 Food says so much about where you’ve come from, where you’ve decided to go, and the lessons you’ve learned. It’s geography, politics, tradition, belief and so much more and this week, we invite you to dig in and discover the rich, ever-evolving taste of America in 2011. The week will culminate with a Secret Supper in New York City, and Eatocracy invites you to participate online starting Monday July 11th at 6:30 p.m. E.T. The world tastes good ‘cause the candy man – or in this case, Stefan Ernberg - thinks it should. Swedish-born Stefan Ernberg and his wife, Florence Baras, own Sockerbit in New York City. It’s a store with the tagline “Sweet and Sweedish” because it only sells candy - Swedish candy at that. Sockerbit is just one of the latest country-specific candy shops to pop up around town for the sole purpose of feeding the nostalgia of expatriates. “Every Swede when they were small, would take their allowance and go with their father or mother or brother or sister to the candy store on a Saturday, and buy their allowance’s worth of bulk candy,” said Ernberg. “A lot of Swedish people living here, when they receive visitors, the first thing they ask them to bring is candy. It's a candy culture. It goes back so many years.” After opening its doors this part March, the response has been anything but sour – especially for the estimated 30,000 to 40,000 Swedes who currently reside in New York City. “They were so happy, it was crazy. The girls were jumping up and down, laughing, crying,” Ernberg said. But the emotional displays aren't just exclusive to Swedes and their penchant for Coca-Cola snakes and licorice toads. Plenty of expats rely on delicious and easy-to-share candy to keep part of their heart close to home. “There's a shop about five minutes from us with a big sign outside that says, ‘American Candy’ and it should have my picture under the sign. I visit before every holiday," said Maureen Shaw of Mooloolaba, Australia – 16 years after her move. Tony Pham, while based in Ho Chi Minh City as a Fulbright Scholar, said nothing reminded him of America quite like a pack of Swedish Fish that he would specifically request friends and family to send. “I think it is important to be present and enjoy where you are (no matter where that might be), but it was also nice to be able to take a bite into those red gummy fish to remind me of the comforts of home when racing down the crazy streets of Ho Chi Minh City on a motorcycle.” For some, it’s not just about the savoring the memories - it’s a matter of taste, and a bit of sweet nationalism. Piers Morgan, who keeps a stash of his favorite British candy bars and biscuits in his office at CNN, recently opined on why British candy bars are so much better than American candy bars. "...The chocolate tastes better. Our chocolate tastes better than your chocolate. There’s nothing you can do about it – it’s just a fact. You do some things better than us but actually when it comes to chocolate, we are so far ahead of you. Yours tastes weak, sort of insipid – it’s not real chocolate. Ours is proper chocolate. You get stuck in a Jaffa Cake and you’ll know what we are talking about." Back at Sockerbit, Ernberg agrees quality is a driving factor. “In Sweden, it’s normal sugar, not corn syrup. It’s all mostly natural colors, natural flavors,” added Ernberg, with no GMOs (genetically modified organisms) to boot. Funnily enough, there is one candy you won’t find at Sockerbit because of that very reason: Swedish Fish. The original Swedish Fish, as one might suspect, is made in Sweden; whereas the ones sold in the United States are made by Cadbury Adams in Canada with artificial coloring and high fructose corn syrup. “The original ones are so much better, but we can’t import it because it has a color from chlorophyll – a natural color – that’s not allowed by the FDA,” explained Ernberg. ‘Til then, kids in the candy shop will have to go fish elsewhere - or settle for a gummi Ferrari. Be sure to sweeten up the comments with the candies that remind you of home. |
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You can find candy from all over the world including 350+ kinds of black licorice sweet and salt licorice! You can find the selection at http://www.marinamarket.com
Frangoes from Marshall Field's in Chicago - and at Macy's! Excellent!! I think people are getting confused between candy for kids and chocolate for adults.
I really enjoy Exlax from Walgreens as it cleanses my palate.
Now I wish I'd tried the chocolate in London when I went to visit – maybe next time. The food – even the fish and chips – was so bland that I could see why my friend said that England was the only vacation where she'd actually LOST weight.
If there's anyone stuck on Hershey, I really highly recommend you guys to eat chocolate from other American and non-American companies. Any other chocolate, regardless of their country, is better than Hershey chocolate! The tastes can easily be distinguished. No offense to Milton S. Hershey, who created an iconic American chocolate company, but the taste is nowhere as good as the rest in the market. (I have mixed feelings on Cadbury. I haven't eaten it since I was very little since I don't like gooey fillings.) My favotie chocolate has to be a tie between Ghiradelli and anything Swiss. Japanese chocolate is good for the fact that it's not overly sweet. After having both Ghana and CRUNKY, I like Ghana more.
@ adrian: :P Swedish food is awesome!!!
I've lived in the US, Canada and Germany and spent a summer in Spain. The candies from those places are all exciting to find because they bring back happy memories. Salty licorice though... I have only one memory of that and it's not good – heaving over the toilet while my dad (who'd given me the piece) laughed til tears ran down his face. It was the super strong ammonia stuff and I'll never go near any salty licorice again.
Ohhhhhh,this brings back so many fond memories of the time I spent in London with the SSA. All the little children running up to an American,smiling with their black or missing teeth and demanding candy.It was such a treat to kick those little buggers in the ass and to pass out peanut brittle since they could not eat it without teeth. Bon Appetit everyone.
Wish I could find Russian candy store in the USA. I miss candy from home.
Superstop Market in White House Tennessee had the best candy isle. They carried all kinds of candy novelty and delicious!. I wonder if Paul and Jane know how happy (and fat) they made a lot of us kids in the neighborhood! Love and miss ya!
Just like to add Hershey's is one of my favorites. All the Hershey bashing is sad, but I wouldn't mind trying other countries chocolates. Maybe then I will see what you mean, but I love the saltiness of a good Hershey bar. They're not waxy like Kinder Egg chocolate-which are legal in Mexico!
The best chocolate candy I ever had came from Germany, it was dark and had brandy on the inside........
Haven't had a chance to read all the comments. Has anyone mentioned Godiva? Their dark chocolate (anything) is dee-licious! They have a salted caramel bark that's worth committing felonies over (sorry Casey Anthony, none for you!)
“The original ones are so much better, but we can’t import it because it has a color from chlorophyll – a natural color – that’s not allowed by the FDA,” explained Ernberg.
A natural color isnt allowed but an artificial one is...
Just goes to show the wackiness of US food regulations
When the EU was being setup, different countries took over creating the regulations for different types of products (clothing, cars, food, etc.). Naturally, the French demanded and got Food regulations. They promptly wrote regulations that would have stopped Cagbury's from calling their Milk Chocolate 'chocolate', because it contains less chocolate (like 2% less) than almost all French brands, so they could hurt Cadburys business. This resulted in huge arguments and law suits. Finally, the French backed down, but it took years and years to settle.
My Norwegian in-laws (who live in the States now) introduced me to some truly amazing sweets - first and foremost, Kong Haakon chocolate. Of course, that was back in the day before Kraft (or somebody) bought out the Freia chocolate company, but it was truly amazing. There's also Gullbrod (chocolate covered marsipan), Nonstops (waaaay better than M&Ms), Twist, Seigmen, Daim, Kvikk Lunsj (like Kit Kats only much, much better), And to wash it all down, Solo orange soda. You could seriously become diabetic from eating at their house during the Christmas holidays!! And this stuff is all so much better than any American counterpart, with the possible exception of Reese cups.
When living in the US, I miss from Australia: Jelly babies, fruit tingles, flake bars, malteasers, proper Cadbury choc, Solo
When living in Australia, I miss from the US: red licorice, pink lemonade, Ben and Jerrys, peanut butter anything, rootbeer and dr pepper that taste normal
I use valrohna chocolate to make wedding favors and agree that it is better chocolate–silky smooth. Unfortunately, the price of the chocolate is exorbitant.
Talking about chocolate? Belgian chocolate is the best in the world. Mind it, I am not Belgian, it is a matter of taste buds. In Canada as well as in the States chocolate bars are candy not real chocolate.
Gasp! You mean there s something that the self proclaimed "greatest country in the world" isn't the best at?
You have an inferiority complex and it is fully justified...
Nothing 'self-proclaimed' about it. America IS the greatest country in the world.
WE invented Facebook and Ashley Madison.
Dummy.
Keep living in you fantasy world arsehole.
Seriously, Cote d'Or. You might have a better outlook on life, if you just ate better.
I have to admit. European chocolate is light years ahead of ours.
I would have to agree with Piers Morgan on this one. English and European Chocolate is much better than American Chocolate.
I have to agree with Piers, I jsut got back from living in England for four years, their chocolate is so much better than ours. Hershey's chocolate bars may as well be hard packed mud when compaired to British chocolate.
As a traveling brit I'm bemused by Piers' views. Don't get me wrong – I like british chocolate, I used to live in Bournville and walked the towpath by the factory every day loving the smell of chocolate. After eights (rowntree) and cream eggs are still a favorite. But I didn't have the impression that it was exceptional and wouldn't say that american vending-machine chocolate is better or worse than the brit equivalents – the US has reese's cups which I think are still largely unknown (as perhaps is the whole peanut butter-chocolate scene unexplored) in the UK. Then there are adventures in confectionery imfamy (...) from the UK such as the Yorkie bar which someone once described as the closest chocolate ever came to being a grouting substitute, throw it at a wall on a warm day and it would stick. Personal favorite is neither – Belgian – Godiva Dark Chocolate with Raspberry Bars ... heaven.
Oooh, so going to have to visit this place. Sorry folks, Swedish candy in general is better than a lot of American stuff... and for a$$holes who are so weirdly nationalistic that they get bent out of shape ("Please, go back to your home country then." Really? Go get a life.) by a preceived insult to *candy*, lighten up. That sour attitude is probably from years of eating sub-par candy. :P
wtf is an "ex-pat"?
ex-pat is a term that refers to someone born of one country, but living or working in another. For example, if I were teaching in Tokyo, I would be referred to as an American ex-pat.
Ex-pat is actually short for ex-patriot, meaning a citizen of one country who lives in another.
And...Ritter Chocolates
Ferrero and Kinder....Love you both :))
I know that the French government is strict about the production of chocolate. Regulations supposedly prohibit the use of any vegetable or animal fat, and only allow pure cocoa butter. Apparently, they must contain at least 43 percent cocoa liquor, and a minimum of 26 percent pure cocoa butter. But I have had some excellent chocolates from lesser-known manufacturers that are basically "boutique" companies that don't produce on such a massive scale. From the research that I've done, apparently it has a lot to do with the variety of cocoa beans used, where they come from and how they are mixed together... which I think is so interesting!
French chocolate is the best!
Nothing like good old Europian Waffers...yummi...and Kinder Eggs..can't find them here..LOL
Apple Fingerlings from Yugoslavia.
Velvet Crumble from Australia
Well aren't we all a bunch of elitist snobs!!!!! To each his own. I grew up on Hershey's so I am used to the flavor, but as for American chocolate, I prefer Gihardelli (please excuse the spelling). I also like Lindt's chocolate, which is European, I believe. Lindt's does have a little more milkier of a taste for their milk chocolate. MMMMMMMMMM chocolate. As for alot of the other American brands, they do tend to taste different than their European counterparts. Oh, and I love the M&M's over Smarties any day.
I wish I could get candy from home......American candy sucks
Please, go back to your home country then.
Yeah, very mature and intelligent response, there, Dylan. Thank you for sharing it with us.
Try Cote d'Or. Leaves your M&M's in the dust.
Pocket coffee. Kinder eggs. Ferrero Kuesschen. Mon cheri (dark chocolate with a real cherry and brandy inside.) I did so enjoy my time in Italy. However, I do enjoy a reeses peanut butter cup as well. I'm not into bashing other countries for their candies on Cnn eatocracy. Doesn't exactly make me a bigger person.
Ohhhhhhh...Pocket Coffee! I haven't thought about that in YEARS and now I can think of nothing but that.
I bought some "retero" nestle crunch bars in Shoprite a month ago, the retro part being that it was made with sugar and not that corn syrup crapola. OMG what a huge difference it makes, it was the crunch bar of my childhood past and not the gawd awful current bland and grainy crunch bar of today.
Having spent time working in Germany, it still bums me out that I can't get my Baren-Treff gummis in the US. Any time a friend or co-worker is going to areas of Germany where there are Baren-Treff outlets, I have them bring me some back.
Now, if we could only (easily) get good Swiss absinthe in the US, my wife would be happy!
As to the British writer's opinion on chocolate: I'd agree when we're comparing US major brand chocolates to the UK counterparts. However, when you compare British chocolates to US-made boutique brands (e.g. Scharffenberger), the UK chocolate superiority disappears.
Being an Air Force brat, a North Texas base had their version of a convenience store. The store had Droste (Belgian)chocolates. Not until I was in my 20's and living in Dallas did I see Droste chocolate again when the base closed. My favorite was Droste's orange chocolate bars - no sticky, mushy orange pockets, but the whole bar was favored with orange. Their dark chocolate was wonderful, too.
A german immigrant who lived near us also gave us their little chocolates filled with liqueur. When my brother was in the Navy and stationed in the Gulf of Tonkin on an aircraft carrier, we would send him those chocolates, too. They looked like little wine bottles and wrapped in foil.
When I went to Paris, one of the best things about the trip was chocolates on every corner. And the pastries on the Champs Elysees were incredible!! Okay, now I'm hungry . . . . Thank goodness for the web where I can find my favorite stuff and get it shipped to me.
You're right: Droste chocolate is very good too. It is from the Netherlands, though.
World Market is a good source for some good European sweets and chocolates.
Droste is Dutch. Otherwise I agree with everything you said. I had those chocolate bottles filled with liqueur in Sweden last year and they are also great.
Jellybeans and homemade taffy in New Orleans is and addiction can't quit and beat
Agreed. The Roman candy from the Roman Candy carts are fantastic.
I went to England a couple of years back and couldn't get over how much better their food tasted. It wasn't that the English are better cooks (because, honestly, they're not). But the food was real. I could stop at almost any roadside store and buy a sandwich that was GOOD. The bread was fresh and tasted like real bread, and the fillings were always plentiful and fresh.
And I agree regarding Tim Tams. The ones sold here are awful, but the real ones from Australia are HEAVEN!!! Same with chocolate from England. Cadbury flake is amazing.
Canadian kit-kats, made by Nestle, are to die for. I get sick from the Hershey's crud.
I agree. Most Americans have completely unsophisticated tastes.
So, Patrickk...basically, your point is that Americans suck. You have nothing relevant or articulate to post on the subject. Noted.
Yea, your an idiot. Nowhere else in the world can you find food like you can in New York City. 'Unsophiticated tastes'?! Which is why we have some of the most decorated chefs/restuarants (both Michelin stars and Forbes decorations) in the world, right?
Patrick is just bitter...like the chocolate he likes...because his visa and work permit were denied! :))
Kit Kats from England are also way better than the American kind.
The same could be said of most anything.
i lived in England for 5 years – there were some treats that i love: Carr's cheese melts; McVittie's chocolate & caramel digestives, walkers cheese and onion crisps. however, i didn't find the british chocolates anything special and what passes for ice cream in the UK is unspeakable – not a lick of cream or milk; it's made with whey and oil!
The US rocks when it comes to Ice Cream! I lived in Germany and England and it was very hard to find good Ice Cream. You would think with all those cows around, they would come up with some good stuff.
I just want to say that Piers Morgan is a pompous british twat who obviously has never tried the smooth, delicious flavors of Dove Chocolate. Made in America, by Americans, for Americans. Im sorry but that weak, flakey, flavorless Cadburry shit just will not compare.
But lets be honest here, we all know the best chocolate comes from Sweden, so why kid ourselves?!
Viva la Sweedish Fish
the best chocolate comes from Switzerland, by far.
You're a moron - "made in American, by Americans", yadda yadda. Dove has been around in the UK for almost as long as its been in the US (50+ years). It's branded as Galaxy in the UK - due to Dove being a well-known brand of soap - and is hugely popular and well recognized. I guarantee Piers Morgan has tried it.
The reason American chocolate gets a bad rap internationally is that godawful Hershey's shit. Their original manufacturing process used slightly soured milk due to availability/financial constraints. (Though of course you won't find Hershey's official history mentioning that). And, while those supply issues no longer exist, the "distinctive" Hershey's taste was maintained - likely through modification of the ingredients rather than continuing to sour the milk - since the American public had become accustomed to it.
Unfortunately, most of the rest of the civilized world hasn't grown up with Hershey's and therefore hasn't grown accustomed to its particular sour/bitter taste. Hence it tends to get described as tasting like vomit/plastic/earwax/etc. overseas. And since it's the best known US chocolate brand - and since Dove is rebranded in many other countries - people tend to paint all "American chocolate" with the same brush.
I just LOVE the Hershey Highway !
While I agree with you that Hershey's is fast-food equivalent to the chocolate world, Dove still remains victorious against any Cadburry product, UK or American based. Cadburry has an aweful artifical sweetner taste to it which cant be masked by any type of flavor injector/stabilizer.
Just face it, the Brits have horrible taste in food.
@parvo – you are absolutely right regarding the quality of American chocolate.. it's absolutely horrible. And being an American, you would think that there would be far too many choices here to complain, but when it comes to chocolate, I find myself having to travel to specialty stores to get what I'm after. Hershey's is the worst-tasting processed crap there is.. waxy, dry, overly sweet to the point of sickening. And the idiots that buy the stuff here just don't know any better to really appreciate what good chocolate is. And don't get me started on baking chocolate.. the stuff in local grocery stores that is being sold as "baking chocolate" is like candle wax with cocoa in it! ewwwww.
i thought i was the only one who thought Hershey tasted like vomit
Thanks for that wonderfully informative answer. I'm an Northern Irish fella living in the States, always wondered why Hershey's Kisses and so on tasted exactly like vomit or stomach acid. Don't they have tasters at these factories?!
Can't beat good old UK choccie. Or most chocolate in the world that does not originate from the USA.
I'd also point out that the same brands frequently differ in taste by location, due to idiosyncrasies in manufacturing processes, ingredient availability and substitution, and local laws regulating what can be sold (in terms of % milk solid, % cocoa, etc.) as "chocolate" or "milk chocolate".
Hence UK Galaxy tastes different from US Dove. (I much prefer Galaxy.) Cadbury's made in the US tastes noticeably different from Cadbury's in the UK - it's actually manufactured by Hershey's in the US. Hershey's getting their filthy, sour-milk-laden paws on it is probably why you find it to be "weak, flakey, flavorless Cadburry shit".
I SO agree with Piers about British chocolate. I'm from Canada, and man what I wouldn't give for an Aero bar or a Cadbury Flake bar. Even Smarties, their version of M&Ms, are a million times better.
Sorry Kathy, but your wrong. National and international taste-test's confirm that M&M's are the 'go-to' candy coated chocolate piece this world desires. Brits might think this of Smarties, but its because they are all xenophob's with horrible taste (and teeth). The only Smarties worth a write-up are confectionary sugary items that come in the small plastic rolls you used to steal from the local gas station.
Sorry dude, but as an Aussie, I have to say I also prefer smarties to m&ms
I was a part of the panel, and M&Ms were the winner. British candy rated at the bottom of the testez.
Great. I'm trying to watch what I eat (getting to middle age and all) and now I'm craving chocolate. Dylan – best chocolates from Sweden!!! Really. British chocolate is good, but even most Brits will say that Belgian is the best. And as for Dove, the only way I'll eat that stuff is if I have to eat it to get to the ice-cream. My local supermarket has now started stocking Magnums though, so I won't have to sacrifice my taste buds anymore. As for that Cadbury's muck that's made in Pennsylvania, puuuulease. Anyone who has a single taste bud knows that it tastes nothing like the real stuff. American chocolate is far too bitter, even with a Cadbury's wrapper, but I guess if you swill a large soda afterwards, you're alright! However, Ghiradelli is pretty good..
Well, I agree with you, Kathy. Smarties DO taste better to me than M&Ms. However, once I learned that Smarties use a dye derived from insects (gross!) I no longer seek them out or eat them. The Cadbury stuff made here is crap. (Those creme filled eggs at Easter are disgusting!) But I'll take a Cadbury Bournville over a Hershey's Special Dark any day!!
Funny, I lived in Canada for 4 years and could never develop a taste for Smarties–they seemed so artificial tasting to me compared to M&M's. And Aerobars? Blech. Why do I want air bubbles in my chocolate? The texture is freaky.
Canadian candy wins in the end though because y'all have Wunderbars. LOVE! The only American candies worth anything to me are Sour Patch Kids and Reese's cups.
I grew up in Canada and LOVE Wine gums to DEATH. They used to be sold here in the US but they were in British stores and they were NOT cheap. Now there is a dye used in them that the FDA band so they are no longer to be sold in the States. I go up to Canada and scarf as many as I can,. MAYNARDS are the best!! other brands are so so...
wine gums ae avialable on line- try Maynards- Go WineGums!
I prefer magical candy.
I love me some Sockerbit. Lisbeth Licorice is my favorite!!!
It is not just candy. I cannot understand how ANYONE manages to keep down any of the swill that Americans gorge themselves on.
Aren't you an @sshole.
No, he is correct about American candy. It is larded down with corn syrup. Trust me, try some real fresh organic French candies and you will be better for it.
Heyyyy Heyyyy Heyyyy!
unbelievable that you cannot find any american food you find tasty, then i guess you will starve.....or go back home under that rock you came out from under........
One of the best foreign sweet treats are Tim Tams, from Australia. They are this chocolate covered biscuit thing that you bit the corners off of and sip your milk through. Eat once it becomes a bit soft. Its out of this world! They are hard to get in the US though.
ooh yum! I love tim tams too. You can get them in the US. Pepperidge Farms sells them, I have seen them in Walmart.
The Pepperidge Farms ones are crap compared to the real thing. Get thee to a World Market post haste! They at least import the real ones. I don't know what I would do without them.
Our band played in Australia a few years ago and my friend and I were looking for some kind of sweet to bring back for family that was only in Australia. After a few minutes of thought, a grocery store clerk thought of Tim-Tams. Bingo! We bought a bunch of boxes for gifts and for us. After returning home, we ate all of ours as well as most of the gift boxes! Only the very closest family members wound up with a box!
as an Aussie in NYC i cannot live without Tim Tams. Double Coat.
TimTams, Mint Slices, and Bundaberg Ginger Beer – all from World Market. But what I can't get here is Jaffas. If there's any expat Aussies who know where I can get Jaffas, speak up mate! Minties are good too, but it's Jaffas I can't live without!
I lived in South America for a while and had my dad bring me Reese's peanut butter cups and Twizzlers every trip he made back home! I would savor them sloooowly and stash them away so no one (my siblings!) would steal them. My siblings would ask for makeup and toys.. I wanted the PB cups and licorice.
u can have da PB cupz cuz I got all dat gold!
Piers Morgan likely is a devotee of British food, as well. The roasts are roastier, the biscuits bisquier, the chips chippier, the crisps....
Really, the Belgians probably laugh at Cadbury. They probably laugh at their beer also.
Dont forget to include that the teeth are tainted-er, the armpits are smelly-er and the women are ugly-er when discussing Brits :)
You're amazingly hypocritical for someone who called the Brits "xenophobes" in another post on this page.
you're right about the teeth, uglyness-well that's subjective, but you've got the wrong stereotype when talking about smelly armpits- that's typically attributed to the French
I think it's sad that anyone on here cannot simply discuss candy without throwing slurs about.
Having an opinion does not make me afraid/hate of other cultures. Im not afraid of the British culture... just the British teeth.
* hate/afraid of
The British don't actually have "bad teeth", per se. The dental hygiene is fine. They just don't have the American obsession with rampant use of orthodontics from age 8. (Or didn't ... that may be changing.)
Moreover, that standard of dental hygiene and frequency of orthodontics isn't unique to the UK - in fact their trends are generally no different from any other first-world country, bar the US. The only difference is that, in the past century or so, the UK is practically the only overseas country in which most Americans - in their insularity - have shown any particular interest or acknowledgement of a cultural link. Since it's the only country where they'd paid attention to the populace, it's the only country where they'd noticed that the teeth aren't always all bright, shiny, uniform tombstones emblazoning the front of the face.
Don't believe me? Find another country where British teeth are considered a joke: There isn't one. Why? Because it doesn't make any sense to anyone else, given that the rest of the world is in the same boat as the UK. It's a uniquely American joke, because the Americans, embarrassingly, have been uniquely obsessed with shallow outward appearance while simultaneously oblivious to the rest of the world.
The French get called 'frogs' around the world because they eat frog legs. The Irish are lampooned everywhere as drinkers/drunks, because Irish society does legitimately have a heavily-ingrained drinking culture. Nobody else jokes about bad British teeth, though, because there's no basis for a joke. An American who finds himself hilarious making fun of British teeth is really only broadcasting the utterly insular spectrum of his knowledge, and complete lack of awareness of social and cultural norms in other countries.
British cuisine is fair game though. It's legitimately pretty –cking terrible.
As an American living in America, I think American chocolate is so gross! I've travelled throughout Europe and European chocolate tastes sooo much better. It's proper chocolate, as I like to call it. My favorite is Cadbury's Caramellos. OMG! So delish! They sell it here but it's just different. The chocolate isn't as creamy/buttery/melt in your mouth like European chocolate is. It's so sad an depressing.
I live in Virginia, and crave Chocolate Covered Ginger from Purdy's (Canaidan Candy Co.). Nothing in the US can touch it.
I love chocolate covered ginger! I had it for the first time in Canada a few years back. One thing American I love is chocolate with sea salt. It's the expensive kind, but soooo good. Like boodles said above, Mexican candy is nasty, with chili powder and lemon...blech...my husband (who lived in Mexico while growing up) loves it. Now regarding Cadbury's in England...all of it is sooooo good; it puts American chocolate to shame. Belgain chocolate is really good too. It's kinda like Godiva Chocolate, but better!
In the north west, where there is Trader Joe's you can get chocolate covered ginger.... it's not as good quality as Purdy's, but it's quite good.
My daughter married a Kiwi and they live in New Zealand. The #1 thing she wants me to send her (besides make-up which is sooo expensive there) is Swedish Fish. They don't have any and she gets cravings. My son-in-law has me send him Reese's peanut butter cups & peanut butter M&M's. They don't do peanut butter in NZ. Whittaker's chocolates from NZ are pretty awesome, too!
My husband is from Brazil, he says peanut butter isn't common there either!
His sister is visiting for the month, and taking two jars back with her. :P
Amazon ... 10lb. bulk packs.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE Blackcurrant Soothers, which are available in England. They're made by Hall's, and I don't understand why they don't manufacture them in the US also.
I haven't found anything in the US flavored with blackcurrant. I was in Sweden last year and they had blackcurrant lemonade (cordial) and it was great. They also had black licorice ice cream.
I agree that blackcurrant is a great flavor that is sorely missing in the US.
But to some of the others who say the US has no decent candy, the USA does have some great candies. Mars Candies (from Virginia) is the largest confectioner in the world, and M&M's are the #1 selling candy in the world, and are mighty tasty. I also love Baby Ruth bars, as well as $100 Thousand bar. And hey, there are Caramel Creams-delicous!
Soothers is a Nestle brand
Nope – my mistake
I totally agree ! I stock up each time I go home for a visit! They are the best ... as a side note – my cousin in England buys a packet for her two eldest girls (6 and 9) and they eat them like sweets. I've tried telling her they are medicated, but she wo't listen.
Here in Mexico the "dollar" store called Waldo's has been an appreciated supplier of American candy among other foods. Mexican candy is almost all chili and lemon flavored, and Carlos V (by Nestlé) is just ugh!
When I lived in Japan, all I wanted was cherry sours.
While I don't live in Japan, I eat their candy regualry. I'm particularly fond of Hi-Chew and Meiji gummies – the flavors are much more pronounced than in American gummies. I get my candy shipped from directly from Japan through J-list. I also like Moritz Icy Squares (from Canada), Coffee Crisp bars (Cadbury), and wine gums (have to be Maynard brand). I don't miss American candy when away...what is there to miss?
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups, or any variation on the chocolate peanut butter theme. That's it, pretty much the only American candy that I would go out of my way for if I lived overseas. I am not alone in this. We bring several bags of Reese's cups and peanut butter M&M's with us when we visit friends in Sweden who developed the addiction when living in the States. But everything else here is kind of mediocre compared to what you can get elsewhere.
Canada has some good candy! Gotta love them Coffee Crisps and Cherry Blossoms!!!
I'm from Canada and II love Kinder Surprise Eggs which are not available in the US. There is law the prevents their import into the US because it has a toy inside the chocolate egg. Really, how can someone mistake a plastic toy for "food"? The toy is encased in small plastic egg which requires an adult or older child to open.
I have seen the Kinder Surprise eggs with the toys inside them in some of the Russian groceries here in the U.S. If you have one close to you, check it out.
The U.S. over-regulates everything that could possibly remotely ever have anything to do with even one kid. Even adult-only stuff in our society often gets met with "but what about the chil'ren?" Keeps parents from actually having to do their job, temporarily. Corporations and product lawyers wrap themselves in as much bubble wrap as possible to protect themselves from kids and parents who aren't bright enough to figure out the most basic functions of daily life ... like candy. It's one reason the gene pool keeps getting murkier and more toxic.
Smarties (confectionary candy style not that crappy chocolate from Cadburry), Lifesavers Gummies, Tootsie Pops, Airheads, Lemonheads, Bottle Caps, basically anything under the Willy Wonka name to name a few...
Since when have they banned the Kinder Eggs? I've seen them at Specs in Houston and at a German store in Dallas.
Yes, Customs & Border Patrol and TSA are trained to identify Kinder Surprise Eggs in x-rayed baggage and they WILL confiscate them if found–the Web is rife with stories of confishcations. Yet they can't seem to do as good a job at stopping PEOPLE from entering the US without proper documentation.
I was an expat for years, living in Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, and Ireland. I never craved anything sweet from America in that time. I've been back in America for 10 years now and I STILL crave the sweets from Europe. America legislates the hell out of everything (for the purpose of control) and the quality of sweets in America is utter crap. Everything in America is genetically modified, waxy, full of corn syrup and unhealthy, unnatural chemicals, colors and flavors. Even American companies like Nestle, who have plants overseas make better products there that they CAN'T make here because of the regulations. Banning KinderEggs in America? Seriously? Why isn't the American government on CNN's Ridiculist?
Totally agree. I'm Irish, living in the US. When I think of the stuff that they can't import here, I shake my head and say 'you don't know what you're missing ;D
Mmmm...kinder chocolate. My ex is from Ireland and I'd always get kinder surprise eggs when I'd visit or he'd bring them when he visited me. I really miss the kinder chocolate and the giant eggs at Easter. However, when I went to stay with him for half a year I really missed chocolate chip cookies. I wanted to bake them myself but after visitng 3 different grocery/department stores without finding the ingredients I needed or even a proper measuring cup, I gave up. After that whenever I'd go visit I'd bring a couple of bags of cookie mix...the kind where you just add the wet ingredients and I'd even bring a box of bisquick. I couldn't understand why he didn't like pancake Tuesday until I had Irish pancakes. I've been all over the world and now have an international taste for candies that is nearly impossible to satisfy in the states, but what a treat it is when I occasionally find one! :)
Nestle is not an American company.
Thank god I can still get Lindt, Rittersport, and Toberlone. It's amazing how a few years in Germany can make you realize exactly how crappy packaged American candies are.
The FDA isn't done banning natural products yet, either. Your organic, natural, whole foods supplements are on the chopping block very quickly. The FDA and big businesses like Monsanto are LITERALLY evil and want to control your food supply and force you to eat genetically modified food to control YOU. If you think that's a conspiracy theory, you'd better start doing your research and wake up. This is no joke.
Quack
I almost feel sorry for you, Quackles. I say "almost" because the proof is available to anyone who takes the time to look into it. It's not even difficult to find. But there are people like you who actually choose to stay ignorant because you're too afraid that what you keep hearing may actually be true. You don't have the skills to cope with the truth so you scoff. You're proof that their deception is working.
I second the Monsanto evil thought. Please watch "The world according to Monsanto" or "The future of Food".
Jack, I totally agree with you about MONSANTO being pure evil. The whole we're-protecting-farmers-and-making-your-food-better facade is a load of crap. Its a shame that people don't do their research because the evidence of greased palms within the FDA and our government by MONSANTO is sickening. People need to wake up and smell the genetically modified food products being pumped into our markets because its not going to get any better.
I live in New York State but I studied in Galway, Ireland for a semester or so and there chocolare is better, there is nothing like a Cadbury Carmello bar in Ireland or the UK, but when I was there I asked my mom to send me double stuffed Oreos because they didn't have them adn the oreos they did have weren't good because they don't use the high frustose corn sryup. Of course now that i'm not in college Ia ctually don't eat oreos but my mom did send me 2 packages and my girl friends and I watched sex and the city on dvd (which came out on dvd and was also sent from america) and ate my oreos with the very tasty Irish fat free milk
It's so funny that I just posted about Cadbury's Caramello too. My friends were studying in Limerick for a semester and I visited them on my spring break. All I heard about was the caramellos and when I got off the plane, with bags and all in tow, we went to Tesco and they made me try it. It was the best thing I've ever tasted in my life. Ahh! Memories!
You went to college?
You need to go to college to learn how to wipe the sh it out of the cracks of your brain.
You people are very narrow in your thinking. You go to Irland and now the chocolate you ate is the best in the world. So much for American college students. Let me tell you my freind, you know very little and with about 22 years of age you really know pip squit or nothing. My advise to you, travel Europe on foot and taste the goods in each country ( chocolate) and you may find out a few things. Until you have done that you are ignorant.
Did you even finish 2nd grade?
Uhhh, nowhere did she say it was "the best in the world" Just that it was better than here.
You chastise someone for saying something you more or less agree with and talk down to them, yet you lack the basics of reading comprehension?
You can get really good chocolate in Mexico. They've been making it there for thousands of years and are pretty good at it. Which makes sense as the state of Tabasco is where cacao originated. Most people will never know though because they are deathly affraid of Mexico.
Ditto on Carmello bars in the UK, and my other favorite almost impossible to get in the USA: Cadbury's Flake.
FLAKE!! I love-love-love Cadbury Flake! There used to be a "british" candy store on Devon Ave in Chicago where they had all the tasty imports. The Flake was expensive at $1.25 a bar (when US candy bar was maybe $.50) but so delicious!!! mmmmmmm....Flake!
You guys are ridiculous, for real. Just to let you know – you guys are getting all pissy over chocolate. Oh wait, then you know some of you are being childish? Good then, we're clear here.
Interesting read. I've never had Swedish candy but if it is better than Charlie's Carmel Corn & Candy in Vincennes Indiana, I can't wait to try some. Charlies is wonderful.
Among the many, many reasons to visit Stockholm is Swedish candy and gelato.
Ohhh... have to tell the fiance about this! He loves salty licorice.
Mildred, If you, or your boyfriend, like salty licorice, go to Licorice International on the web. It's at https://www.licoriceinternational.com. They have licorice from all over the world and they will sell it to you and mail it to you. I love the Herrigen fish..little salty licorice fishes..yummy!!
If there is a World Market near you, they sell several varieties of salty licorice there (along with an assortment of treats from around the rest of the world)!
If you want to make your man happy you should go their yourself, or take him there as a surprise.