Variety Hour- with Tirol!

Tirol Chocolates 

I've reviewed a lot of Japanese candies over the years, but they've mainly been fruit based and more often than not, they're gummies. (My favorite kind of candy.) Japanese chocolate is an area I haven't really explored, and from what I can tell it's quite different than what we have in America. 

I've seen Japanese candy bars, like Meiji or Crunky, but it doesn't seem like they have the wide variety that we have here. Just off the top of my head we have Snickers, Milkyway, 3Musketeers, Skor, Crunch, Heath, 100 Grand, Charleston Chew, BabyRuth...the list goes on and on. From what I can tell, that is not the case overseas. They may not have all that, but they do have Tirol.

Cookies & Cream Pocky vs. White Cookie Pepero

Cookies & Cream Pocky vs. White Cookie Pepero

It's a battle of the brands! Korea's favorite, Pepero, versus Glico's Taiwanese Pocky! (This box came from Taiwan, not Japan, so it could differ slightly from the typical Japanese Pocky, so I wanted to be sure I pointed that out before we got started.)

Not only is this a handy way to get through two products from my stash at the same time, but it'll be interesting to see the difference between these two popular chocolate-coated snacks sticks. They look similar, and they're the same flavor, but trust me, they're very different. Which brand shall be victorious?

I'll be comparing them in three rounds, packaging, taste, and value for your money. Best out of three, wins!

Otona No Miruku Pocky - Asian Food Market: Cherry Hill, NJ

Otona No Miruku Pocky - Asian Food Market: Cherry Hill, NJ

The box clearly shows that this chocolate Pocky has something to do with milk, but I am not entirely sure what this flavor is and how milk comes into play. I assumed this was milk chocolate flavored because the label on the back of the packaging says " Otona Milk Choco," but I looked this box up online and I found two different explanations. One link claims that this is "adult milk" flavored Pocky, which is only mildly horrifying, and another says that this is "rich milk pie" flavored. Now, neither option sounds all that appealing, what is a milk pie anyway? And what exactly makes milk "adult?" Welp, there's no going back now. I guess we'll find out when I open the box.

Intense Caramel Apple Milk - Wegman's: Cherry Hill, NJ

Intense Caramel Apple Milk - Wegman's: Cherry Hill, NJ

What is with the sudden influx of caramel apple flavored foods? Usually fall foodie items are all about pumpkin and pumpkin spice, but this year there seems to be a caramel-apple counterpart for almost every pumpkin item. We have Caramel Apple Oreos (Review coming soon), caramel apple chewing gum, and now we even have caramel apple flavored milk.

Back in 2012 I reviewed Intense's pumpkin spice milk, which is like a yummy hybrid of eggnog and pumpkin pie, and while it was enjoyable it was also, well..., intense! This stuff is really thick and really sweet. This is NOT a health food item. (Don't let the "milk" part fool you.) The pumpkin spice version was practically a pumpkin pie milkshake, so how will this caramel apple version compare?

Organic Milk -VS- Grocery Store Milk

Trickling Springs Organic Milk - Whole Foods: Mt Laurel, NJ

Whoa! Black background is black. As you can see, I finally had to switch my white background out for a black one. (Or else none of you could see this product.) The black creates a bold and graphic look, which I like, but I also feel like it makes the food look dark and gloomy. I think I'll stick with the white background and use the black when I have to.

This post is a little bit different than my typical reviews. Normally I find items I have never had before, taste them, and review their packaging. Well, I think most of you know what this is, it's just a bottle of cow's milk. I have been drinking cow's milk since I was a toddler, so this is nothing new, but it is a bit different than what I'm used to.  

I usually buy the big, generic, plastic jug of milk from the grocery store, but what we have here is a beautiful glass bottle filled with organic milk from grass fed cows. The milk I traditionally buy at the grocery store doesn't boast that it's organic or grassfed, and I very much doubt it is, so I was wondering if this would really taste any different.

Time for a milk-based experiment. 

Does organic milk taste any different from grocery store brand milk?

(I'm utterly excited to find out. I'm sorry.)

UHA High Concentrated Milk Candy -Asian Food Market : Cherry Hill, NJ

UHA High Concentrated Milk Candy -Asian Food Market : Cherry Hill, NJ

Today I have some concentrated milk candy to review.

The packaging caught my eye right away because it was so plain. In a sea of bright colors, happy mascots, and pop stars, this pale pink box stood out. The packaging is made of cardboard, and it’s about the same size and shape as a pack of Starbursts. (Just a few inches shorter.) The design is very minimal, and the colors are quirky. The text is navy blue, the box is white, and there are green, pink, and red accents. This design doesn’t wow me, but it did draw my eye on the candy shelf because it looks so different from everything else.