December Journal 2023 + Kaffre talks Candy #79
Hello again loyal journal-readers!

Despite being a pretty good boy this year, Kaffre didn't really get much from Santa Claws this year - I got myself an otter plush and selection of biscuits, but otherwise my gifts were all practical, but unexciting - socks, winter gear, etc. Kaffre, for his part, is still without a pet, but will hopefully be mollified by the new additions to his plush collection for a few more years until he is old enough to be responsible for another creature.

Christmas Day was busy as I wound up going to not one, but two Christmas dinners on maternal and paternal sides of the family, but it was enjoyable even if exhausting. I managed to get most of my Christmas shopping done early - my nephews and sister got plushies too (narwhal, rhino, and fennec respectively) so things weren't nearly as hectic as usual either giving me time to catch up on some reading and watch a bit of anime so that was nice.

Hmm I guess that's about it for now, thanks for reading, everyfur! *hugs* And now without further ado, I proudly present - Kaffre talks Candy #79

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Kaffre talks Candy #79

Name: Aero (Intense Orange), Share Bar
Manufacturer: Nestle
Size: 90 gram bar
Where Purchased: British Isles Shoppe
Description: Resembles a larger version of the standard Aero (segments form 4x8 grid rather that 2x5).
Opinion: An orange-flavoured Aero apparently distinct from that way back in KtC#19! As is typical of British chocolate, this is a bit sweeter than we normally see in North America. As per usualy with flavoured chocolate, your opinion of the product will by necessity be coloured by your feelings about the flavour used in this case, I found the orange flavour to be fairly mild so if might be a good choice for people who aren't sure how they feel about orange chocolate. Overall, I am a fan of both Aero and orange flavoured chcolate so I did enjoy this bar and would purchase it again that being said, there are both orange-flavoured chocolate and Aeros I like better so I'm not sure how often I'd go for it...

Name: Kurkure (Masala Munch)
Manufacturer: Frito-Lay
Size: 115 gram bag
Where Purchased: Food Basics
Description: Consists of extruded chickpea/corn/rice meal pieces formed in irregular, but vaguely cylindrical pieces and dusted with an orange-brown seasoning.
Opinion: An popular Indian snack produced under license in Canada which I grabbed on a whim. These are a bit denser than similar snacks like cheese puffs or corn twists and have a very pleasantly crunchy texture to them as well. The flavour is complex and apparently derived from tomato, garlic, chili, and mustard, but also somwhat generic and just a bit spicier than is ideal for me, but not enough to detract from my enjoyment as I can simply eat them slowly. Overall, I liked this item and would consider purchasing them again.

Name: Lion Licorice Gums
Manufacturer: Tangerine Confectionery Limited
Size: 150 gram bag
Where Purchased: British Isles Shoppe
Description: Consists of dense rectangular gummies with diagonal grooves on the 'top'.
Opinion: An item I'd not seen previously and decided to snap up. The candies have a mild, but pleasant licorice flavour that I found very reminiscent of pontefract cakes (including the characteristic aftertaste). These have a firmer bite, however which makes them more appealing to me personally. Overall, I liked these candies and would probably buy them again as while not my favourite licorice, they are interesting.

Name: Teaberry Gum
Manufacturer: Gerrit J Verburg Co.
Size: 12.5 gram pack
Where Purchased: Dollar Tree
Description: Consists of 5 sticks of pink chewing them that are individually wrapped.
Opinion: An interesting-looking product, I decided to sample. Apparently, 'teaberry' is a synonym for wintergreen and this gum has the same mild vaguely minty flavour that one would expect from the latter name. The pack I got was a tad brittle, but still tasted quite nice though it took me a while to pinpoint the familiar, but elusive flavour. Overall, I did like this product and would consider buying it again, but it's really not as 'interesting' as I thought it might be - not fair to punish the gum for that, of course, but the point is there are plenty of wintergreen flavour gums out there to try instead...

Name: Terry's Chocolate Orange (White Chocolate)
Manufacturer: Mondelez (Chocolate Works)
Size: 147 gram sphere
Where Purchased: Shopper's Drug Mart
Description: Consists of 20 wedge-shaped segments of orange-flavoured white chocolate that have been arranged radially around a central point and fused together.
Opinion: A variation on the classic holiday orange that I hadn't seen before and decided to snap up. This product delivered a smooth orange flavour that works suprisingly well even in the absence of chocolate flavour- I did think this was a bit sweeter tasting that the 'Original' oranges (possibly due to lacking the inherent bitterness of chocolate), but it wasn't very noticeable as the orange flavouring typically overpowers everything else though in these products. Overall, I liked this item and would definitely purchase it again, but at the same time it doesn't really distinguish itself and I'd just as soon grab one of the other oranges next year.