Oh Canada!

When invited to participate in the Taste Canada Foodblogging Roundup by our very own Domestic Goddess, Jennifer, I was delighted. I am a huge fan of Canada and all it has to offer, especially food.

I've spent the week obsessing over what to write about. Do I write about the restaurants I've been to? the markets I have shopped at?

No.

I'll write about what, inevitably, is the first thing I always look for when I head to Canada.

The candy. 

You see, Canada carries very different candies from the ones you find in the States.  I am delighted to go into grocery stores in Montreal to see the cereal boxes in french, tins of escargot and pâté in the deli section but by far, what delights me the most is the candy rack up front by the register. Don't get me wrong... I love the fresh breads, cheeses and wines in Niagra and the beer in Toronto... But when I see those little treasures with shiny wrappers and I'm just (excuse the pun) like a kid in a candy store. What is this one? oooh! that one has white chocolate! Yum... caramel! And on it goes as I pick the perfect combination of candy bars to take home with me.

Some of my favorites are the Aero bar, Smarties, Coffee Crisp, Flake and any of the yummy Cadbury bars (especially the crunchie one!)  I bring home my bounty and choose the ones I will snack on first. There is no gobbling of the candy bars, each piece is savored since there is no telling when I will be back to replenish my supply. Some bars are relegated to the freezer while others are sampled.

I've been lucky enough to meet people (some even mentioned in this post!) who have learned of my candy loving ways and offered to send me boxes and boxes of candy! And boy, does that make a girl's day to get a huge box of candy in the mail!

So, the next time you are in Canada, stop by the grocery store or a newsstand... ponder those chocolate delights and pick one up that you've never tried before... who knows, you might have found yourself a new "Canadian" delight.

ed

Comments

[Estelle]

What I miss the most in the US is Kinder Surprise. It reminds me of my childhood and that is the only reason why I buy it. The chocolate hurts my teeth and then I wonder why I bought it: for the surprise!

[tara]

When I was little, I was jealous of kids in the US because they had Nestlé Crunch bars and we didn't. But that was before I knew that they didn't have aero, or coffe crisp and so many of the lovely Cadbury products! Not to mention the potato chips ...

[cybele]

Flake? What's that? Is it like Australia's Violet Crumble?

I've had the coffee crisp and recently the aero.

I'm trying to get a hold of candies from all over the world. I just got a shipment from Japan of some new sweets. I'm headed to Vancouver in August, so I can stock up on them in person!

[Christine]

Flake is milk chocolate spread really flat and then bunched up into a bar. It's like eating the chocolate curls you see on pastry but ina chocolate bar. It's good but it flakes all over the place (hence the name I guess!)

I think Crunchies are more like Violet Crumbles.

I miss being a kid and eating all the candy.

[Jennifer]

Stella! You made me crave chocolate...thanks! Maybe we should try another trade sometime this summer - I'd say ice cream...but candy might fare better...?!?

[cybele]

Thanks for the tip on the Flake bar, Christine. I found it over the weekend at Cost Plus (along with a sale on Haribo bears, yum). It definitely looks good, kind of the same idea as the Aero, a fluffed chocolate.

[Rachel Elias]

I can't believe nobody has mentioned nibs!!! as a girl growing up in toronto it was and is my favourite candy. I mean, twizzlers nibs are okay but they're no canadian nibs. if anyone knows where to find them in nyc please tell me!!!

[Stephen P]

So, it looks like I am not the only one that is a fan of Canadian candy bars.
Last year, I went to my high school reunion in Calgary and the first thing I did was to go to the store and get reaquainted with the candy bars I missed 30 years ago.
I was disapointed that a lot was no longer being made. But there was a few, such as Cherry Bomb, Coffee Crisp, Aero, etc. But I missed my favorites called Treasures. It was a bar that had segments with different fillings contected together. One had a bordeaux creme that was the best. In fact there was one that was a dark chocolate with the same bordeaux creme filling, but I forget the name of it. The wrapper was brown and yellow.
Ironicaly, the next day I got back to the States, I found Coffee Crisp at the Gas Station where I normally get gas. What a surprise that was.