Pigall

parent co.: Marabou/Kraft

net wt.: 20g

quantity: 2-10g bars

country: sweden

description: milk chocolate filled with hazelnut truffle

another Marabou bar (there was a sale at the ICA next to my place so there will be a few of them), this one is interesting - i can't really think of anything in the states to compare it to but the crispies are definitely good (i like how much they use them over here, rice is cheap perhaps?). i actually didn't place the hazelnut flavor until i read it in the ingredients, i kind of just thought it was a milky-chocolatey fluff filling. it's not a nougat really, it's reminiscent of a hazelnut version of the filling in the Starbar which is a tad bit more crumbly than traditional nougat but certainly not in a bad way. overall, a decent bar although i do like Starbar better. i'm always a fan of bars that come in twos so you can save one for later (yeah right).

rating: 6

ingredients (translated from swedish): sugar, vegetable fat, milk powder, cocoa butter, rice crisps [rice flour, glucose syrup, salt, malt extract from corn], cocoa mass, hazelnuts, reduced-fat cocoa, emulsifier (soy lecithin), butterfat, skimmed milk powder, whey powder, whey product, salt, flavor.

allergen information: contains milk, hazelnut, soy, gluten.

Starbar

parent co.: Marabou/Kraft

net wt.: 49g

quantity: 1 bar

country: sweden

description: milk chocolate filled with caramel and roasted peanut pieces - "peanutty caramel crumble"

this swedish bar reminds me of a mix between a snickers and a 100 grand, it's actually really good. the crispies give it a nice crunch while the peanuts add a good flavor to the nougat-y middle, which isn't quite as dense as the nougat in a snickers. the caramel is really soft, although mine was a little melty from being in my bag all day, but the chocolate also has a nice texture - not that crumbly falling apart chocolate we get a lot of in the states. this is actually produced by kraft nordic for sweden, denmark and finland, quite good.

rating: 7

ingredients (translated from swedish): caramel [glucose syrup, sugar, vegetable oil, glycerol, skimmed milk powder, whey powder, emulsifier, flavor], milk chocolate [milk, sugar, cocoa butter, cocoa mass, vegetable fat, emulsifier, flavor], peanut, vegetable fat, sugar, glucose syrup, whey powder, wheat flour, rice flour, salt, corn syrup, malt extract.

allergen information: contains milk, peanut, wheat, gluten.

back in the saddle...again?

hej! well i am in sweden now and since i realize that i made one post and then got sidetracked with moving and all that jazz, i decided that i will start up again with these candy reviews, maybe tonight! sweden has tons of candy, much of it similar to what we have in the states, but also much very different. a lot of the different involves marzipan (which i don't care for), as well as coconut (also not a fan). but i'm going to do my best to remain impartial, and maybe take a few other tasters' opinions into account when thinking about quality. so until then...vi ses!

Wild Ophelia 44% Cacao Beef Jerky Milk Chocolate Bar

parent co.: Vosges/Wild Ophelia

net wt.: 2 oz.

quantity: 1 bar (4-.5 oz.sections)

country: united states

description: beef jerky, smoked paprika and deep milk chocolate deliver the power of the magical cacao bean

that's right, there is a beef jerky bar. and it is pretty much what you'd expect - salty, kind of beefy, overall weird but not at all bad. the chocolate is very smooth and creamy but the saltiness and the slightly salty, very beefy smell of the bar itself can be a little overpowering. it actually has a really pleasant aftertaste once the beefiness disappears. i think the hardest thing to get over is the initial smokiness; the package states that there is smoked paprika in there which probably lends to that smoky taste, but actual beef jerky is in the ingredients list (which has worcestershire sauce, soy sauce AND liquid smoke in it) so this is for reals. i do enjoy the salt-chocolate combo, and this chocolate actually has some caramel notes in it so it works, however i think it just takes some getting used to the beef aspect. i was actually very pleased to find this bar at the cost plus world market in town; this company, wild ophelia, makes wonderful and weird chocolate bars out of chicago. apparently it's an offshoot of vosges chocolate company who are well-known for their bacon chocolate bar, so i guess the jerky is the next step. wild ophelia has several other interesting flavors, one of which - southern hibiscus peach - will be the next review. so check it out, candy is back in style! also, found some swedish candy to intro the sweden scene - wait for it...

rating: 6

ingredients: milk chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter, cocoa mass, dry whole milk powder, soy lecithin, vanilla), beef jerky (beef, water, organic soy sauce [water, organic soybeans, salt, organic alcohol], worcestershire sauce [distilled vinegar, water, molasses, corn syrup, salt, flavorings], liquid smoke, flavorings), salt, smoked paprika

allergen information: contains milk, soy

seriously, something should happen

i know i keep saying it but this time i mean it - more candy reviews to come!! soon! tomorrow i will be taking a trip to the special place in town where i can find unique and wondrous candies. then i will eat said candies and perhaps photograph them and then say a little blurb. all in preparation for the big haul: SWEDEN! that's right, in a little more than one month i will be living in sweden with no friends and not much idea of what to eat. so it will be candy - they have many interesting candies for me to experience, many of which have liqueur and weird things in them. so think about checking in here once in awhile. it might be fun. or gross. or a little bit of both. CANDY!

Trader Joe's Milk Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Eggs

parent co.: Trader Joe's

net wt.: 3.8 oz.

qty.: 3

country: united states

description: three milk chocolate eggs, each with a natural peanut butter center

another unexpected treat from b.paul: chocolate peanut butter eggs - one of my favorite candy combos (along with chocolate and hazelnut, of course). naturally, one would expect these to be similar to Reese's peanut butter eggs, and they are, to a point. the package makes a point (several times, as a matter of fact) of telling us that these eggs contain natural peanut butter filling, just peanuts and nothing else. that is definitely a good thing in several respects. it has a rich, roasted peanut flavor; a nice smooth yet grainy texture; and an excellent earthy aftertaste (possibly due to the fact that there's no salt added). the slight grit in the filling goes wonderfully with the creaminess of the milk chocolate. here is a situation where i think the milk chocolate is preferable to dark; the bitterness of the dark might clash with the peanut butter. these are pretty hefty eggs, almost 1.5 oz. apiece, but they aren't overly sweet so they're manageable. a nice alternative to Reese's (that isn't Palmer's, because Palmer's sucks). (more photos)

rating: 7

ingredients: milk chocolate (cane sugar, cocoa butter, whole milk powder, chocolate liquor, nonfat dry milk, butter oil, soy lecithin [an emulsifier], vanilla extract), peanut butter (peanuts), coconut oil

allergen information: contains milk, soy peanuts, coconut. may contain traces of other tree nuts.

Lindt Chocolate Carrots

parent co.: Lindt

net wt.: 1.8 oz.

qty.: 4

country: switzerland

description: solid milk chocolate blended with hazelnut

yes, it is indeed another easter candy. these little carrots caught my eye firstly because they are little carrots, and secondly because they are gianduja (that's chocolate with hazelnut paste, for you laypersons), a personal favorite. Lindt is a generally pretty tasty when it comes to milk chocolate, definitely one of my preferred brands in that department. their chocolate has a smooth, creamy texture and a nice milky taste without tasting chalky or sour. these carrots are no exception: the hazelnut paste adds a delicate, nutty flavor and because it's a paste it doesn't affect the creaminess of the chocolate. the carrots are a pretty decent size, a good chunk of chocolate but not so much that you feel like a big fat fatty eating one of them. there's no detail on the chocolate so out of the wrapper they look more like little chocolate umbrellas, which is cute also and the little handle makes them great for sucking on. (more photos)

rating: 9

ingredients: sugar, cocoa butter, milk, chocolate, hazelnut paste, skim milk, soya lecithin (emulsifier), butterfat

allergen information: may contain traces of peanuts/tree nuts