Kex Choklad

parent co.: Cloetta

net wt.: 55g

quantity: 1 bar

country: sweden

description: filled wafers in milk chocolate

this is a pretty straight-forward wafer bar, more of the large, flat, kriss-krossy wafers than the skinny kit-kat wafers. i like it, although i think i actually prefer the small wafers since their crunch is a little more rambunctious. really this bar is pretty average; if you're craving a wafer it's worth going for but nothing to write home about (do i use that phrase a lot?). something i'm noticing about a lot of the sweets over here is that they are pretty much all made of exactly the same ingredients with a few different flavors or a nut thrown in here and there. i know that's to be said of all goodies in general but i just can't help but laugh every time i'm writing the ingredients and i barely have to change anything.

another good word learned last night: in nederlands, which i was informed is the proper name for the language spoken in the netherlands (not dutch), they call candy snoep. pronounced "snoop." awesome!

i've also been visiting the goodie stores here and they have a lot of pick-a-mix (bulk candy) which is very interesting and generally tasty. i don't really like reviewing bulk candies because i can't ever remember what the candies are called or say what's in them, but maybe i'll start to mention some once in awhile. like today i had blåögon, giant blue gummy eyes. they also had a sour version. i'm assuming they're blueberry-flavored but they were a bit off. a tad tangy, but not bad. i'd give them a 6. just because they're blue. 

rating: 5

ingredients: sugar, wheat flour, vegetable fat, skimmed milk powder, cocoa butter, whey powder, whole milk powder, cocoa mass, cocoa powder, emulsifier (soy lecithin), salt, raising agent (sodium bicarbonate), flavorings (vanillin).
allergen information: none

Kit Kat Soy Sauce

parent co: Nestle

pkg. size: 3.5"x1.6"

candy size: 2.5"x1.25"

weight: .8 oz

quantity: 2 mini bars

country: japan

description: shouyu (soy sauce) flavored chocolate surrounds the classic kit kat wafer with more sweet soy sauce chocolate cream between the wafers

i can always get behind a japanese KitKat, they have awesome flavors and i love wafers. the soy sauce variation is quite a thing to behold. while it looks like white chocolate, the taste is far from that blandest of the bland-tasting chocolates. while i definitely taste the saltiness of the soy sauce, there is also the distinct taste of maple in here. i never thought soy sauce had a maple taste, but since eating this and trying real soy sauce again, i can say that i see where that would come from. it's definitely a good thing as far as the candy goes - a straight up salty soy sauce flavor would probably be too much, but taking the maple undertones in with it really gives it a robust, sweet n' salty taste. i like it. the nice thing about the limited edition flavors is that they're limited, so you're pretty much guaranteed freshness, which is important when consuming candies containing wafers - they go stale, you know.

rating: 9

ingredients: sugar, vegetable fat, lactose, wheat flour, whole milk powder, cocoa butter, soy sauce powder, processed sugar, cocoa powder, yeast, cocoa mass, salt, emulsifiers (including soybeans), caramel pigment, flavoring, food yeast, baking soda

allergy information: includes egg, soy and flour

KitKat Banana

parent co.: Nestle

pkg. size: 3.5"x1.6"

candy size: 2.5"x1.25"

weight: .8 oz

quantity: 2 mini bars

country: japan

description: brown banana flavored chocolate surrounds the classic kit kat wafer with more banana cream between the wafers

every time i tell people about japanese Kit Kats and all the fun flavors, they want to know why we don't get them over here in the states. the funny thing about Kit Kat is that in the united states it is produced by Hershey, whereas in the rest of the world it is produced by Nestle. this is all due to a licensing agreement between Hershey and Nestle that has been in effect since 1969. while this might seem trivial to the average consumer, true candy enthusiasts will know the difference between Hershey's sour milk chocolate and the much more enjoyable milk chocolate of Nestle. i don't much care for Hershey's milk chocolate (with a few exceptions, of course), but that's a personal preference; i know many americans prefer Hershey's to other brands. at any rate, that licensing agreement is why we don't get the cool flavors that Nestle produces: Hershey is lame and unimaginative. but enough of that, back to the real issue at hand: banana Kit Kats. they are delicious. banana is a tough flavor to recreate without it tasting really phony; it's often too strong whereas real bananas are subtle. while this Kit Kat does have a bit of a phony banana taste to it, it's much better than other banana candies i've tried. of course, i love banana, so this was bound to be good for me. i really love that they chose to keep the chocolate flavor in play here, often i feel it gets abandoned completely for the other flavors (which i generally have no complaints about), here it helps balance the strong banana flavor (not to mention the brown is much more appealing than a bright yellow would be). again, crispy wafers and creamy, smooth filling - another successful Kit Kat.

rating: 9

ingredients: n/a

allergy information: n/a

South Korea Candy Part 1

thanks to my good friend ptwnbrwn i've had the pleasure of sampling a slew of candies from south korea. i've been slacking lately on photographing but i finally got caught up, so i'm going to cover it all in two or three posts.

Delfi Top

at the risk of starting this post off on the wrong foot, this was my least favorite by far. the package says it has milk chocolate, caramel, rice crispies, wafer, and cream. based on that list and the way it looks i was expecting something like a Star Crunch cookie mixed with a wafer. really it's more like a flavorless Rice Krispie treat covered in greasy, bland chocolate. it's so bland. i can't stop thinking about it. the texture is rather disappointing as well, not crunchy enough, kind of mushy. like when you let wafers sit out for too long and they get kind of sponge-y. the crispies add a tiny bit of crunch, but not enough to appease me. there's some sticky goo on top, which i assume to be the caramel, but i really can't taste it. as for the "milk chocolate," i'm a bit skeptical that it's really chocolate. again, no flavor. the more i try it, the less gross it is, but it's just so bland that i have a hard time recommending it to anyone. Delfi also has a strawberry version, but i'm not sure it would be any better.

rating: 2

Chocotec Hazelnuts

first of all, let me say that i already like these without even tasting them, because they look like boobs. yes, boobs. breasts. that is hilarious. i'm not actually sure about the brand on this chocolate; the package only says Hazelnuts. there is a website on the back for Chocotec, but the site is in korean, so i can only assume that they are the distributors of this candy. although this one was a step up from the Top, it seems like several of the candies i received might have been a little old, or maybe that's just the way the chocolate is in korea. at any rate it was kind of greasy, a little chalky, and pretty crumbly. the flavor wasn't bad but when i bit into the first half i was disappointed that there were no actual hazelnuts. my piece doesn't look much like theirs on the package:

luckily when i ate the other half i crunched into a hazelnut. and it was good. i do think there should have been more hazelnut in it, but as a whole the candy wasn't bad. also i feel i should point out the packaging, it says "I send you this as my appreciation to your kindness. From the bottom of my heart." sweet. keep an eye out for a review of the Chocotec Strawberry, coming soon.

rating: 4

Arcor Bon O Bon Chocolate

this was interesting. i was excited about it, since it is wafers and chocolate cream, but what was interesting is that from the second that i opened it, it smelled like peanut butter. Arcor does makes a peanut butter Bon O Bon, but this is supposed to be the chocolate version. there's no mention of peanut butter anywhere on the packaging. the outer chocolate coating here is sort of waxy, but the wafer is pretty good - thin, light and flaky. the chocolate cream filling is where it really gets crazy. that's definitely where the peanut butter is coming into play. i can't say for sure because, again, the package is all in korean, but i'd bet my legos that there are some peanuts in here. the cream itself is very thick and pasty; it almost has a peanut buttery consistency. so far this is my favorite of the wafer-esque candies in this batch. while scouring the internets for info on Bon O Bons i came across a cute commercial from argentina:

rating: 6

Lotte ChocoWafer

more greasy chocolate, the same coating that Lotte puts on the ChocoPies, which i will snack on once in awhile. yet again i'm wondering whether we're dealing with mockolate here. i do love the packages from asia, but sometimes it gets frustrating when you can't read the ingredients. this wafer is rather bland and lifeless. i wish i could say something nice about it, because generally i enjoy all wafers, no matter what. so, in that respect i do enjoy this, but really it's just kind of boring. the wafers are crunchy, not chewy as in the Top, but that's probably the ChocoWafer's only saving grace. i'm glad i got to try it, but i probably won't go looking for more.

rating: 3

Crown KicKer

obviously my initial thought is that this is just like a KitKat. in fact, i thought that it was a KitKat, but that maybe in korea they call it KicKer. then i saw the Crown logo (not to be confused with the american Crown Candy), so i knew it wasn't the real thing. as far as taste it's pretty spot on. the chocolate coating is smooth, not the greasy stuff mentioned previously, the wafers are crunchy and flaky. overall it's an excellent wafer. i don't think it has as many layers as a KitKat, there are only two wafers whereas KitKat generally has four. i've got a review of the Crown MyChew coming up as well.

rating: 6

whew, that was a mouthful. it might seem like i was a bit harsh with some of these, but i just wanted them to be better i suppose. the next batch was much more satisfying so i'll be a lot kinder.

Manner Wafers: Apricot

another delicious wafer from the fine folks at Manner. generally i don't care for apricot flavoring, i find it usually tastes like a watered down peach or tangerine flavor; but the flavor of this creme is pretty good. it contains apricot powder as well as artificial apricot flavoring, i think the powder helps lend a more subtle flavor, unfortunately it also adds a bit of a powdery flavor when eaten solo. when coupled with the tasty little wafers, however, the powdery aspect isn't as noticeable.

rating: 6

Manner Wafers: Dark Chocolate Covered Hazelnut

oh baby, these are good. the perfect blend of chocolate (the dark variety), hazelnut and wafer. these wafers are great - they're delicate and flaky, sandwiched between layers of hazelnut creme. i also like the creme here, although it's a little pastier than some, it has a pretty good hazelnut flavor without being too sugary sweet or milky (there are real hazelnuts in here too, that's nice). even better than the regular wafers, these are smothered in dark chocolate which is quite good; it's slick and smooth. i love these wafers mostly because they are fun to pull apart and eat in layers.

rating: 8

Kinder Happy Hippo Biscuit

this is so cute. not only is it shaped like a little hippo, it's delicious to boot. this is pretty similar to the Bueno, sans the chocolate. the same flaky wafer is used on the outside while inside there's a layer of hazelnut creme, but here there's also a layer of white creme, which i guess is the "milk" part of the "hazelnut and milk." both cremes are very smooth and not at all pasty or chunky. the other difference here is the little white sugar balls on the outside - i like the little crunch they add. i will buy these every day, i just wish they came in other animals.

rating: 9

Kinder Bueno

this has to be one of my favorite types of candy: chocolate, hazelnut and wafer. delicious! i'm especially fond of the cream used here. it's very smooth and has a nice milky taste intermingling with the hazelnut flavor. i love that the cream is in little compartments in the wafers, it's very nice to bite into. the wafer itself isn't very thick, and it's rather flaky and delicate. put all together this creates a very satisfying candy.

rating: 9