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.

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.

Reed's Ginger Candy Chews

These Reed's Ginger Candy Chews boast "all natural" and "gluten free." They can be found at wegmans though I'm not sure about the price. The packaging is a small box jam packed with nine smaller individually wrapped chews. The box says it is a product of Indonesia. Reed's is best known for their Jamaican Ginger Beer and their overall promoting of ginger. According to ReedsGingerBrew.com, ginger is used as a traditional way to improve digestion, cure motion and morning sickness, and for general health. The latest research shows ginger to be anti-cancer, used to lower cholesterol, and used as arthritis medicine.

I had no idea ginger had such medicinal properties. I was more intrigued with the uniqueness of the product. The flavor, I imagined, would be unlike anything I have previously tried.

Upon opening one of the chews, there was no scent whatsoever. I even brought it right under nose to take a whiff.. still nothing. But, they say don't judge a book by the cover, so I had high hopes. I certainly was not let down. The chew is coated in a white powder, what I assume to be sugar and starch, to prevent sticking to the package. The texture is extremely chewy, so much that I struggled to bite off a piece. Once it was in my mouth, I decided to spare my teeth and just suck on it. The flavor is deliciously spicy and sweet, just as the box had anticipated. I can't eat more than a small bite at a time because the flavor is so intensely gingery. I adore these.

I love the list of ingredients: Sugar, Ginger, Tapioca Starch. Pure simplicity.

Nutrition Facts: A serving is one chew, nine servings per container. Each chew is 25 calories, 0 calories from fat, 6g carbohydrates, 3g sugar.

These chews are a nice change of pace from my typical fruity/chocolatey (but not together usually) preferences. I love how long they last and that they are only 25 calories. I rate these a 9 out of 10 and will definitely buy them again.