Review: E. Wedel Polish Chocolate Bars: Karmel Love Wafers & Dark Chocolate with Coconut

The lovely @Banjo_Chocolate recently sent me these two chocolate bars from Polish brand E. Wedel - and as always she's managed to find some delicious treats! Take a look at some of my previous posts courtesy of the Bring Back Banjo Chocolate campaign, from this Chocolate Megapost to even more Polish treats. 

One chocolate bar that you can't find any more in the shops is of course the much missed Banjo Chocolate - if you remember this bar from the 1980's then be sure to take a look at the Bring Back Banjo Chocolate Facebook Page and please sign the petition here. There seems to be a trend for bring back retro snacks and chocolates so let's make it happen for Banjo too!

When I first saw this I thought that I had already reviewed it before, but on closer inspection this Karmel Love with Wafers is different to the salted nuts version I tried previously here.

The Karmelowa Z Wafelkami has the same sweet and creamy caramel flavoured base, but also contains little pieces of wafer throughout, which add a lovely light crunch. This is such a delicious sweet treat, I found myself unable to stop from having just one more piece! I love the super sweet caramel flavour here - it's definitely one for fans of Caramac. RATING: 8 out of 10.

The E. Wedel Gorzka Kokosowa is a dark chocolate bar with a coconut filling. As a fan of anything coconut flavoured this is instantly appealing!

This is another wonderful chocolate bar. The inner filling has a lovely creamy flavour that is combined with dessicated coconut to give it a deliciously natural flavour. The dark chocolate coating here is just amazing; it has such a rich dark flavour that perfectly compliments the sweet and creamy centre within. I just loved everything about this one and I'd recommend it for any coconut fans. RATING: 10 out of 10.

Thank you again to @Banjo_Chocolate, for sending me these chocolate bars. Please don't forget to like the Bring Back Banjo Chocolate Bar Facebook Page and sign the petition here! Thank you :)

Grocery Gems Review: E. Wedel Chocolate Bars

RATING: See end of each individual reviews above.
Buy them again?: Yes - both!
Purchased: Check out your local Polish grocery shops or Tesco Polish section.

Review: Milka Vanilla Cream & Milka Raspberry Cream (Poland)

I've seen these Milka Cream bars around for a long time now and I finally decided to try the Raspberry and Vanilla flavours. I reviewed the interesting Milka Elderberry Cream a few years ago which was surprisingly good.  

The Milka Raspberry Cream is quite a thin looking bar but still manages to have two layers inside of raspberry jam and creamy filling. The raspberry jam layer looked quite runny but it did have an enjoyable, if a bit sweet, raspberry flavour. It's the sort of flavour you would find in a raspberry candy rather than a natural fruity one but I still found it tasty when combined with the creamy layer and sweet milk chocolate. 7 out of 10.

Unfortunately I didn't have as much luck with the Milka Vanilla Cream bar. The bottom vanilla layer had visible flecks of vanilla which looked promising, but the sugary vanilla layer on top is a rather unappetising shade of bright yellow. The flavour was horrible too, with an overpowering and artificial vanilla taste. Even though the chocolate itself was fine, I couldn't eat more than a few bites of this one because of the flavour in the bright yellow layer. 3 out of 10.

Grocery Gems Review: Milka Raspberry Cream and Milka Vanilla Cream

Rating: See individual descriptions above.
Buy again: Yes for the Raspberry Cream.

Purchased: Local grocery shop.
Price: £0.99p each (100g).

A few more East European snacks - Tiramisu Cream Biscuits & Deli Raspberry Chocolate

Some more of the delicious Polish snacks which were recently sent to me by @Banjo_Chocolate. These are all available in the UK, check out your the World Foods section of your favourite supermarket, discount stores, or local grocery shops.

Also it would be great if you could check out the Facebook page for Bring Back Banjo Chocolate here and sign the petition here! All support for @Banjo_Chocolate's campaign is much appreciated, thank you :)

Firstly are the Tago Kardynalki with Tiramisu Cream from Poland. Apologies for the crumbly photo, as these biscuits actually have a very pleasant appearance. The chocolate on top has a distinctive logo and writing that gives it an appealing look. This thick milk chocolate is also simple but tasty, with a smooth flavour. The biscuit on the bottom has a slightly spiced and caramelised edge to it, a bit like a speculoos biscuit, whilst the inner tiramisu layer is creamy and has a mild coffee flavour. These don't have an alcoholic taste at all, but really do have a delicious flavour reminiscent of a tiramisu dessert.

Grocery Gems Verdict: Tago Kardynalki with Tiramisu Cream
RATING: 7.5 out of 10.
Buy them again?: Yes.

The Deli Malinova (Raspberry) is made by Nestle for the Czech Republic and Slovakian markets under the Orion brand. I've tried an Orion bar before, the Banány V Cokolade (see my review HERE), which I did not like at all, so I didn't initially have very high hopes for this Orion Deli. However, I'm pleased to say I was wrong and found the Deli Malinova much more enjoyable.

This is a really unusual bar, it's a bit like a raspberry flavoured milky bar, with a similar type of soft nougat filling, except a bit chewier.The raspberry flavour here is tasty enough, quite candy-like but in a good way. There is a thin layer of caramel at the top of the nougat layer too, but it didn't really add anything in terms of flavour. I simply felt like I was eating a soft raspberry sweet that was covered in chocolate, sounds strange but somehow it worked! The whole bar is quite sweet, but moreish at the same time.

Grocery Gems Verdict: Orion Deli Raspberry
RATING: 7 out of 10.
Buy them again?: I'd try more from the Orion range now!
Nutrition: 154 calories (35g bar).

Thanks again to @Banjo_Chocolate who has introduced me to so many lovely new products and brands!

Blood Orange & Mango Chocolate! Wedel Exotic Duet (Polish)

A massive thank you to the wonderful @Banjo_Chocolate who sent me some truly fabulous chocolates a few weeks back. I've so enjoyed trying everything she sent me, including these Oreo Peanut Butter wafers!. This chocolate bar from Polish chocolate makers, E. Wedel, immediately stood out to me in the package because of the interesting combination of flavours promised - blood orange & mango! It's hard enough to find a decent mango chocolate let alone such an intriguing prospect as this Exotic Duet bar. 

What's even better is that this bar was absolutely delicious - seriously you all need to visit a local Polish grocery store to track this one down. The filling is a fruity cream layer topped with a jam/jelly layer. Most of the flavour came from the jam layer, which has a distinctive blood orange taste but with a tropical twist. The orange is definitely the stronger flavour over the mango but the two still work together to create a very unique experience. I love the fact that these are not overly sweet, unlike a lot of fruit centred chocolates these days (Quality Street ones especially!). In fact I didn't get any kind of throat burning sugary overload from this, even though I ate quite a few pieces in one go! The fruit flavours have enough tanginess to keep them from being too sweet, and the milk chocolate is not overly sugary either - I'm sure this is how all soft centred fruit chocolates used to taste! 

Thank you once again to my fellow snack friend, the lovely @Banjo_Chocolate, for sending me this delicious Wedel chocolate bar. Please take a few seconds to like the Bring Back Banjo Chocolate Bar Facebook page and sign the petition here! All support is greatly appreciated :)

Around The World: Polish Chocolate Bars Round Up

This lovely selection of Polish chocolates bars was sent to me recently by @Banjo_Chocolate, who is extremely knowledgeable about many snacks, past and present. If the name Banjo chocolate sound familiar to you then please take a few seconds to like the Bring Back Banjo Chocolate Bar Facebook page and sign the petition to get Mars to bring the much missed Banjo chocolate bar back in production!

This Limited Edition Szkolny released in September 2013, is made by one of the most well known Polish based chocolate companies, E. Wedel. Apparently the name Szkolny translates as "School" with this chocolate bar being described as an ideal snack for young people. The mix of milk chocolate with peanuts, orange candy bits and crispy pieces is certainly an unusual one.

The combination however, is ultimately very successful. The milk chocolate has a deliciously sweet orange flavour running throughout. This base of chocolate orange is joined by a scattering of orange pieces, which have a soft candy like texture and add lots of extra orange zestiness. There is a lovely crunch from the "crispy pieces", which I'm assuming are rice crispy pieces, they certainly have a similar texture. To finish there are lots of small peanut pieces, which at first don't seem to add much flavour, but they do  add a subtle nuttiness as the chocolate melts. Essentially this is a chocolate orange bar, with a crunchy texture and nutty undertones - delicious! 8 out of 10.

The Pierrot, also made by E.Wedel, is a real Polish classic. It's a simple combination of milk chocolate with a peanut praline and peanut pieces filling.

The milk chocolate (minimum 31% cocoa) has a sweet edge which works well with the peanut flavours within. The peanut itself is very well defined in terms of taste and is not just a vaguely nutty flavour. This is definitely a full flavoured peanut praline, and it creates a very moreish chocolate bar. 9 out of 10.

The lovely @Banjo_Chocolate knows that I'm slightly obsessed with coconut, and I couldn't wait to try this Prince Polo XXL, a coconut wafer bar. The reason for the XXL in the name is obviously because, at 52g, this is larger than the usual Prince Polo bars.

I loved the gorgeous light coloured wafer layers within, they look instantly appealing, with their snowy white appearance. The wafers are packed full of creamy coconut flavour, making this the most coconutty wafer I've tried yet! 8.5 out of 10.

Grocery Gems Verdict

RATING: See end of each individual reviews above.
Buy them again?: Yes.
Purchased: Check out your local Polish or East European grocery shops.

Sedita Attack - Hazelnut Wafer bar

Another interesting chocolate wafer find from the fab @Banjo_Chocolate. Similar to the Sedita Lina (reviewed HERE), the Sedita Attack is also a wafer bar from Slovakia and comes in lots of different flavours including this Hazelnut. The yellow and black packaging might look more akin to a warning symbol but I like the commitment to the Attack theme with this bold look.

The wafer layers are lovely and light, with a a good crunchy quality. The chocolate covering and layers have a decent amount of hazelnut aroma and this continues through to the actual flavour. Chocolate and hazelnut is always a winning combination and that is certainly the case here too. An all round great snack for wafer fans.

Thank you so much to @Banjo_Chocolate, for sending me this Sedita Attack. Please like the Bring Back Banjo Chocolate Bar Facebook page to get Mars to bring the Banjo back in production!

Grocery Gems Verdict: Sedita Attack - Hazelnut

RATING: 7.5 out of 10.
Buy them again?: I'll definitely try to find some of their other flavours.
Purchased: Check out your local Polish or East European grocery shops.

Polish Chocolate Bars: Jezyki Kokos & More!

A whole selection of Polish goodies for you today courtesy of @Banjo_Chocolate. There are two chocolate bars made by Goplana, the Jezyki Kokos and Grzeski, and also some miniature chocolates by E. Wedel.

Starting off with the Jezyki Kokos, which is a fabulous biscuit, caramel and coconut combination - exactly the type of bar that would catch my eye!

This is such a fantastic chocolate bar. It has a layer of biscuit in the centre that is surrounding by a soft caramel, crunchy rice pieces and lots of coconut flavour. The best way I can describe it is as a cross between a Twix and a Boost. The biscuit layer in the Jezyki is softer and crumblier than a Twix but the caramel is very similar. There's a nice added crunch from the rice crispy pieces in the chocolate and caramel and a decent amount of coconut flavour. This is the closest to a Coconut Boost that I'll ever try and it's one that I would definitely recommend!

The Grzeski is a wafer bar which comes in a variety of flavours. Usually they are completely covered in chocolate but this "Skrajnie Fajne" version features plain wafer on the largest sides.

The wafer layers are quite simply flavoured and not too sweet. The whole thing tastes quite light, with the dark chocolate adding a little hint of sweetness. As a plain wafer it's a pleasant enough snack. Grocery Gems Verdict: 6 out of 10.

Also a very quick review of the Pierrot and Batamutka chocolates made by E. Wedel in Poland.

The Pierrot was recommended to me as being similar to the Bajeczny, also made by E.Wedel, which I enjoyed when I reviewed it last month. It's very similar, with a praline filling and chopped peanuts. The praline filling is very smooth and has a lovely nutty flavour. Grocery Gems Verdict: 7.5 out of 10.

The Batamutka has a coconut cream flavoured centre. The texture is slightly dry and crumbly owing to small pieces of dessicated coconut. The flavour is very creamy with a nice sweet coconut edge to it. Grocery Gems Verdict: 7 out of 10.

Thank you so much to @Banjo_Chocolate, for sending me all these delicious Polish chocolates. Please support the campaign to get the much missed Banjo Chocolate bar back in production - further details about the campaign are on the Bring Back Banjo Chocolate Bar Facebook page.

Grocery Gems Verdict: Jezyki Kokos

RATING: 8.5 out of 10.
Buy them again?: Yes - if you see it buy it!
Purchased: Check out your local Polish shops.
Nutrition: (30g) 140 calories.

Milka Elderberry Cream Limited Edition

I found this intriguing chocolate in a local shop, alongside some other Milka bars I have never seen before. And when I write "intriguing" I obviously mean downright strange. I experienced some doubt when faced with the choice of buying it. I haven't had much luck with some of the Polish or Bulgarian Milka bars so on part of me was telling me not to get it, but the other part of me looked at the packaging and thought "Sold!". It just looks so cheery and "happy".

Your eyes do not deceive you, this really is a Milka bar called Happy Elderberry Cream. It's also a Limited Edition, which in this case, is probably for the best. A internet quick search informed me that this bar was originally released in Poland.

From looking at the packaging this bar consists of white chocolate filled with separately defined layers of white cream and an elderberry.

As soon as I opened the packaging I thought it looked quite strange. I couldn't capture it too well in my photo but the dark filling is clearly visible underneath each segment of white chocolate. I think this is the first time I have seen a bar like this.

The filling is clearly visible from the underneath too. I have to admit the question "why did you buy this?" was ringing even louder in my ears at this point. And there is another question too. What on earth does Elderberry even taste like? I mean sure, I've had those apple & elderberry juice drinks before, I'm even lucky enough to have a lovely elderberry tree in my own garden (I've raked up these little berries enough times), but I still don't know what they taste like.

Annoyingly the filling proved quite hard to photograph. I couldn't take my usual cross section type photo, it just wasn't playing ball with that one. I can tell you right now that there was no white layer inside, as per the picture on the front. There is only a hard white chocolate outer shell that is filled with jam. Yes really jam.

Definitely no white layer anywhere, just white chocolate and a jam like substance. It's impossible to break this chocolate along it's designated lines, the jammy layer makes it quite soft once it's snapped. The elderberry filling is a dark red colour, it's not completely smooth, there are definitely some bits of the berry inside (although it's not lumpy either). Just like a jam really! The elderberry flavour is quite unique, it reminded me of blueberry, but whereas blueberry can be very sweet, this has an added tartness to it.

The white chocolate is smooth and creamy, very inoffensive stuff. It's similar to a Milky Bar white chocolate, not really a chocolate in the true sense of the word, but tasty nonetheless. Because it's quite a simple chocolate, it actually goes with the tartness of the inner jam quite well. I never thought I would write this as when I bought the bar I was expecting to absolutely hate it, but I actually enjoyed the overall flavour. I feel guilty even writing that, as I suspect most people would hate it, but yes, I admit it, I thought it was nice. It could be because I haven't had any chocolate all week or maybe because I do like a bit of jam! Having said all that I only ate a few pieces, and that was more than enough, as the flavour does get a bit "throat burny" quite quickly, not surprising given the white chocolate and jam combination! To add a bit of balance to my enthusiastic opinion, my husband did not like this bar at all and just said "no" after one bite.

There was also a Plum Cream version available, made of milk chocolate. That one was called GOOD with two plums for the double O. I didn't buy it but if anyone wants me to review it I'm happy to give it a go!

Grocery Gems Verdict: Milka Elderberry Cream

RATING: 7 out of 10.
Buy them again?: It was better than I thought, but probably not.
Nutrition (per 25g serving): 134 calories, 1.0g protein, 14.5g carbs (sugars 14.0g), 8.0g fat.
Purchased: Local shop.
Price: £1.00.

Studencki Cherry Chocolate Bar Review

To celebrate students returning to school/college/uni after the Christmas break, here is an aptly named Polish chocolate bar which translates as "Student". It seems a strange choice of name for a chocolate bar but perhaps it's pure marketing genius - I practically lived on chocolate bars in my student days. The full name of this bar is the Studencki Wisniowy which translates as "Student Cherry" (no gags here - move along). I bought this a few weeks ago but I was reminded of it's existence after reading a review of the Cherry Ripe on The Snack Review blog - why aren't there more cherry flavoured bars around? Or for that matter - why aren't there more chocolate bars aimed at students?

The Studencki is described as "dark chocolate with a cherry dessert filling" which already sounds rather delicious. It's made by Polish chocolate makers Wawel who seem to be best known for their chocolate "Danusia". Although if anyone has further information then please leave a comment below - because I literally know nothing.

This chocolate bar looks very good, it has a dark glossy colour with nicely shaped segments. Disappointingly the filling is not a deep red, like the picture on the front of the packaging. Here's a reminder:

Nope, nothing like that. I suppose it would be too confusing if they pictured a beige, (or is it more of an orange?) coloured filling on the front. The dark chocolate has a decent enough cocoa flavour and is perfect for people who don't actually like dark chocolate that much - it's very sweet and quite creamy. The chocolate taste was enjoyable enough.

I was more disappointed in the filling - and it's not just because of the colour. The "cherry dessert" description had given me quite high hopes. Unfortunately the filling had a very gritty texture and I could feel the little grains of sugar throughout. The cherry flavour was not bad, but it had a slightly "liqueur" undertone to it which is not my thing at all.

Just after writing that last sentence I had a closer look at the ingredients, written in the most minuscule font ever, and amongst the "cherry marmalade" and "cherry puree", I spotted the word "alcohol". Aha! I knew it! So now I understand why it's called the Studencki.

The search for a decent chocolate cherry filled bar continues...

Grocery Gems Verdict: Studencki Cherry Chocolate Bar

RATING: 4 out of 10.
Buy them again?: No.
Nutrition: 200 calories.
Purchased: Local Polish grocery shop.
Price: £0.40p for a 42g bar.

Cheetos Robalos Review

Cheetos used to be one of those brands that was not readily available in the UK, I'd only ever bought them on holiday or from US import stores. They are now much easier to find, especially in small local stores, but these are usually Polish origin Cheetos, like these Cheetos Robalos.

Going by the small picture of two kebabs skewers on the packaging I was pretty certain what kind of flavour the words "Szasztyki Z Papryki" described. To be on the safe side I checked with Google Translate, obviously not expecting any help whatsoever, and was given the surprisingly coherent translation as "Kebabs with Peppers". Possibly the most helpful Google Translate has ever been. I have never come across a pepper kebab flavoured snack before, it's a unique concept but one that is not too crazy. Which brings me to the shape of these crisps.

Call me mad but I'm used to Cheetos having the standard appearance of classic cheese puff snacks. Obviously a boring shape was not good enough for a whacky "Kebabs with Peppers" flavour, quite clearly such a concoction was calling out to be shaped in the form of various insects.

It's funny because when I saw the shape of the Cheetos Robalos on the front of the pack I thought they looked a little strange but kind of cute. I was wrong. When I opened the packet, man are these things hideous looking! On top of that I have learnt that insect shapes and crunchy textures do not mix, my brain was almost tricked into thinking I was munching on real insects, somewhat detracting from my enjoyment. I hate insects.

To be fair to the Cheetos Robalos, they are not all shaped like insects. Oh no, there are also what appears to be snakes and lizards... great. But back to the actual flavour "Kebabs with Peppers". I was slightly worried that Google Translate was wrong and that the correct translation should read "Insect Kebabs"; for all I know these are some strange TV tie in with the Polish version of I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here. But no fear, these taste very similar to a regular pizza flavoured crisp. They have the same tomato, onion, cheese and herb flavour combination, and yes a hint of peppers too, which is very moreish. Well, they would be moreish if only they weren't shaped like insects.

I couldn't help browsing the official Cheetos website for Poland, (well who wouldn't want to do that?) and I stumbled upon these Limited Edition (or as I like to say in my new favourite Polish words Edycja Limitowana) Rap Cheetos, with the flavours "Hip Hop Hot Dog" and "Gangsta Paprika". Awesome!

Grocery Gems Verdict: Cheetos Robalos

RATING*: 6 out of 10 (purely for taste not looks)
Buy them again?: Only if I'm holding some kind of bug themed party, so no.
Nutrition: 485 calories per 100g
Purchased: Local corner shop
Price: £1

* I'm just playing around with ratings at the moment, I haven't decided if I will keep this or not!

Knoppers Review (Chocolate & Hazelnut Wafer)

I'm always on the lookout for chocolates from chocitout's 10 Foreign Chocolate Bars 002 video. I've tried a few already but I was pleased to find this little Knoppers in a local Polish grocery store/cafe. Let's just cut to the chase and address the glaringly hilarious feature about this chocolate: the name Knoppers. I almost tweeted "I've got some Knoppers!" when I first found it, but I managed to restrain myself. Yes, there are plenty of gags to be made here but putting those reluctantly aside, I would just love to know what the word Knoppers means. If there is anyone who can translate I would be most grateful. Google translate comes up with the helpful translation of  "Knoppers" to "Knoppers". Thanks Google.

Knoppers is a wafer biscuit which cost me the unprincely sum of 40p. If that's the price when the import costs are factored in then I can just imagine how cheap these are in Poland!

I wasn't expecting much from the Knoppers wafer, in fact I very rarely buy wafers (unless they are covered in chocolate) as they usually taste like a cross between cardboard and polystyrene. But I have to admit that as soon as I took the Knoppers out (haha!) it looked and smelt fantastic.

I mean seriously, look at those layers. It's a thing of beauty! Rarely has a product looked exactly like the picture on the wrapper, it really does look that good. All the layers are perfectly delineated.

The taste is also phenomenal. Call me crazy but I bloody loved this Knoppers! The wafer has a lovely crunch with a buttery melt and vanilla undertones. Then there is a hazelnut filling, which is where the Knoppers really excels, it has a deliciously rich nutty chocolate flavour. The little pieces of nut within it have a great texture, they are all nice and crunchy, making the overall hazelnut flavour divine. The "milk" layer is super sweet and creamy, and blends with the other flavours perfectly. I was not expecting this to taste so good at all!

It's just like the outer layers of a Ferrerro Rocher, with an extra layer of creamy chocolate and a much nicer wafer flavour, have been formed into a perfect square.

If you ever see a Knopper don't hesitate in buying it - it's the best 40p I've spent in a long time! Thank you to Marcus @chocitout for his fabulous chocolate list.