Surf Sweets Jelly Beans

These little organic treats were brought to me by the Easter Bunny (aka my mother), who also got me some Sweet & Sara marshmallows and Primal Jerky Strips. Yay for snacky vegan foods :D Anyway, these Surf Sweets jelly beans are certified USDA organic, are made with organic fruit juice, enhanced with vitamin C, and are naturally flavored and colored. They are also made in the USA.

So, the whole bag smelled like strawberry jam when I opened it. Sometimes strawberry is good in my book, sometimes its not. There are four colors, pink, red, orange, and yellow, so I'm assuming that means four flavors.

Pink: There's a nice little bunch of these strawberry flavored beans. They have very strong flavor, I'm really not too fond of them but they're okay.

Red: There is only one of these and its cherry. Yum yum yummy. I love cherry.

Orange: Only one of this color too. Eh, its orange. mostly sweet with a little tang.

Yellow: The majority of the beans are yellow. As far as I'm concerned, they are a little bland compared to the other three flavors. They are kind of just.. sweet.

These have that typical grainy jelly-bean texture.

Ingredients: Organic evaporated cane juice, Organic tapioca syrup, Organic grape juice concentrate, Pectin, Citric acid, Ascorbic acid, Colors added (including black carrot juice concentrate, turmeric, annatto), Natural flavors, Confectioner's glaze, Carnauba wax, Organic sunflower oil.

Nutrition: A serving is 19 pieces or about one package. 90 calories per serving, 0 calories from fat. Total fat 0g, Sodium 15mg, Total carbohydrate 22g, Dietary fiber 0g, Sugars 18g, Protein 0g.

Well, I like them enough to eat the whole bag but I wish the majority of the beans were red as that one was my favorite. Definitely a great Easter basket stuffer for vegans and health conscious parents. A 6 out of 10.

Raspberry Licorice Log

This log (though I'd consider it more like a rope) of licorice is made in New Zealand by RJ's who claim to be "Making the world a better licorice place!" My mom got it for me at Natur-Tyme in Syracuse.

The bite is softer and less chewy than typical licorice. Its a great texture. The raspberry flavor is awesome, kind of like raspberry jam. However, licorice always leaves a strange aftertaste in my mouth. So any kind of licorice probably wouldn't be my first choice of a candy.

Ingredients: Wheat flour, Cane sugar, Glucose syrup, Water, Humectant (glycerin), Rice bran oil, Natural raspberry flavor, Acidity regulator (malic acid & citric acid), Salt, Natural color (fruit and vegetable concentrates), Licorice extract. Suitable for Vegetarians/Vegans.

Nutrition: A serving is 40g or one log. 140 calories, 10 calories from fat, Total fat 1g, Sodium 45mg, Total carbohydrate 31g, Dietary fiber less than 1g, Sugars 15g, Protein 1g.

Overall, not too shabby. Its all natural and I like the vegetarian/vegan statement. I can handle the aftertaste too. I would definitely choose these over something like twizzlers. A 7 out of 10.

Bubble Chocolate

Similar to Aero, Bubble Chocolate is an aerated chocolate bar. This bar is 60% cocoa, all natural, and described as "bubbles wrapped in chocolate!" It is distributed by Bubble Chocolate in Salem, MA, but this is a product of Belarus. I picked it up at TJ Maxx (of all places) for $2.99. It is much lighter than a typical chocolate bar, it feels almost fake.

The chocolate itself is alright if not kind of bland. Its certainly not a bad flavor though. The texture is interesting and very new to me. It is kind of soft and crumbly and dry at first, but it melts almost instantly.

Ingredients: Cocoa mass, Sugar powder, Cocoa butter, Lecithin (an emulsifier), Vanilla.

Nutrition: A serving is half the bar (40g). 200 calories per serving, 120 calories from fat. Total fat 15g, Saturated fat 9g, Total carbohydrate 22g, Dietary fiber 3g, Sugars 16g, Protein 2g.

Well, it is interesting but it just doesn't do it for me. I don't feel like I am eating bubbles wrapped in chocolate, I'd prefer solid chocolate no matter how dense it is. I rate it a 5 out of 10.

Seitenbacher Kiwi Frogs

These are vegan gummi fruit candies by Seitenbacher. I ordered them from veganessentials and they come in a huge variety of flavors and shapes. I wish they came in variety packs so I could try them all. They are a product of Germany.

Ah, the texture is great. Too stiff to be "jelly" in my book. Its not sticky, it is kind of a bouncy texture. The taste is decent. It doesn't scream kiwi though, it tastes more like apple. There is a lingering sweetness to these that I really enjoy.

Ingredients: Apple extracts thickened, Kiwi, Apple pectine, Lemon juice thickened, Slightly sprayed with vegetable oil, Natural flavor.

Nutrition: A serving is 40g, 2.5 servings per container. 130 calories, 2 calories from fat. Total fat 0g, Total carbohydrate 31g, Dietary fiber 1g, Sugars 28g.

So, I like these. I definitely would like to try some other flavors because the kiwi doesn't necessarily wow me. These are way cuter than gummi bears or gummi worms. I rate these a 6 out of 10.

Boom Choco Boom Crispy Rice Milk Chocolate Bar

(Note: Contains Honey) This is an allergy friendly rice milk chocolate bar made by Enjoy Life. It is like an allergy friendly crunch bar. It was really stupid of me not to re-read the ingredients before beginning this post. But, since I have already eaten one square and uploaded the photos, I might as well continue my post about it.

The taste is okay. I really enjoy dark chocolate so this seems really sweet and otherwise bland. The texture is nice though. The little rice crisps' saltiness adds to the overall flavor of the bar. These seem to be a great chocolate bar alternative for kids with allergies.

Ingredients: Evaporated cane juice, Non-dairy cocoa butter, Natural chocolate liquor (non-alcoholic), Rice crisps (rice flour, rice bran, raisin juice concentrate, honey, salt), Rice milk powder (rice syrup powder, rice starch, rice flour, carrageenan), salt.

Nutrition: A serving is one package. 220 calories, 140 fat calories. Total fat 15g, Saturated fat 10g, Sodium 30mg, Total carbohydrate 22g, Fiber 1g, Sugars 16g, Protein 1g.

I guess this chocolate bar proves that animal products are lurking everywhere. I'm not going to rate this product as it doesn't fit into my vegan criteria.

Gertrude Hawk 70% Cocoa

This is a 70% cocoa dark chocolate bar by Gertrude Hawk. They are a dollar each and come in a variety of flavors (70% cocoa is the only vegan one).

It melts nicely, rich and smooth. The taste isn't bitter but its not too sweet. The texture of this makes it taste indulgent. The bar is a bit thick though, I prefer my chocolate just a tad thinner.

Ingredients: Semisweet chocolate (chocolate, sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin (an emulsifier), vanilla).

Nutrition: A serving is one bar (49g). 250 calories, 180 calories from fat. Total fat 20g, Saturated fat 12g, Total carbohydrate 24g, Fiber 5g, Sugars 15g, Protein 3g.

Overall I think this is a great bar. I like the natural ingredients. The taste and texture combination is really delicious. I rate it a 7 out of 10.

Sesame Snaps

I picked these up in Miami Beach at CVS for $0.69 I believe. I have never had sesame candy, but I do love the taste of sesame seeds. Sesame bagels were always my favorite. These are made by Agros Trading Confectionary and are a product of Poland.

These taste awesome. Delicious toasted sesame seeds glazed in sugar. The texture is crispy, then crunchy, then kind of a mix between sticky and melty. The whole thing is really just yummy.

Ingredients: Sesame seeds, Sugar, Glucose.

Nutrition: A serving is one package (35g). 160 calories. Fat 9g, Saturated fat 1.5g, Sodium 5mg, Carbohydrate 18g, Fiber 2g, Sugar 12g, Protein 5g.

These were different in an enjoyable way. An 8 out of 10.

Wha Guru Chew

This was an intriguing little candy I found at Apple A Day in Miami Beach. The Cashew Vanilla flavor is described as Candy Smothered in Vanilla Caramel. It is also labeled Handmade and All Natural. It is a product of the USA.

The taste is different. It tastes kind of grassy. The chew is soft and stringy. The flavor is sweet, salty, and something I can't quite pinpoint.

Ingredients: Brown rice syrup, Cane sugar syrup, Sunflower seeds, Cashews, Vegetable oil (canola and/or safflower and/or sunflower oil), Cashew butter, Wheat germ, Natural flavor, Salt, Soy lecithin.

Nutrition: A serving is one bar (32g). 150 calories per serving, 80 calories from fat. Total fat 9g, Saturated fat 0.5g, Sodium 60mg, Total carbohydrate 15g, Fiber <1g.

To be honest I didn't enjoy this at all. I took a bite and wasn't really a fan. And just to make sure my taste buds weren't being weird I tried it again a good hour later. I'm still not a fan. For some people the flavor might be something they really enjoy. The texture is pretty good and I like that it is "all natural" and "handmade". I rate this a 3 out of 10.

Maverick Dark Chocolate With Honeycomb Crisps

So I have been in Florida again all week (hence the lack of posts). The weather wasn't all too warm, but at least it was sunny :) Anyway, this is an interesting bar. It is 35 grams of dark chocolate with "honeycomb crisps". Now I am quite familiar with dark chocolate, but lack some knowledge on these honeycomb crisp things. I wasn't sure what to expect, but the crisps turn out to be little pieces of crystalized sugar (glucose) embedded in the bar. The company is called Maverick and the web address they put on the package is venturefoods.com, the same website for the organica white bar.

The bar was broken and a bit beaten up when I opened it, I will try not to hold this against the poor candy itself. The dark chocolate is pretty bitter. The little crystallized sugar pieces add a weird texture but a good sweetness paired with the bitterness of the chocolate.

Ingredients: Cocoa mass*, Sugar*, Glucose, Cocoa butter*, Soya lecithin, Sodium bicarbonate.

*Fairtrade

Nutrition (UK style): Per 100g, 503 calories, Protein 6.3g, Carbohydrate 43.9g, Fat 33.4g.

I don't really know what to say about this bar. I would probably enjoy it more if I didn't feel like I was chewing on chocolate covered glass shards (that happen to be sweet). A 4 out of 10.

Sjaak's Hearts of Cherry Truffles

A heart shaped chocolate in the spirit of Valentine's Day :) This is my last piece of chocolate from Sjaak's. It is of course organic dark chocolate, but this one has a cherry flavored truffle center. Now, I'm not a huge fan of fruit and chocolate and I don't expect much. It is a beautiful piece of candy though. $0.65 each.

The dark chocolate outshines the cherry flavor in these. I like that. The cherry is kind of a nice background flavor. The truffle center is thick and kind of pasty but the whole thing melts together really well.

Ingredients: Organic dark chocolate (organic sugar, organic cocoa paste, organic cocoa butter, organic vanilla, organic soy lecithin), Organic cashews, Organic almonds, Organic palm oil, Organic cherry flavor.

These definitely surprised me. Its not the kind of candy I would eat regularly but the flavor is pretty appealing. I rate these a 7 out of 10.

Sjaak's Miniature Cups

I have two more organic dark chocolates from Sjaak's. These are a bit bigger than the other dark chocolates by Sjaak's. The silver wrapped one is Almond Butter, and the gold wrapped is Peanut Butter. They were $0.65 each.

The peanut butter filling is sweet and smooth with a nice roasted peanut flavor.

The almond butter is also sweet and smooth, though a tad drier. It tastes like sweet raw almonds.

The dark chocolate shell on both of these is very.. dark tasting for lack of a better description. I would imagine it has a pretty high cocoa content. The melt is nice and complements the peanut and almond flavors.

Ingredients: Dark chocolate (organic cocoa butter, organic sugar, organic cocoa paste, organic vanilla, organic soy lecithin), Organic peanuts or almonds, Organic powdered sugar.

Nutrition: A serving is one piece. 80 calories per serving. Total Fat 5.5g, Sodium 0mg, Total carbohydrate 5.5g (1g fiber, 3.5g sugars), Protein 1.5g.

Overall these are decent. They aren't phenomenal but enjoyable, definitely better than the other dark chocolate bites. A 7 out of 10.

Sjaak's Dark Chocolate Bites

In case you haven't noticed, I'm a huge fan of Vegan Essentials. I ordered three of the five Sjaak's Fair Trade Organic Chocolate Mini-Bites. I chose Acai, Ginger, and Caramel. They were $0.35 each. I think thats a good price and liked that I could mix and match and only order a few. These are nicely packaged and color coded, pink is acai, silver is ginger, and brown is caramel.

Acai: I am not too familiar with Acai though it seems to be outrageously popular and advertised on everything for some antioxidant purposes and whatnot (correct me if I am wrong). Anyway the center of this is fruity. Dark fruity like cherries or grapes or something and kind of sticky/chewy. I honestly don't enjoy it. The chocolate alone is terrific.

Ginger: This is an interesting flavor combination. Its actually unexpectedly enjoyable. There is much more filling in this than in the Acai, and the filling is more flowing. The ginger is more sweet than spicy and the darkness of the chocolate adds a nice balance.

Caramel: I was most looking forward to this one. Caramel and chocolate is classic. These however are unimpressive. The caramel is thicker, not flowing but not chewy. It is sweet but doesn't really have that caramel flavor I was hoping for.

Acai Ingredients: Organic dark chocolate (organic sugar, organic cocoa paste, organic cocoa butter, organic soya lecithin), Organic rice syrup, Organic sugar, Organic sambazon acai, Citric acid.

Ginger Ingredients: Organic dark chocolate (organic sugar, organic cocoa paste, organic cocoa butter, organic soya lecithin), Organic rice syrup, Organic sugar, Organic ginger, Organic ginger powder, Citric acid.

Caramel Ingredients: Organic dark chocolate (organic sugar, organic cocoa paste, organic cocoa butter, organic soya lecithin), Organic rice syrup, Organic sugar.

Nutrition: I don't have any nutritional info on these, which of course means there are no calories ;)

Okay, so overall I would simply prefer the dark chocolate plain. I won't buy these again. A 6 out of 10.

Organica White Bar

The Organica line of vegan chocolate bars are made in Switzerland for Venture Foods UK Ltd. The back says from Geo Organics. So, I am kind of confused about the company. The website they provide is seriously organic.co.uk. I visited the website and eventually ended up at venture foods.com which clears up my confusion: "Venture Foods is a small independent company and we distribute our own brands- GEO Organics, Organica, and Rain Tree." Small, Independent, and Organic, these people seem to know what's up :) In addition, the packaging states that 84% of the ingredients are derived from Third World ethical trading projects and the bar is wrapped in recycled paper (although it is also wrapped in plastic on the inside to protect freshness). I ordered this from veganessentials.com.

This is really a beautiful bar. It was broken when I opened it, probably from the shipping process, but otherwise in pristine condition. Its not white like a typical dairy white chocolate would be. It is an interesting off-white with specks of what I assume are vanilla beans. It smells like sweet, milky vanilla. It has a soft bite and melts almost instantly. Its cool on the tongue and really tastes like white chocolate. Sweet and creamy with nice vanilla notes.

Ingredients: Cocoa butter*, Cane Sugar*, Rice syrup (10%)*, Vegetable oil*, (Sunflower oil*), Vanilla*, Sea salt.

*Organically Produced

Nutrition (UK style): Per 100g: 646 kcal, Protein .4g, Carbohydrate 48.7g, Fat 50g.

So, this is half pure fat and very caloric. But, the bar is pretty big and I can't imagine anyone eating the whole thing in one sitting. I did a little math, each square is about 27 calories. I am a huge lover of dark chocolate and was not expecting to love this as much as I did. It is really unbelievably delicious and I feel good supporting this company who seems to have their priorities straight. A 10 out of 10.

Mahalo Candy Bar

Today was a fabulous day. A: I received my report card and I am doing insanely well in all of my classes. B: I got a package from Go Max Go Foods today. C: Theater rehearsal went great (I play Marty in Grease). D: I spent the rest of the day with my mom hitting up Wegmans for dinner (best salad bar ever) and shopping til we dropped. Woah, rewind. What was B? That's right, Go Max Go sent me a package. What was in that package? Four of the best candy bars known to mankind. Why was I sent this package? Well a few days ago I sent Go Max Go Foods an email questioning the use of Palm Kernel Oil in their products rather than Cocoa Butter. I got a lengthy, informative response regarding the chemistry that goes into making these candy bars. In addition to this, the reader of my email, Susan, followed my link to this blog where she noted the poor appearance of my Twilight bar. She explained to me that the white splotches were due to changes in climate and could have happened during the shipping and handling of the product or even in my house. She then asked for my address and stated her intentions of sending me a Twilight bar in better physical condition. She of course did (very quickly might I add) along with Twilight's three best friends and a handwritten post-it note which reads "Hi Emily :) Enjoy! -Go Max Go." So, after a great day its time to review the last Go Max Go candy bar: Mahalo (veganized Almond Joy).

Well, the rice-milk chocolate is consistently yummy. The almonds have a deliciously fresh roasted taste. The coconut center is super sweet and really.. coconutty. I don't know why I'm not a huge fan of coconut, but I will say this is probably something coconut people or previous Almond Joy fans would enjoy. The texture is dense, chewy, and grainy.

Ingredients (Vegan): Dessicated coconut, Evaporated cane juice, Rice syrup, Palm kernel oil, Agave syrup, Beet sugar, Almonds (dry roasted), Cocoa powder (natural), Rice powder (rice syrup solids, rice starch, rice flour, carrageenan), Palm oil, Natural flavors, Soybean lecithin, Enzyme modified soy protein, Salt.

Nutrition: One serving is 57g or one bar. 280 calories per serving, 170 calories from fat. Total fat 19g, Saturated fat 16g, Sodium 55mg, Total carbohydrate 26g, Dietary fiber 1g, Sugars 18g, Protein 3g.

So, I am beyond impressed with this company. Personal preference steers me away from these bars but there is nothing quality-wise wrong with them. There is nothing wrong with them texture-wise or flavor-wise either (for those who enjoy coconut). I give these bars a 6 out of 10. I give Go Max Go a 36274891950 out of 10.

Whizzers Chocolate Beans

Finally, vegan M&Ms! Or vegan Smarties if you're in the UK. Actually, these are made in the UK, so it would probably make sense to say these are veganized Smarties. I ordered these from veganessentials.com. The simple packaging states "Whizzers Chocolate Beans. No Dairy, No Wheat, No Gluten. Free from Artificial Colours or Preservatives." The back describes these as "Chocolate centres in a crisp sugar shell. Chocolate centres contain 56% minimum cocoa solids." There are four colors, yellow, brownish-orange, pink, and green. The colors are dull compared to Smarties or M&Ms due to the natural coloring.

The taste is all there. The candy shell is crisp and sweet. It is a bit thicker than I remember the M&M shells being but its enjoyable. The chocolate center is decent. Its not the best tasting chocolate but then again neither were M&M's chocolate centers. Basically what I am trying to say is that these serve the M&M replacement purpose.

Ingredients: Sugar, Cocoa mass, Cocoa butter, Emulsifier (soya lecithin), Gum arabic, Glazing agent (carnauba wax), Flavouring, Natural colours (tumeric, copper chlorophyllin, carmelized sugar syrup, beetroot juice).

Nutrition (UK style): Per 100g: Energy 2119kj, 505kcal, Protein 3.3g, Carbohydrate 70.3g, Fat 21.8g. (The package is only 50g so there are about 252.5 calories total.)

The biggest difference with these and M&Ms are the colors. The flavor and texture are familiarly yummy and these candies turn out to be quite addictive. I am in the habit of sucking on the shell until it can easily be peeled off releasing the cool melty chocolate on my tongue. I am pretty content with this sweet vegan treat. An 8 out of 10.

Lemon-Head

Well, I was going to blog about Lemon-Heads today but upon reading the ingredients list, beeswax popped up. For some of us, this might not be an issue. But staying true to the purpose of this blog (which is vegan candy), I find this unfit. My apologies.

Mary Jane

Mary Janes are classic candy made by Necco. They come simply wrapped in yellow wax paper with a red stripe and a little cartoon girl (Mary Jane). They are basically a sweet molasses taffy-like candy with a peanut butter center. These are on Peta's Accidentally Vegan list.

The first bite is sweet, chewy, and slightly peanutty. I somehow managed to squeeze some of the peanut butter out and sampled it on its own. Yuck. It is kind of bland without the added sweetness of the taffy. Next I sample the taffy on its own.. and find it overly sweet. Together though, its a nice combination.

Ingredients: Corn syrup, Dry roasted peanuts, Sugar, Molasses, Partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (cottonseed, soybean), Soy lecithin, Salt, Mono and diglycerides, Hydrogenated vegetable oil (rapeseed, cottonseed, soybean), Glycerine, Natural flavor.

Nutrition: One serving is 5 pieces. 160 calories per serving. Total fat 4g, Saturated fat 1g, Sodium 45mg, Total carbohydrate 32g, Sugars 20g, Protein 1g.

I enjoy the taste of these but I'm not a huge fan of the ingredients list. They seem like a nice and cute candy but hydrogenated oils are kind of scary. In small amounts though I supposed it is acceptable. I like that there are no artificial colors in these. I rate them a 7 out of 10.