Muy, Muy Bueno

Mmm. Candy. Few things make us feel as youthful or as carefree. Kinder Bueno has got to be my favorite candy bar not only because of its incredibly awesome name (although this does play a small part) but mainly because of its absolutely winning flavor/texture combination. I happened upon the Kinder Bueno in Europe a few years ago and fell immediately in love. We were inseparable, the Kinder Bueno and I. I found them everywhere: the subway, the grocery, the hostel vending machine. Life was glorious. Kinder Bueno did not follow me home, however, and I had a difficult time locating them upon my return to the U.S. A year later, in Montreal for the summer, I was overjoyed to discover that our candy-conscious neighbors to the north had recently begun to carry the bars. Since they were a new product they were being marketed like crazy and I would walk into any store and find a table overflowing with the things, and on sale, no less. I was in heaven. I came home from that trip a month later transporting a Costco sized box of them, and they were well worth the precious space they took up in my suitcase. I rationed them out carefully over the following months and I make sure to stock up every time I go back across the border.

And just what is a Kinder Bueno, you might ask. Not German or Spanish, as the name suggests, they are a part of the Kinder line put out by the Italian company Ferrero. The paper thin, crispy wafer casing crunches readily under tooth to give way to a creamy hazelnut filling, and the whole thing is topped with milk chocolate. There is something about this light crunch followed immediately by creaminess that makes me incredibly happy. They come two bars to a package, each bar sectioned into quarters to make for easy bite-sized pieces. Check out this bizarrely great website to get a better idea of what they are like.

Tracking down a Kinder Bueno in the U.S. can be tricky. They are sometimes found in import stores, such as The Continental Store in Seattle’s University District, and Husky deli in West Seattle, but the import prices can be a little steep. If you live close to the border a good option is making a little pilgrimage to Canada, a country that carries all kinds of exciting foreign candy, or to Mexico. They can also be ordered from various online candy retailers. However you manage it, make sure to try this candy bar. It is the best!

Purely Decadent

In the world of non-dairy ice cream there has recently emerged a challenger to Soy Cream’s long held domination over my affections. Turtle Mountain’s Purely Decadent line is proving stiff competition to my heretofore perennial favorite, especially in the form of their Pomegranate Chip. I love fruit and chocolate together and the tart, refreshing flavor of pomegranate puts an unusual spin on this winning combination. The light, sherbet-y texture of the ice cream makes for easy excavation of the giant hunks of rich dark chocolate hiding within it. The chocolate is flaky and crispy and light enough to melt along with the ice cream, leaving a smooth mass to suck deliciously off the tongue. Purely Decadent has an extensive list of flavors and along with the Pomegranate Chip I’ve tried the Chocolate Obsession, which is firmer in texture and laced with ribbons of fudge and chocolate flakes, and the Cherry Nirvana, an overly sweet vanilla ice cream packed with cherries and more chocolate flakes. While I enjoyed both of these the Pomegranate Chip is the real star and keeps me coming back again and again.

While the company is located in Eugene, OR, Turtle Mountain products can be found nationwide.