Most Popular Candy Treats Around the World (most of which you’ve probably never heard of)

barkeater Blog, Chocolate Facts

  1. Tim Tams: These chocolate covered treats are a popular brand in Australia and are produced by the company Arnott’s. They consist of two malted biscuits stuck together with a light cream and covered in chocolate. Believe it or not, this dessert was created in 1958 and named after a winning racehorse in the Kentucky Derby the same year. Six years later, in 1964, Tim Tams went on the market and were popularized after being given on major airlines and gaining a fairly large celebrity base. 57 years later, they are some of the most popular snacks in Australia. According to data gathered by the company, over 45 million packets, or 400 million biscuits, are eaten each year by Australians. Interestingly enough, there is a special way to eat these treats, which is called the “Tim Tam Slam.” This consists of the eater biting off the corners of the biscuit and dipping it in a hot drink. With the air pockets inside, you can suck through it like a straw and basically drink out of the Tim Tam. This delicious tradition soaks the cookie in the process like an Oreo in milk, making it more enjoyable to eat! As of 2017, four flavors of Tim Tams can be found in certain locations across America: original, dark chocolate, caramel and dark chocolate mint (which tastes just like a Thin Mint, some say).
  2. Mozartkugel (Mozart Balls): A hard-to-pronounce German dessert that is made up of pistachio, marzipan and nougat, these sphere shaped treats are coated in dark chocolate and wrapped in foil with pictures of Mozart himself. There are other companies that have tried to replicate the Mozartkugel, but legally, there are some differences between them and the original. For example, due to trademark moves in the 1980s by the original candy company creator, Mirabell, they are the only ones allowed to have a completely spherical candy of the same contents. Other companies, like Austrian candy corporation Reber, that replicate this candy have flat bottoms and cannot use the official slogan, “Original Salzburg Mozartkugeln.”
  3. Kinder Surprise: You may have seen this brand in U.S. stores the past couple of years, but never a Kinder Surprise. A popular treat in Britain, Kinder Surprises are egg-shaped milk chocolate confections with a small toy inside. Why aren’t there any Kinder Surprises in the United States? Well, for several reasons: for one, in 1938, Congress passed a set of laws called the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) which prohibits the selling of non-edible items inside of food. Along with multiple safety issues including from the FDA, as recently as 2012, this dessert item is seen as dangerous for children and are therefore illegal to carry across the border for liability reasons. You can still find Kinder products, like pudding in egg-shaped containers, in America, but the toy is separated from the food by the packaging. 
  4. Daim Bar: Sweden candy company Marabou began experimenting in the 1950s with a chocolate/caramel combo similar to an American candy produced by Heath Co. In fact, Marabou attempted to purchase the exact recipe for the bar, but was denied, forcing them to create from scratch. As a result, the Daim Bar was created and quickly gained popularity. The bar has a thin layer of crunchy caramel with little bits of almonds, covered in chocolate and is often described as having a faint “smokey” taste, making it unique on its own. In 1993, the American company Kraft bought the rights to the Daim bar, but it is still produced in Sweden today. 
  5. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups: In case you live outside the U.S. or were even just wondering, Reese’s PB Cups are by far the most popular candy sold in America. Most people have had one, as a package of two can be found in almost any convenience store or vending machine around the country. According to a 2012 data analysis, grossed over $2.6 billion in one year. These best selling peanut butter cups are most popular as milk chocolate, but come in new flavors and special fillings every year. Reese’s, which started as a family business in the 1920s, is now owned by the Hershey Chocolate Company. The peanut butter cups became the top selling candy, only six years after Hershey bought them in 1963, and have stayed that way since, even ranking number one internationally!