When Hershey’s Chocolate decided to redesign the blueprint for their classic chocolate bars in 2013, it meant creating a recipe explicitly for the discerning Canadian palate. Unlike their American counterparts, the bars are sweeter, smoother, higher in fat content, and have a creamier flavour profile designed specifically for Canadians.
“Americans tend to gravitate towards a little bit more of a grittier or even cheesier flavour,” Hershey’s representative Gina Shroy explained to the National Post.
In 2009, Food Network writer Catherine Jheon hosted a blind (although far from scientific or unbiased) taste test comparing Canadian to American chocolate bars. What she found, by and large, is that her colleagues preferred the Canadian versions, finding the American bars “chalky” and “bland.”
Finding out that American chocolate bars use a different recipe will come as no surprise to Canadians who have purchased their favourite sweet south of the border, only to discover a coarser and waxier texture. But not only do Canadians have their own Canadian-ized versions of chocolate bars found throughout North America, we also have treats that are all our own.
Here are just a few of the chocolate bars that you’ll only find in Canada:
Caramilk
It turns out that the secret to these caramel-filled goodies is that you can only buy them in Canada.
Crunchie
Sometimes, the simplest things are the sweetest. And this bar is just that—nothing more than honeycomb toffee coated in chocolate. Clearly, Canadians know what’s up.
Coffee Crisp
While many of the other bars on this list can also be found in the United Kingdom and Australia, Coffee Crisps are unique to Canada—much to the chagrin of Canadian expats.
Wunderbar
Proving that Canadian chocolate is superior, International Business Times reporter Daniel Tovrov described this Canadian creation as “the single greatest candy bar ever created.”
Crispy Crunch
Although the Crispy Crunch—a hard peanut flaky covered in chocolate—was distributed in the US for a short period of time in the ‘90s, it’s now only available in Canada.
Aero
Can you taste the bubbles? Well, it turns out that if you’re American, you can’t. Although Nestle attempted to launch Aero in the States in the ‘80s, it wasn’t a commercial success.
Maltesers
Originally sold as “energy balls” for weight-conscious women, these chocolate-covered malt balls are a Canadian classic. While a similar product, called Whoppers, exists in the US, apparently the chocolate isn’t as thick. (And really, chocolate it what we’re all about here.)
Mr. Big
Although these massive bars are available in some areas of the United States, they’re common throughout Canada. (We’re guessing that Americans also don’t have access to the Mr. Big ice cream bar flavour!)
Glosette
Glosette raisins are a treat exclusive to Canadians. And while we can’t lay claim to the genius that is covering raisins in chocolate, we can claim rights to making them available at nearly every movie theatre across the country.
Smarties
While not technically a “bar,” these candy-coated chocolates are unique to Canada. Ask for Smarties south of the border and you’ll get something that look suspiciously like Rockets—the cheap sugary candies that usually appear around Halloween. You can never have too many Smarties.
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