fudge and I bet it's wonderful, but what caught my eye were
the Jelly Babies. I suppose they're sort of the British version of Sour Patch
Kids in appearance––and don't get me wrong, I'm a #1 SPK fan––but the
resemblance ends there. The flavors are delicately fruity and my favorite is
blackcurrant. Mostly because I like to say it. Blackcurrant. Just try it! The
candies are soft and a tiny bit chewy, with a dusting of starch that mutes the
colors into pretty pastels.
Jelly Babies originated at the end of World War I and made
their début accordingly with the name "Peace Babies". How could you
not love a candy called Peace Babies? I personally think they should have kept
that name.
I've been experimenting lately. Home candy making can't
really be THAT tricky, right? I thought the same about soufflé and macarons,
and in those respects my suspicions were confirmed*. I am a candy lover and that's half the battle, I thought to myself.
It's all about mindset. Maybe in many
areas of life, but can I just say that candy making is seriously hard?? I mean
even when you do everything by the book! What's up with that.
Today I thought I'd share a couple of my homemade candy
adventures, each one with a different level of success.
Bad news first:
TURKISH DELIGHT
It's so pretty, isn't it? That's what I thought too when I
saw this recipe. Why yes, I would like
a piece of candy that looks like a precious gem. Here's how mine looked:
Okay, not so bad... that is until you take a bite. I should
have stopped while I was ahead. If I couldn't salvage the ingredients I could
have at least spared myself the trouble of cutting it up into neat (?) little
cubes. The trouble started when I added the cornstarch. I don't know if it was
bad cornstarch or bad method but the lumps didn't come out when the recipe said
they would and after desperately whisking for an extra fifteen minutes they
still wouldn't go. Finally the mixture became too thick and it was time to
accept defeat. I still ate a few to spite the cornstarch but it was pretty
unsettling texture-wise, I have to admit. I'm not convinced I can't make it
though––stay tuned for another try!
LEMONY MARSHMALLOWS
Not about to give up, I finally rang in a success with this marshmallow recipe found on Smitten Kitchen. My sister and I made marshmallows
when we were teenagers and we loved the process and result. But I kept thinking
about how sticky they ended up and wondered if there was any way to get a
consistency more like the marshmallows I know.
Luckily I was at my parents' house because this was a
two-KitchenAid operation.This was
the real deal.
All the anticipated stickiness and time sensitivity were
part of the process but this time the recipe actually worked! And I didn’t get
any marshmallow creme on my clothes either. I altered the recipe by gelling the
gelatin in lemon juice instead of water. The result was super super lemony
(just how I like my lemon flavored baked goods) and fluffy perfect little white
clouds. They didn't even stick together when it came time to store them away! I
really recommend this recipe. Now it's not often that I rate a candy five stars, but nothing can beat
homemade, right? The next flavor on my mind is blackberry.
Have you ever tried to make candy at home? Do you have any
tips or tricks? And remember, I am always accepting recipe recommendations! In
the meantime, I'm trying to get my hands on some agar agar for fruit pâté...
*OK, maybe after a couple tries. But if you've been shying
away from these you really ought to try your hand at them if for nothing else
than the instant respect of all your friends and acquaintances!
Last Friday, after a night of camping with family on the Olympic Peninsula and gazing across the Strait of Juan de Fuca towards our friendly neighbor to the north, we decided that we might as well spend a day in Victoria since we were so close and had our passports with us. Bright and early, we boarded the M.V. Coho and were promptly ferried over the Salish Sea into that quaint capital of British Columbia.
Now it's true that Victoria is known as Canada's #1 retirement destination and the overall aura is definitely touristy, but that doesn't scare me away because if there's one thing I know, it's that touristy towns have the BEST candy shops. Hands down. True to form, within minutes of strolling along the main thoroughfare, I spotted this gem:
The 103 year-oldEnglish Sweet Shophas been selling imported candies and treats (plus a shelf of a few random British grocery items) for the greater part of Victoria's existence and certainly long enough to have perfected their craft. Though the shop's decor and otherwise drab location might leave something to be desired, that's the last thing on your mind once you step through the threshold. Bon bons, wine gums, licorices, jelly babies, toffees, the best of Haribo, nougat––it's all here!
Exhibiting a feat of self-restraint, I chose Strawberry Maoam, Parma Violets, Barratt Dolly Mix and, out of due diligence, a maple leaf-shaped hard candy. Yes, I am aware that maple syrup is primarily produced in Eastern Canada but what can you do. The Dolly Mix I had had before (though I can't remember where) and was excited to see it again because I haven't been able to find it in the States. It's sort of an assortment of tiny sugar covered gummies and mini pastel allsorts licorice. The Maoam was a delicious chewy candy reminiscent of Laffy Taffy and the Parma Violets were the texture of Smarties with a delicate perfume-y flavor. Needless to say, the maple hard candy was perfect, all buttery and sweet and distinctly Canadian.
According to theirwebsite, the English Sweet Shop delivers to the States and will send however little or much you want. This is a dangerous discovery as I'm already planning my first order!
I only recently tried wine gums for the first time, and I am definitely hooked. Each of the six shapes and colors corresponds with a different flavor: gin, claret, port, champagne, sherry and burgundy. I love that! Eating them feels altogether distinguished and fancy. The texture is definitely gummy but firmer than other candies. All the flavors are distinctive but I find them all to be reminiscent of pastille candy. Apparently wine gums are very popular in the UK. If that is not fancy I do not know what is. Here is a fun fact: Swedish fish are considered to be a kind of wine gum.
Wine gums don't actually contain any alcohol but a schoolboy wasrecently refused servicewhen he tried to buy them at a convenience store because the clerk didn't do their online research like me! According to folklore, the inventor of wine gums, Charles Maynard, was the son of a teetotaler and made them to help drinkers cut back.
Have you ever tried a flavored honey stick? If not, you are missing out. Of course honey is yummy but honey sticks are an entirely different (perfectly proportioned and delicately flavored) animal. I always pick up a few at the register as I am paying for my fruit and veggies atBi-Zi Farms, my local produce market. As of this week, my house is home to a brand new Vitamixblender and so of course I have been needing lots of fresh fruit for my smoothies. At any rate, yesterday I found myself at that very register with jars full of colorful little honey sticks just begging to be bought. What could I do?
At Bi-Zi Farms they come in a dozen or so flavors, mostly of the fruit variety, dyed bright for easy identification. Later that day (like most days) I also found myself atCandy Babeland noticed that they too were carrying honey sticks. Strictly for research and parallel comparison, I picked up a couple. The ones from Candy Babel were flavored Vanilla Chai and Blackberry Blossom. Yum! I have to say my favorite so far is Vanilla Chai––it's a heavenly match to the distinctive sweetness of the honey. It really doesn't get any better than this. Of course be careful not to eat too many in a row or the little bees won't keep up!
The Lemon Drop Stop is back in business! I have been neglecting the virtual candy sphere for the past couple weeks because 1) I graduated and 2) I spent a week road-tripping home from Minnesota with all my things. So I've been a bit busy, but don't worry because I wasn't neglecting you all during my trip. In fact I think a road trip is the perfect time for candy researchsur le terrain, if you will. Just think––days on the open road accompanied by perfect little snacks from local shops and general stores along the way as a sampling of our country's sweet tooth.
One of the places we stopped wasPowell's Sweet Shoppein Bend, Oregon (nearly home!). Okay, so maybe this one isn't quite local––it's a franchise with locations mostly in California. At any rate, Powell's has wonderful variety and a lot of sweets that are hard to find elsewhere. This is where I first saw (or even heard of) Tropical Necco Wafers. Who knew?? Neccos are my mom's favorite candy (she also loves their seasonal Sweethearts more than anyone I know) so they've been around my house for as long as I can remember. I love them too and when I was little I would pick out the white ones (too minty!) to give to my mom.
Tropical Necco Wafers are, as you might imagine, tropical fruit flavored. They come in the same pastel colors you're probably familiar with but the flavors are coconut, passion fruit, strawberry, lime, mango and banana. The first one in my roll was coconut. Chalky, crunchy and distinctly coconut. Next was mango and the flavor was equally strong and vaguely yummy. After that I had the misfortune of trying a banana-flavored wafer. Now I don't particularly like any banana-flavored candy but in the wafer it tasted like someone had spilled the whole shipment of artificial flavoring into the candy machine in a dismal accident. The rest of the flavors were unremarkable but nothing was as bad as banana.
The tropical wafers were fun to try as something new but I don't think I'd have them a second time. As far as I'm concerned, Necco wafers are good for that comforting chalky taste with unidentifiable flavors and yummy crunch, and not much else. Dear Necco: don't quit your day job.
OK I am hesitant to review all my favorites now since I'm just starting this blog but I am justtooexcited about Hi-Chew. Legend (Wikipedia) has it that Taichiro Morinaga is responsible for the earliest versions of the Hi-Chew when he tried making a swallow-able chewing gum to accommodate the Japanese cultural taboo against taking food out of one's mouth. When Morinaga made his in 1931 he called them Chewlets. Cute!
All right so I just learned about that chewing gum business when I wikipedia'd it a few seconds ago but it totally makes sense now. Hi-Chew stand out to me because the chewiness is a little different from other gummy candies. The flavors are SO GOOD too. Just the right amount of sweetness. Plus, they have recently become completely gluten-free! I have tried mango, strawberry, green apple, melon and peach––now I just have to get my hands on some grape and banana. I might have rated Hi-Chew 5 stars except I find it to be a little pricey here in the States for a pretty small package.
Wikipedia also tells me that it's easy to remove with a warm wet washcloth in case it gets stuck on your clothes. Good to know.
The most colorful storefront on Main Street in Cannon Beach, OR belongs to a mecca for candy-lovers and the home of all my childhood dreams: Bruce's Candy Kitchen. Every time I went to the beach with my parents we got $2 to spend on candy here and I stocked up on gummy green apples, gummy blackberries and raspberries, gummy peaches, and mini jawbreakers for the two-hour ride home. On sunny days it's always packed, which is great because it's never sunny in Cannon Beach! Still, be prepared for some long lines. There are a lot of wannabe candy shops on the same street but don't be fooled, Bruce's is the original and the best. Being on the coast and all, the specialty here is their saltwater taffy, freshly pulled in-store on their glorious taffy machines:
Free samples when they've just made a new batch too! I'm not crazy for taffy, but I am into whatever comes in a million different flavors, especially when local favorites like blackberry and huckleberry are among them. My personal preference at Bruce's is actually the subject of much personal tragedy––candy seashells. I'm not talking about the chocolate kind, these werecandycandy. The seashells came in all kinds of pretty colors and shapes but had a consistent taste and were hard and chewy at the same time. Then one day, as suddenly as they came into my life and changed it forever, they were GONE! No more in the bulk bins, no more in the carefully packaged cellophane bags, not even any more online (trust me, I looked). Did you ever have those candy seashells? Weren't they the best ever??? That's the sad truth about candy I guess; if it's not a best seller it's decommissioned and never to be seen again.
RIP candy seashells.
For your next trip to the Oregon Coast, hereis some more information on Bruce's Candy Kitchen.
I picked up some Botan rice candy today at Rainbow as I was grocery shopping, intrigued by its colorful package and the promise of a "free children's sticker inside". Unfortunately that's about where the intrigue stopped. Maybe it's likeChipurnoi Puntiniand I have to keep eating them before their beauty really hits me, but I'd rather not.
It's a pinkish hard candy without any designated flavor, a little jagged on the edges and hanging out in a weird limbo between vaguely sour and spicy. One star is for the box design and for the sticker (I have to admit I wasn't expecting a pirate!) and the other half is for the weird and kind of cool inner wrapper that melts in your mouth. I guess I'm a sucker for novelty!
Actually part of the reason I bought these is because I have a vague memory of some rice candies that one of my parent's friends from China used to bring every time she visited. Those ones were little paper-like red wafers. I haven't been able to find them––do they sound familiar? Can anybody help me out here?
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