Friday, September 28, 2007

Reviewing Candies

Purpose: I set up this blog for one reason only--to review candies. I find candy-production to be intellectually interesting, a phenomenon worth studying from a perspective of cultural criticism. However, no such high-brow-ed-ness will prevail here.

Source: In order to be systematized to some degree, I've decided to primarily focus my attention on a single candy shop, namely The Candy Shoppe. I've chosen this shop for a few reasons. For one, it is quite good; the selection is enough to keep me going for a while. Moreover, this is a small (two stores) business started right here in Ontario, so I get to support a Canadian business while I'm at it. Almost all, if not all, of the candies reviewed will therefore be available from The Candy Shoppe. Check out the website to see what I shall have to taste-test in the future (including candy bras).

Rating system: I will always write at least two paragraphs on each candy tasted, which it would be advisable to read; but I will also include a basic rating system. The idea is to rate the candies precisely on the bases of their market.
1) Taste. This should not be a surprise. That candies taste good, or even 'unique,' will earn them points in this field.
2) Look. Candies are aimed at children, or perhaps playful adults like me. They have to have an interesting, colourful, or bizarre appearance if they want to attract us.
3) Texture. I doubt there will be problems in this department. This is just in case I encounter some 80s Ninja Turtles novelty candy designed as ooze.
4) Smell. Some candies smell enticing. That will get them extra points.
5) Novelty (/Originality). It might not seem fair to penalize some delicious gummy for not having novelty, but candies really thrive on novelty. This is not bad news for the old fashioned candies, as being a classic (like wax lips, say) earns instant novelty points--there's an odd novelty-pleasure to eating something you think your grandparents were enjoying as children, so long as it's not the same candy they preserved in a sock.
6) Overall. This is not meant to be an average of the above, but rather an assessment of the experience of the given candy as a whole.

That's all for now. The candy reviews will start soon enough.

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