Candy Critic

Rating Nuts Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Stewart) — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 15:30:00 +0000

Besides chocolate and sugar, nuts are probably the most common ingredient in most snacks and treats. The fun thing about nuts is they make for great ingredients, but you can also eat them on their own as well. Having said that, not all nuts are equal in all situations. So I've decided that I would look at each nut (some might not be technically nuts so include the words legume and maybe seed as well) and decide which is the best nut of all. Some might rank higher in some categories, but the eventual goal is to find the king of the nuts... now that just sounds wrong.

I've decided to start with the cashew.

On their own:

I feel like cashews are really an acquired taste. When I was a kid I hated them, but as an adult I love having a handful of these nuts whenever I can. They do come in many forms, raw, toasted, toasted and salted as well as even candy coated. I'm not a huge fan of raw cashews, but every other kind is okay with me. I'll certainly give these a point for eating on their own.

Nut Butter:

Cashew butter is fine, but it's not one of my favourite butters. I don't think I've ever gone beyond sampling it as a butter on its own, in that I don't buy it to spread on my sandwiches regularly. I'm sure there are some people who love it, but it's not really for me, so no points as a spreadable.

In Chocolate:

Cashews are fine in chocolate, but I find that the texture is a little too soft. Since chocolate is already a dense, but also kind of soft texture, the texture of the cashew is fine but nothing amazing when it's covered in chocolate. The flavour of the cashew can come through in some cases, but you have to ad a lot of cashews to balance out most chocolates. So while I don't hate it, I don't think I'll give it a point.

In Sugar Candy:

I can only assume that cashews don't really work with sugar candies because I honestly can't think of a single instance where I've tried it. So while it might not be fair, since I've never tried it, I can only assume that other than a thin sugar coating or dusting of sugar, cashews don't really work in sugar candies.

In Other Cooking:

This is where the cashew shines in my book. A stir fry or even a curry with cashews can be spectacular. There are some cultures where the cashew is one of the best ways to thicken and flavour up a savory dish. Also, there's nothing like roasting cashews on a pan before cooking a warm dish to really get your senses going. I'll give it two points in this category.

Total Cashew Points : 3

Next let's look at the pistachio.

On their own:

Pistachios have always been one of the fancier nuts in my opinion. While I know there are parts of the world where they're very common, they always seem a little fancier than other nuts. They're also one of the only nuts where I feel like the shell makes them better. I've had pistachios in just about every form, from raw to salted and toasted and each one of them is spectacular. Although I will admit that salted and toasted is the best. They easily get a point, maybe even two on their own.

Nut Butter:

While I'm sure pistachio butter has been around for a very long time, it's only recently become very popular with the creation of the Dubai chocolate bar. I'll be honest, I'd never really thought about it before, but recently I've given pistachio butter a try and I've really enjoyed it. The butter tends to be best when it's not salted, and it also makes for a great combination with other spreads (particularly anything with chocolate). A point here for sure.

In Chocolate:

I think the paragraph above says it all. Dubai chocolate bars have really brought the pistachio to the forefront candy bars. I will admit however that most chocolate I've tasted with whole or pistachio pieces hasn't been amazing. I think the key is to really load your chocolate up with the stuff, and maybe in a concentrated form (pistachio butter). A point here for sure.

In Sugar Candy:

Much like the cashew, I can't think of any time that I've tried pistachios with sugar candy. I think I might have had a pistachio flavoured candy, but that fits into the same category as pistachio ice cream, something I'm not a huge fan of. No points here.

In Other Cooking:

I think pistachios work okay as a coating on meat, in particular chicken. I'm also sure it might work in some sauces, but I can't really think of any sauces that I've had recently that have obvious pistachios in it. While it might work, I don't think I can give them a point for cooking right now.

Total Pistachio Points : 4

Last one today, the macadamia nut.

On their own:

The macadamia nut is a tough one to rank. It's probably the nut that I've eaten the fewest of, but it's not because I don't like it. Flavour and texture wise it's fine, but it's very rich in flavour and very expensive price wise. The texture of the macadamia nut is a little weird in that it's both soft and hard at the same time. The flavour is distinct, but I don't like it enough to pay the extreme cost every time. I'll give it a point, but not two.

Nut Butter:

I can't say that I've ever tried a macadamia nut butter before. While it might be tasty, I would imagine that it would be super rich and would make a nut butter and jam sandwich feel like a super heavy meal. I might change my mind, but for now no points.

In Chocolate:

This might be one of the best ways to eat a macadamia nut, but mostly because it's a way to enjoy the flavour and not eat too many. I've had some nice macadamia nuts in fine chocolate and I think that's how it works best. Definitely a point here.

In Sugar Candy:

At this point I'm not sure why I put this category as I can't once again think of a single great use of macadamia in a sugar candy. Zero points.

In Other Cooking:

This will probably be the most controversial of all of my scores, but there are several ways that macadamia nuts work really well in cooking. Adding them a stuffing is good, but adding them to cookies is amazing. This nut ranks as one of my favourite nuts to ad to cookies, so for this reason alone I'm going to give it one point.

Total Macadamia Points : 3

Candy Experiment - Skittles VS Skittles Flavoured Gelatin Dessert

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Stewart) — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 15:00:00 +0000

With only one flavour available of this Original Skittles flavoured gelatin dessert, but 5 (or maybe 6) flavours available in the Original Skittles, it got me thinking. What flavour is the "Jello" like treat supposed to be?

Blue Orchid!

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Stewart) — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 15:00:00 +0000

Did you know that I'm writing and drawing a comic right now. It's called Blue Orchid and it's an awesome tale of a teenage South East Asian girl that fights lots of cool monsters.

You can pick each and every issue of Blue Orchid right now at bewarethecheese.com/blueorchid/ or on Amazon (just search "blue orchid comics").

What's In A Name

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Stewart) — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 15:00:00 +0000

I've never really given a great deal of thought about the names of treats until I got this bag of gummy candies. For some reason "Frogs Alive" sounded really dark. I think if you put it in the context of "I'm eating Frogs Alive", you might see where I'm coming from. This has made me think about other treat names, and how dark, weird or just wrong they might be. Nerds is a great example of just that, but I'm sure there are more. The problem is that many treat names become common place no matter how weird they actually are. Can you think of any treat or candy names that are just weird?

Find out how I felt about eating Frogs Alive (see what I mean).

10 Second Kitchen - Takoyaki at Pavilion Mall Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Stewart) — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 15:00:00 +0000

Watching #takoyaki balls spin while being heated up at the Pavilion mall in #KualaLumpur, #Malaysia.

Some Of Those Facts About Snacks

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Stewart) — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 15:00:00 +0000

If you've ever wanted to learn more about the snacks you love, but in a fun way, pick up my book Snack Facts. Follow Barbara and Sir Francis Sweetums as they learn everything about your favourite snacks and treats.

You can pick up your own copy of Snack Facts right now at candycritic.org/snackfacts/ or on Amazon (just search "snack facts chris stewart")

Copycats

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Stewart) — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 15:00:00 +0000

One of my fears when I write reviews is that one day a candy company might get mad at me. I often think about this when I'm reviewing candies that are extremely similar to other popular candies. I will often refer to them as "copycats", but I also often explain that I could be wrong about the fact that they've copied another company. For the most part I'm pretty sure that many candy companies copy other candy companies, but I don't know for sure. If you ever notice that I've called a candy a copycat, and you have proof that it's not, let me know and I'll happily change my reviews.

Check out the latest version of what I think might be a copycat candy.

Mammi Tasting

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Stewart) — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 15:00:00 +0000

Finnish rye pudding, or Mammi is a tradition Easter dessert in Finland. I’m not really sure how to describe it without sounding insulting. The thing you have to know is that it’s not that bad. The problem is that it looks pretty bad and the ingredient list isn’t something that sounds very appealing. It’s primarily rye flour, syrup, spices and dried Seville orange zest. It doesn’t appear to be baked at all, but is instead a very dark brown blob of goo, almost like eating a bitter cake batter. Again, while this is an accurate description, it’s not really a representation of how it tastes.

From what I can tell, from the internet as well as the selection of Mammi I was given, it’s most common to have Mammi with custard or something sweet and creamy. Of the three that we (Allison, myself and two Finnish friends) tasted, two of them came with some kind of sweet cream, one of them was on its own. while I appreciated tasting it on its own, it’s not something I would do again or recommend. However tasting it on it’s own gives me the opportunity to tell you how Mammi tastes without anything added.

The flavour of Mammi is fairly bitter, almost licorice like. I might have been projecting as most of the time anyone Finnish seems to offer me something it has licorice. However in this case I think the astringent flavour came from the Seville orange zest. For those unaware, Seville oranges are super bitter and most often used to make jam, when mixed with lots of sugar. Mammi on its own however doesn’t seem like there’s much or any sugar added. The texture is actually much better than you might think. It’s a little gritty, but actually kind of smooth. There’s also an aftertaste of the rye, so at least the gritty texture makes sense.

As for the toppings, apparently the tradition is to simply add a vanilla custard. One of the Mammis we had was just that, and it was by far the best one. The vanilla custard sweetens and smooths out the astringent flavour of the Seville orange a bit, but not so much as you still can’t taste it. It’s not like this custard covers everything up, instead it just makes it a bit more palatable.

The other Mammi we had was a little less conventional, in panna cotta form. I would say that this was far less successful than the classic vanilla cream, but I appreciated that the Finnish dessert manufacturers were willing to play with their classic Easter dessert a bit. I’ve been told there are a few other methods/versions of Mammi out there as well.

I would suggest that you try Mammi if you have the means. I’m pretty sure it’s an acquired taste and works much better if you grow up with it, but it was at the very least very unique and interesting.

Quick List of the Best Marshmallow Treats

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Stewart) — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 15:30:00 +0000

A quick list of the best #marshmallow treats I've ever #reviewed on candycritic.org. It's a bit of an accomplishment since I'm not a huge fan of most marshmallows.

Some Treats and Their Beasts?

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Stewart) — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 15:00:00 +0000

If you love beasts and you love treats, then check out my awesome alphabet book called Treats And Beasts, the perfect book for anyone, even if you already know your alphabet.

You can pick up your very own copy of Treats and Beast right now at https://bewarethecheese.com/treatsnbeasts/ or on Amazon (just search "treats and beasts chris stewart").

Candy and Dessert

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Stewart) — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 15:00:00 +0000

Is there a difference between a candy and a dessert? Can you eat a candy for dessert and can you eat a dessert when you would normally be eating candy? This week's review features a candy that's supposed to taste like a dessert, and that's not uncommon. There was a time in history when people didn't eat candy, and only ate dessert. It's a weird thing to think about, but I guess I'm a weird person.

Check out my latest candy/dessert hybrid candy (or dessert) review.

Junk Fud on the Road - Tunisia

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Stewart) — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 15:30:00 +0000

Allison and Chris talk about their latest adventure (and it's kind of long term) in Tunisia. Check back later as there might even be a second part where they explore the many deserts in the dessert portions of the country.

Check Out Blue Orchid

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Stewart) — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 15:00:00 +0000

Did you know that I'm writing and drawing a comic right now. It's called Blue Orchid and it's an awesome tale of a teenage South East Asian girl that fights lots of cool monsters.

You can pick each and every issue of Blue Orchid right now at bewarethecheese.com/blueorchid/ or on Amazon (just search "blue orchid comics").

Chicken Skin Paradox

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Stewart) — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 15:00:00 +0000

I have an odd paradox when it comes to eating chicken skin. I know a lot of people out there find that the skin of the chicken they eat is the best part. Honestly, when I eat chicken I'm known to peel the skin off an leave it to the side. When I go out for chicken I often get chicken sandwiches. The paradox however is that I'm actually a big fan of deep fried chicken skin, a treat I was introduced to while I was living in Yangon. So it's totally possible that I could go to a chicken place, peel the chicken skin off my chicken, then dip into a bowl of deep fried chicken skin. It's weird, I know.

Check out my latest chicken skin themed snack review.

Is Baristella Rocher Better Than Nutella?

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Stewart) — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 15:00:00 +0000

One of the benefits of having a life that involves a great deal of travel and moving around the world is that you get to experience foods that might be similar to what you already know, but with a local twist. This has actually allowed me to sample many interesting treats, like several different version of the milk chocolate Kit Kat, as well as some variations on KFC. If you look back on this blog you'll also find that there has been a series of posts where I compare different spreads to Nutella. In fact you're reading one right now.

My point is there are many different version of hazelnut spread out there. While Nutella is the name most people associate with this type of spread, it's not the only one. What I've learned while writing this series of posts is that there are many brands of hazelnut spread that are trying to do the same thing as Nutella, a simple chocolate and hazelnut spread. There are however many brands that are trying to do something different, pushing the boundaries of what a chocolate and hazelnut spread could be. This Baristella Rocher is exactly that kind of spread.

The interesting thing about this particular attempt, is it's not really original in its concept. Rocher chocolates are really just chocolate with crunchy bits (often rice crisps and sometimes nuts), filled with a hazelnut spread/cream. It's all flavours and textures we know work really well. So why is this the first time I've tasted a spread that's trying to copy that amazing, classic treat. You would have thought there would be hundreds of this variation out there, but nope, there is not.

Most importantly you'd think Nutella would have come up with something like this. Particularly since the brand that makes Nutella also makes Ferrero Rocher, probably the most popular rocher in the world. It actually made me think on this subject a little more, most notably, why is there not 100 different variations of Nutella out there? Is this choice because they wanted to keep their brand pure, or do they just not want to invest in research and development?

The main reason I ask this of the folks at Nutella is that while this Baristella Rocher is a creative idea, I'm not really a huge fan. There's something about the flavour of the chocolate that I just don't love. It could be the quality of the cocoa or the flavour of the hazelnuts, but something is a little off. The crunchy rice crisps are nice, but a few crunchy bits of hazelnut as well would have made this a lot better. As it stands it's a great idea with a slightly below average execution.

In Hindsight - Eatmore

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Stewart) — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 15:00:00 +0000

This is a very polarizing candy bar, but I'm wondering if I'll like it more the older I get.

Get Them Snack Facts!

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Stewart) — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 15:00:00 +0000

You can pick up your own copy of Snack Facts right now at candycritic.org/snackfacts/ or on Amazon (just search "snack facts chris stewart")

Simple Flavours

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Stewart) — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 15:00:00 +0000

When was the last time a simple, common flavour was trendy. I'm probably to blame for this as much as anyone else, but it seems like the only trending flavours for treats and candy are flavours that are unique and very often weird. No one is singing the praises of strawberry, vanilla, orange, grape or many of the other basic flavours anymore. I'm not saying it's a bad thing necessarily, it's just interesting. I guess I'm wondering if "boring" flavours will ever be trendy again.

Check out my latest simple/common flavoured lollipop review.

10 Second Kitchen - Pomelo Street Vendor Downtown Yangon

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Stewart) — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 15:00:00 +0000

Watching a woman carefully peel the last bit of bitter peel off of a Pomelo in downtown Yangon, Myanmar.

Treats and Beasts My Friend

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Stewart) — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 15:00:00 +0000

If you love beasts and you love treats, then check out my awesome alphabet book called Treats And Beasts, the perfect book for anyone, even if you already know your alphabet.

You can pick up your very own copy of Treats and Beast right now at bewarethecheese.com/treatsnbeasts/ or on Amazon (just search "treats and beasts chris stewart").

Not A Fan Of Marshmallows

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Stewart) — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 15:00:00 +0000

There are a few categories of treats that I'm not a huge fan, black licorice, spicy treats and marshmallows are probably at the top of my list. With licorice and even spicy treats I've been trying to ease my way into tolerating them. I've sampled more and more licorice and spicy treats in order to attempt to grow to like them. With marshmallows on the other hand I've decided to try and seek out marshmallows that I like. So instead of eating more marshmallows to gain an appreciation, I'm trying to find out if anyone makes an already great marshmallow. I guess I feel like there's hope out there.

Check out my latest gummy review, that kind of crosses the line into marshmallow territory.

Is Vanoise (white and milk chocolate) Better Than Nutella?

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Stewart) — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 15:30:00 +0000

This is a special edition of Better Than Nutella because we're looking at two spreads instead of one. Normally I would split these two spreads up, but I feel like it's important to actually compare these two spreads instead of looking at them independently. Both are made by the same company and even have the same name Vanoise. The difference however is in the chocolate.

If I was to look at the Ma Creme A Tartiner (milk chocolate) Vanoise spread, I would describe it as average to below average. The chocolate flavour is there, but it's kind of weak. The hazelnut flavour is just weird, it almost tastes like a chemical version of hazelnuts instead of the real thing. I'm not saying that they faked the hazelnuts, I'm just saying that something in this mixture made it taste really fake and strange.

Honestly I wasn't a big fan of this stuff, and I probably wouldn't get it again. This spread alone would be a very short edition of Better Than Nutella because it's just not great and nothing really that special. If it wasn't for the companion version of this spread that's so different this article would be over.

I've tasted a few spreads out there in the world including cookies and cream, regular cream and most of all milk chocolate. I can't say however that I've ever tried a hazelnut spread with milk chocolate like this Vanoise Ma Creme Noisette White (strange how they use one English word in the name). I've been doing this series comparing various spreads to Nutella for a few years now so maybe I've forgotten, but I'm frankly surprised that this white chocolate variation doesn't come up more often.

More importantly, it works, and in this case works really well. I can't figure out why, but the hazelnut flavour of this version of the Vanoise spread doesn't have that chemical like flavour that the milk chocolate version does. It tastes of real hazelnuts and it works so very well with the white chocolate. It's a nice blend of smooth milk chocolate and toasted hazelnuts. A good hazelnut will often have a nice toasted flavour, and while milk chocolate certainly doesn't smooth that out, white chocolate seems to smooth it out in a different and also pleasant way. I'm not sure if this white chocolate spread is better than Nutella, but it's truly something different and well worth giving a try.

In fact, I feel like the folks at Nutella should maybe think about making some variant versions of their spread too. I've tried a few spreads with additions that are obvious and work really well. This white chocolate version is a great example of a version of a hazelnut spread that I'm surprised I haven't seen more often, particularly from the folks at Nutella.

Quick List - The Most Disturbing Candy Package Characters

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Stewart) — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 15:00:00 +0000

A quick list of the most disturbing #characters depicted on candy packages out of the all the treats I've reviewed on candycritic.org.

Blue Orchid!

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Stewart) — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 15:00:00 +0000

Did you know that I'm writing and drawing a comic right now. It's called Blue Orchid and it's an awesome tale of a teenage South East Asian girl that fights lots of cool monsters.

You can pick each and every issue of Blue Orchid right now at bewarethecheese.com/blueorchid/ or on Amazon (just search "blue orchid comics")

Underrated?

noreply@blogger.com (Chris Stewart) — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 15:00:00 +0000

I mentioned this several times in my latest candy review, but I just wanted to say it again, black current is probably one of the most underrated candy flavours in the world. I don't think I've ever had a bad black current candy, and yet it's not a common flavour in the candy world. There are a few countries and candy makers that use it, but I feel like it should be a standard. I also want to see it used with other sweet treats, like cola, slushies and maybe even cakes.

Check out my latest black current candy review, and spread the word.