Monday, February 26, 2007
mini egg off
We did a little taste comparison of US Mini Eggs (Hershey under license from Cadbury) to Canadian Mini Eggs (Cadbury Chocolate, Toronto) and I found the result surprising.
First the visuals.
The Candian Mini Eggs were darker in color, smaller, were a little pointier and were a smoother egg shape.
The US eggs were larger and lumpier and were more prone to those hairline fractures in the shell.
I expected them to be very much the same, but the difference in flavor were very apparent. The Candian eggs were much better, more chocolate flavor. In fact, after a Canadian egg and US egg tasted more like a creamy sweet thing than chocolate.
I also got some dark chocolate Mini Eggs (Royal Dark) in the US. The shell is darker and has a dusted appearance. The chocoate is smooth on the tongue but I have to admit I was a bit disappointed. When I eat these I mostly taste chocolate chips. There is a little bit of a nice warm finish to the chocolate flavor, but I have to wonder if there are dark chocolate Mini Eggs in Canada, and how much better the chocolate in those might be.
See also the tasting notes for Mini Eggs and Royal Dark Mini Eggs at Candyblog. Next I might have to seek out some Hershey Eggs, which she rates Supreme.
First the visuals.
The Candian Mini Eggs were darker in color, smaller, were a little pointier and were a smoother egg shape.
The US eggs were larger and lumpier and were more prone to those hairline fractures in the shell.
I expected them to be very much the same, but the difference in flavor were very apparent. The Candian eggs were much better, more chocolate flavor. In fact, after a Canadian egg and US egg tasted more like a creamy sweet thing than chocolate.
I also got some dark chocolate Mini Eggs (Royal Dark) in the US. The shell is darker and has a dusted appearance. The chocoate is smooth on the tongue but I have to admit I was a bit disappointed. When I eat these I mostly taste chocolate chips. There is a little bit of a nice warm finish to the chocolate flavor, but I have to wonder if there are dark chocolate Mini Eggs in Canada, and how much better the chocolate in those might be.
See also the tasting notes for Mini Eggs and Royal Dark Mini Eggs at Candyblog. Next I might have to seek out some Hershey Eggs, which she rates Supreme.
categories: food, other holidays
Hi,
I am just letting you know that we do indeed have dark chocolate Mini Eggs in Canada (here in Winnipeg, at least) I have not opened my bag yet, but I could mail you some if you like.
Comment by Melodie Mosset — February 26, 2007 @ 10:50 am
Excellent comparison! I'm hoping to get my hands on some UK Cadbury Mini Eggs soon to do a similar head-to-head.
I think the taste of the American Mini Eggs has shifted over the past couple of years, Hershey is now using PGPR in their chocolate in addition to soy lecithin. (Though not in the Royal Dark eggs.) Did the Canadian ones happen to have PGPR in them?
Comment by cybele — February 26, 2007 @ 10:59 am
Why is it that I never find the dark chocolate versions of anything? I must have those mini eggs! Mini Kit Kat too? Shut up!
Comment by Ryan — February 26, 2007 @ 11:11 am
cybele - No PGRP in the Candian Mini Eggs. They taste more like what I remember Mini Eggs tasting like in the past. It's a shame the US eggs have changed, though if I hadn't tasted them together I don't think I would have noticed any difference.
Comment by megan — February 26, 2007 @ 11:44 am
Hershey Eggs are the best thing since chocolate met egg. I always stock pile a few bags, because they are my favorite candy of all time.
Comment by Sarah — February 26, 2007 @ 12:21 pm
I'm so glad I'm not the only one that noticed the difference. I saw the US eggs at the grocery store and mentioned to my bf that they are my favorite easter candy. Next day surprise! I get a whole case! When I tasted it I noticed a different taste but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. It's so nice to know others have noticed too. I was in BC yesterday but did not think of buying chocolate. Next trip north I will definitely be checking out the Canadian version. I love European chocolates and can not stand american chocolates. Let me know if someone would like to try the US version. I do have a case!
Comment by Jonah — February 26, 2007 @ 12:34 pm
Yo Megan! I have eaten the Hershey's ones for years, and really, I can't even eat the Cadbury ones, since they pale in comparison! Hope you like them.
Comment by Mariko — February 26, 2007 @ 12:34 pm
Hey there! In Canada our Hershey's brand eggs are called Eggies. I wonder if there is a differnce between US Hershey eggs and Canadian Hershey eggs?
Comment by Kim — February 26, 2007 @ 12:49 pm
Mini Eggs are the only candy I look forward to each year!! (with the except of some real Dutch chocolates brought over by a Dutch friend direct from the chocolate shop!!)
Very interesting to know there is something even better than the American version! Wonder if you can get them online.
Comment by Ty — February 26, 2007 @ 1:03 pm
We finished off a bag each of the dark and the milk mini eggs over the last few days. I definitely preferred the dark chocolate to the milk. I always ate the Hershey's eggs until I found the mini eggs. I like the thinner shells on the mini eggs better. My favorite eggs of all time are the Reese's pieces eggs.
Comment by Chelsea — February 26, 2007 @ 1:23 pm
I love mini eggs, I wonder how different our ones are. Would you like some uk mini eggs to test?
Comment by ysolda — February 26, 2007 @ 1:24 pm
My God! Is it that time again? Time for the cadbury chocolate eggs!?! I'm. So. HAPPY!
Comment by Monkee — February 26, 2007 @ 1:57 pm
hooray for canadian mini eggs! i must admit, i have been waiting with anticipation for your chocolate review. :) mediocre chocolate makes me sad ... mini eggs make me happy.
Comment by michelle — February 26, 2007 @ 2:16 pm
Just, just,just HORRIFYING. Again, we Americans are short-changed and our Canadian neighbors have yet another reason to feel superior. Why, oh why would Cadbury tamper with our chocolate? Chocolate! Couldn't they take out their negative feelings for us in a more civilized way?
Comment by Brandon — February 26, 2007 @ 2:31 pm
Just out of pure curiosity: were they both sweetened with sugar? If so, was the amount different?
Comment by Melissa — February 26, 2007 @ 2:51 pm
I agree! Mini eggs (and all cadbury candy) taste much better in Canada!
Unfortunately, I can eat enormous amounts of it in either country, so the US formula doesn't stop me one bit.
Comment by kel — February 26, 2007 @ 3:23 pm
does one have corn syrup and the other just sugar? That one ingrediant can make a world of differece. nice to see the comparison!
Comment by heather — February 26, 2007 @ 3:39 pm
Can you order the canadian ones online? i love these eggs!
Comment by Kristin — February 26, 2007 @ 4:08 pm
Heather and Melissa - both packages list sugar twice in the ingredients (probably chocolate and then shell).
Comment by megan — February 26, 2007 @ 4:42 pm
I love mini eggs and was also disappointed with the dark chocolate variety. Glad I'm not the only one.
Comment by Maura — February 26, 2007 @ 5:19 pm
Taste testing Cadbury eggs. I think you are my new hero :)
Comment by Becky — February 26, 2007 @ 6:12 pm
That's so funny. My hubby is forever looking for Canadian or imported Cadbury's. He's British and insists there's a huge and very important difference! Glad to see others agree and he's not completely loopy :)
Comment by Carrie — February 26, 2007 @ 6:25 pm
My mom got a huge amount of the Hershey eggs one year at an after-easter clearance. She gave me a plastic bag full of them. I put them in the freezer and forgot about them. Months later my husband found them and they were absolutely wonderful. I guess I will have to try to find a bag of them. My favorite though is the Cadbury Cream egg, YUMMY!
Comment by Ann — February 27, 2007 @ 6:16 am
Being from Canada, I must say I prefer the Hershey Eggies to the Cadbury Mini Eggs. But then I prefer Hersey chocolate to Cadbury chocolate in general, probably because there's a Hershey chocolate factory an hour away from where I live. (Except last week Hershey announced they're closing it--boo!) Anyway, the chocolate in the Eggies is smoother and lighter than the Mini Eggs', more delicate and milk chocolate-y. And delicious. I highly recommend them.
Comment by kerri — February 27, 2007 @ 7:20 am
Yum. Now I need to get off my ass and walk to the store for a fix.
~Canadian Mini Egg Addict
Comment by radmama — February 27, 2007 @ 7:26 am
Perhaps it seems that the flavor may have something to do with the fact that American and Canadian dairy companies follow different regulations? Canadian restrictions are greater than the ones the generic American factory-farmed dairy cattle are faced with (no rBGH in Canada as an example). Curious as to whether or not the creme eggs face the same disappointing shame that you Americans claim mini eggs are now boasting? Are you aware of the "popping" mini eggs we Canucks are hoarding? Laced with the shock (of slightly-disappointing, yet still admirable) Pop Rocks? Definitely worth a try. And also, everything simply tastes better in Canada. Except maybe Almond Joy.
Comment by Kerry — February 27, 2007 @ 9:20 am
The taste of the american cadbury eggs are horrible. They are not the ones we ate when we were kids. They have an odd aftertaste.
Comment by Notsocrafty — February 27, 2007 @ 10:15 am
in defense of cad mini-eggs vs. hershey's eggs, candyblog gives them BOTH a highest rating of superb. seems they leave it to one's personal milky/sweet vs. chocolatey preference to make the call.
Comment by willa — February 27, 2007 @ 7:38 pm
It's the Cadbury chocolate that makes them! Cadbury's is a beautiful, delicious, smooth, amazing chocolate. Cadbury anything would kick Hershey's butt everytime!
Comment by Mary Ann — February 27, 2007 @ 9:41 pm
Hi there,
I read somewhere a long time ago that we here in Canada can actually make the claim that we have chocolate bars because they are actually made with chocolate whereas in the USA they legally have to refer to them as candy bars because the mixture isn't the same and can't "really" be classified as chocolate.
They are delicious though aren't they!
Comment by Jen — February 28, 2007 @ 3:14 pm
Hee hee. I started working at the Cadbury chocolate factory in Toronto last October (I give factory tours to school children,) and I must say, they're a lovely employer, and I love telling people about them.
All of Canada's Cadbury chocolate is made here. In the US, Cadbury settled for Hershey making and selling its brands under licence, so, yes, it is different.
Someone else mentioned the milk. Canadian Cadbury milk chocolate uses the milk from Irish cows. British Cadbury milk chocolate uses milk from English Jersey and Gurnsey cows. Dunno what Hershey does.
I think Cadbury chocolate smells much better than Hershey's.
As someone posted above, we do indeed have dark mini eggs in Canada, as well as mini eggs with popping candy. These were just launched in January. Regular mini eggs, we make a sell year round.
Comment by jen — February 28, 2007 @ 3:32 pm
oh, mini egg fun fact: (at least the ones made here in Toronto) Mini eggs are coated in candy using the same process that covers almonds, peanuts and raisins in chocolate, which is called panning. The chocolate eggs go in a large metal drum (the pan) and are slowly rolled around while being misted with candy coating. The eggs here are misted with approximately 60 layers of candy coating over 9 hours.
Comment by jen — February 28, 2007 @ 3:36 pm
um, jen ... if you ever leave your job, i would like it, please! ;)
Comment by michelle — February 28, 2007 @ 5:08 pm
Oh, thank you for the comparison -- I always thought that the mini egg was so much not as good as the ones I got in England. It never crossed my mind that they'd have a different maker and chocolate. Duh. Now I can stop buying them and being disappointed.
Comment by amanda — February 28, 2007 @ 6:00 pm
Generally, Cadbury chocolate is my favourite (except for Galaxy Minstrels from the UK - yummy!! - like huge Smarties with way better flavour - http://www.britsuperstore.com/acatalog/Minstrels_Chocolates.html); however, in egg form, I much prefer Hershey Eggies to Cadbury's mini eggs.
From your pictures, it would appear that the Eggies that we buy here in Canada are from the same batch as the "Cadbury Mini Eggs" that Hershey is selling in the US.
Comment by Kappy Liu — February 28, 2007 @ 7:20 pm
I could send you some UK mini eggs! I live in the UK at the moment.
Comment by pondhopper — March 1, 2007 @ 1:19 am
A friend taught me this trick for Cadbury mini eggs, which I am now trying to perfect with the Hershey's version: put a few chocolate eggs on a paper towel and microwave for 10 seconds. The shells will crack open and the chocolate inside will get slightly gooey. Delicious! For some reason the Hershey eggs aren't as amenable to the microwave. I tried three rounds of 10-second microwaving and still no shell-cracking...
Comment by Yam — March 1, 2007 @ 7:32 pm
Canadian chocolate is typically better than it's American counterpart. The Canadian versions tend to be more milk chocolate in flavor, creamier and smoother. IMO
You should also compare chocolate Smarties to M&M's.
Comment by Suzi — March 5, 2007 @ 8:39 am
This entry just made me very happy. You are so fun!
Comment by Maryam in Marrakech — March 11, 2007 @ 12:33 pm
The reason that american chocolate tastes different is the amound of wax content...seriously. Buy a Hersey bar and scratch it with your fingernail. It looks like flakes of wax because it is. The orig. cadbury in england does not use wax, or uses very little of it. Im not sure what the canadas do. But if Cadbury is using Hersey for their chocolate in the US, Hersey is the most notorious for using the wax. It is so odd that I was having this conversation yesterday with a scotish lady who is a friend of mine and had chocolate shipped over just to prove the difference. Good stuff. It's amazing we think about these things.
Comment by JustPassingby — April 8, 2007 @ 9:26 pm
Hello,
In Toronto we also have the dark chocolate mini eggs. Just letting you know :)
Comment by Ivana Safin — January 29, 2008 @ 4:58 pm