German candy review

Hershey’s chocolate, as well as other traditional candies like Reese’s and M&M’s, stand out as American favorites. Whether is is the textures or diverse ranges that American candies offer, many are attracted to the hundreds of flavors round on store shelves nationwide. Regardless, until you’ve tried a Lindt Frohes fest fein alpenmilch or Fritt, you don’t know what you’re missing!

Thanks to Jule Hattig, a previous Milford student and exchange student from Germany, I had the opportunity to taste test and share my thoughts on a dozen German candies, ranked from best to worst.

#1: Lindt Frohes fest fein alpenmilch

I rated this candy at 15/10, because although it is technically just milk chocolate, it is by far the best I have ever had. The German Lindt chocolate is significantly better than the American version, as it is very rich, flavorful, not overly sweet, and melts easily in one’s mouth. The version I tried came in the form of mini hollow Santas wrapped in adorable foil, which further improved the experience overall. Opening this candy brought on the same treasured memory of walking into a chocolate store as a child.

#2: Milka tuc 

Again, this candy is simple in nature, but the concept is revolutionary. Many know the wonderful taste of combining graham crackers and chocolate, but let me introduce you to a similar idea: saltine crackers surrounded by delectable milk chocolate. That is exactly what this candy is, and the sweet and savory mix wonderfully to create an addicting snack. I rated this one as 10/10 and I hope to find an American version of this soon. 

#3: Fritt (smart raspberry)

The best way for me to describe this treat would be to compare it to a thin, more pliable Laffy Taffy. It comes in a diverse range of flavors, but as an artificial raspberry flavor fanatic, I knew I had to try this one. The smell is quite impactful as soon as you open it, flooding your senses for the amazing taste to come. It isn’t sticky or overly chewy; the flavor is sweet without being overbearing, and it has folds in it to make the treat more compact, like a Fruit Roll-Up–I rated this treat as 9.5/10.

#4: Ferrero duplo schmeckt knusperleicht 

This candy most closely resembles the American Kit Kat, except it is shaped and patterned like a cut log, and the chocolate smells exactly like Mars chocolate. The flavor incorporates a hint of hazelnut tones, adding a twist to the traditional smooth milk chocolate flavor. There is a higher chocolate to wafer ratio than a Kit Kat, and the wafer itself is crunchier–I score this treat as 8.99/10.

#5: Ahoj-Brause brause-pulver 

This candy is probably one of the strangest on the list; the package I received came in four different flavors (lemon, orange, raspberry, and waldmeister, or woodruff) but as expected, the raspberry was my favorite. All were flavorful and packed a punch, as they were very tart. I felt that this candy was notably a hybrid between Pop Rocks and Fun Dip, in that it bubbled without popping and could be eaten with a sugar stick or by dipping one’s finger into the pouch; conversely, it can also be mixed in with water to make a sweet, less bitter beverage. I thought the uniqueness of this sweet made it deserve a score of 8.3/10.

#6: Storck Riesen karamell 

The caramels were very small cubes that came in sleeves, similar to Lifesaver mints, and offered a surprise flavor mixed with the caramel itself: coconut ! Though personally I do not usually like surprises or coconut flavors, I thought it worked well in the case of this specific treat and is my new favorite candy to take on the go. These are quite sticky and take awhile to chew, but they are enjoyable nonetheless and deserve to be rated 8/10.

#7: Ritter sport nugat

Nougat mixed with chocolate is not a new concept, but this candy is by far one of my favorites of its kind. The chocolate breaks easily without melting too much in one’s hand, and it is rich, so it isn’t one of those treats that you can eat a ton of at once. The nougat blends in with the chocolate in the middle and provides balance with a slight nutty flavor. Overall I rated it as 8/10.

#8: (German) Orange Tic Tacs 

I debated even including this one on the list because of how similar it is to the American version. The orange zestiness was subtle and pleasant, but was not tangy or overpowering like some citrus flavors can be. I am not a huge fan of orange-flavored things most times, but these Tic Tacs were simplistic and fruity rather than being too sugary, or conversely, too bitter.

#9: Katjies Wunderland Sauer gummies

Before reading the rest of these candy reviews, it’s important to note that I prefer chocolate over other types of candy. That being said, German chewy candies overall are less sweet than American ones and are drier (less gummy-like). These sour gummies were quite hit or miss, depending on the flavor, as I liked all but the yellow (lemon) one, but wasn’t thrilled with any of them to the point of wanting to eat more than one or two in a sitting. Similarly to Sour Patch Kids, they were coated in a bittersweet sugar and were chewy without being sticky–I scored these as 6.5/10.

#10: Milka Kuhflecken cow spots chocolate

Despite the fact that this chocolate bar was from the same brand as the saltine cracker one described above, I was disappointed by the sharp contrast of uncomplimentary white and milk chocolate mixed in this treat. I usually enjoy white chocolate in the desserts I eat, however, I did not in this case; it was not nearly as marshmallow-like as American white chocolate, and thus blended strangely with the already less sweet milk chocolate. For these reasons I rated this as 5.8/10.

#11: Hitschler Hitschies fruchtiges kaubonbon original mix

I have never eaten Good and Plenty’s myself, but I was told that this candy is comparable to those, and I now understand why the American version of this is not a popular treat among youth. The flavors were very hit or miss and the white taffy interior was off putting; it took forever to chew and the flavor changed dramatically once the thin exterior of sweet fruitiness disappeared. My favorite of the five flavors was the green apple one, as it tasted exactly like green apple Jolly Rancher Chews. I scored this as 5/10 because though I would not eat most of the flavors, I found myself sorting through the bag to exclusively snack on the green ones.

#12: Katjies Colalife gummies

Before I say anything else about these gummies, it must be noted that I do not like Coca Cola candies 90% of the time, so I did not have high hopes for this one. Nonetheless, I gave it a shot, and was pleasantly surprised by how accurate the soda’s flavor was to the actual drink! The gummy itself was odd in that it more closely resembled a fruit snack, and the flavor of the pop was more prominent on the dark brown side of the bottle-shaped candy than the other side. For these reasons, I rated the last treat on our list as 4/10.