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Eating lots of candy is hard work, but someone has to do it.
The sweetest duo is back to face the music and submit ourselves to another sugar rush in the name of science. After the great Cabsha fiasco last time around, Naná and I psyched ourselves up and returned to the court to literally eat our opponents. Today we’re going through several candies, lollipops, chocolates, and more.
Vauquita
Solid dulce de leche bar
You can tell there is a lot of love put into the packaging. The cardboard box plus the plastic wrap show that they strive to ensure that the product always arrives in good shape. Representing Argentina accordingly, since it is a treat that does not exist in other places. The little cube cows in the logo are very cute. The packaging provides a lot of important information: calories, trans fat, gluten free. A very responsible product.
There are two types of Vauquita eaters. There are people who prefer when it is softer and those who prefer it harder, more crystallized. Naná and I are fans of the harder version. It has a very pleasing texture and it is a mystery to us how they achieve it. I like to think that they just leave dulce de leche out in the sun.
Vauquita always seems to be pushing forward. A few years ago they released a Vauquita “cake,” which was just a large circle-shaped Vauquita. We are not quite sure who it was for. Perhaps people who do not enjoy rectangular sweets. There was also Vauquita XL, which as its name implies was extra large. And now they are trying new flavors like mint and banana split; we haven’t tried them yet but we find the concept a bit troubling. There is also the “Vauquita Black” line which is the Vauquita with a chocolate covering. As we have said in previous installments, this is the safest bet and the natural evolution that any treat should follow.
Vauquita is an adult and responsible treat. It could stand to be more environmentally friendly and lose one of its layers of packaging. We particularly enjoy the crust, the texture of the outer layer, which reminds us of sandpaper. Very scratchy. These 25 grams of semi-solid dulce de leche are not cloying. It’s just right. One of the national delicacies that has endured through the years. A fantastic treat.
Packaging: 10
Taste: 10
Bon o Bon
Milk chocolate bonbon filled with peanut paste
Our first thought is that they used to be bigger. The old packaging was certainly more fun; separating the metallic part from the plastic was almost therapeutic, an exercise in love and patience. The chocolate could be crunchier. The change in packaging and the fact that it is now more sealed up does not change the fact that it is greatly affected by humidity.
Beyond that, it is a very good treat. There is a controversy regarding whether the Bon o Bon is a representative Argentine candy or not. Many people consider that it isn’t, because it is an Argentine candy that does not contain dulce de leche. Even so, it is one of the favorites of the Argentine public and is currently enjoyed as an export.
It really is very unfair that there is more variety of Bon o Bon flavors abroad than in their native land. We only have the most classic varieties and we miss out on flavors such as matcha (Japan), coconut, strawberry or banana (Brazil). Once again they underestimate the Argentine public. Or maybe it’s a matter of cost. In Chile there are many Bon o Bon brand candies, snacks, tablets, etc. Maybe they are just too expensive for the Argentine market. A derivative that no longer exists in the local market is Bon o Bon soft, which had a less intense, creamier filling. The one we do have is Chocolate Águila Bon o Bon, which is delicious and also vegan. We used to have the Bon o Bon chocotorta, which was a total fiasco, as well as the lemon mousse Bon o Bon.
One of Bon o Bon’s great contribution to popular culture was the invention of “the week of sweetness,” which the Bon o Bon marketing team initially sold as “a Bon or Bon for a kiss”. During the first week of July, sweets were exchanged for kisses, something that didn’t age very well. The nineties were a different time. Here’s some video evidence.
The other great success of Bon o Bon was sell the filling as a standalone product, following in the footsteps of Nutella and taking a step towards the popularization of peanut butter. An audacious move in the land of dulce de leche.
Packaging: 5
Taste: 8
Baby Doll
Pack of four fruit-flavored lollipops
They come in pleasing, functional packaging. The logo is attractive although it lost some magic after losing the old balloon design. It is a treat for careful people, who take their time when they open it. I get the feeling that it would be a very suitable treat for people who have quit smoking, because the package could easily replace the space left by a pack of cigarettes. It is known that lollipops help reduce anxiety when quitting smoking… I think.
It’s good that they are small lollipops and come in a pack. There are four flavors: cherry, apple, orange and grape. They are all delicious and they all have something that makes them special, but the cherry and grape ones are our favorites. This treat is excellent. It can be shared, there is variety, and it is not the typical smooth lollipop. It has that grainy texture on the outside that adds another dimension. We think it’s important that the flavor is cherry and not strawberry, which sets it aside from most others.
It is a treat that’s stood the test of time. There is a spherical version that comes with two flavors combined and loses its granular texture. They are very good, but they don’t measure up to the original. Lollipops are better when they’re smaller; it’s more practical that way. Parents never know what to do with lollipops when their children don’t want to eat anymore. This was a problem that was partially solved with the appearance of Push Pops in the nineties.
We wanted to find out more about the history of the Baby Doll but it is really very difficult to google “baby doll” without finding a bunch of lewd content. Why is it named Baby Doll? There’s surely a sordid story behind it. It really is very strange that they use such suggestive names for treats meant for kids. Baby Doll, Pete, Pito Pito… it’s kind of creepy.
Packaging: 10
Taste: 9
Pico Dulce
Fruit-flavored hard candy lollipop
The taste of Pico Dulce is indescribable. The package says it is “tutti frutti,” but Pico Dulce tastes like Pico Dulce. It is a flavor onto itself. It is a very beautiful treat, visually speaking. Lheritier makes all their products with love. It’s excellent. It’s very colorful on the outside but turns white after eating it for a few minutes. It is also delicious the whole way through. It has a good texture, with a creamy feel.
Naná says that she can taste each fruit by passing her tongue over the different colors. I don’t really have any way to verify that, but I believe her. She says that it is as you went surfing on that wave of flavor.
The shape of Pico Dulce itself is very good, but I don’t think it was intended for children because it clearly does not fit into the mouth of a small child. It’s more of a treat for teens and tweens. They always seem to try to appeal to that audience; they were given away at nightclubs and high school senior trips. They also tend to endorse influencers, and they go well with alcohol and nights of excess. Who hasn’t accompanied vodka with a Pico Dulce?
The packaging is nice and simple but it doesn’t really preserve the product. If it is not treated with care, you’ll ends up breaking the lollipop.
Packaging: 6
Taste: 10
Menta Cristal
Hard mint candy
Once again, controversy surrounding mint candies. I love them because I have the tastes of an old woman but Naná does not.
It is the type of candy you see at the waiting room of a doctor’s office. Beyond being minty, it is also quite sweet. The look of it blows our minds, it looks as if it was made of glass, super transparent. In terms of texture it is reminiscent of a lollipop. It is beautiful to look at, like glass candy. We love that it is called “crystal,” like a telenovela from the eighties.
We don’t like the new version of the packaging. We appreciate that it remains transparent, but the current typeface and the text around the edges is ugly. They wanted it to look cool but the previous one was much prettier.
Beyond the fact that Naná does not like mint sweets, she thinks that it is a very good and respectable candy. It is an Arcor candy, and Arcor is the No. 1 in candy production worldwide … or at least that’s what their website says. Arcor also locally produces Alka candies which are minty and come in a smaller size. Alka’s foil packaging is clearly more beautiful than that of the Menta Cristal.
Packaging: 4
Taste: 6 (if it were just up to Magu, a perfect 10)
Lotsa Fizz
Hard candy with fizzy filling
We love that the Fizz candies come in a little strip. You could make a Fizz necklace or a headband or a bracelet. These candies are now also produced by Arcor. Naná conducted an investigation to try and discover the brilliant mind behind the Fizz, but failed to find much information.
We appreciate the fact that they kept the old logo despite having changed the style of the packaging. They incorporate baking soda to achieve the fizzy effect in its filling. This treat is spectacular. It works on many levels: the candy itself is great, and the fizz adds a lot. It has held up very well over time. It has a bit of a salty tinge from the baking soda, but it’s not really a problem. The person who invented the Fizz is a genius. We want to know everything. Who? When was it created? How?
They’re not like other snacks. Pop Rocks, for example, explode in your mouth. But the effervescence of the Fizz is unique and it puts you in a trance. A hazy feeling. Fantastic. Beyond the fact that the packaging preserves the integrity of the candies very well, this new version does not allow the candies to be separated, which goes against the communal nature of Lotsa Fizz. And when you do share them, always make sure to keep the tastiest one, which is obviously grape.
Packaging: 7
Taste: 10
Gotitas de Amor
Bag of assorted hard candies
The first thing we can say is that its new packaging is very ugly. It has an over-the-top aesthetic worthy of Felfort. It’s kind of a hippie, flower power vibe. The colors, the typography, everything is just ugly, very saturated. It would have to go full-on 1970s to go break through from horrible to beautiful.
The texture of the gotitas is great. Once again there is that sugary texture on the outside, like with the Baby Dolls. The flavors are cherry, pineapple, orange, lemon and strawberry. It’s hard to tell which color is supposed to correspond to which flavor. The green one, for example, tastes like strawberry.
Naná’s favorites are red and green, which would be cherry and strawberry, but we’re really not sure. We believe that they follow the Haribo rules, that the colors do not necessarily represent the flavor and so the reds are raspberry and the green ones are strawberry. Perhaps it is a rule imposed among candy-makers, a decision made at the great candy-makers convention.
They remind me of recess. The look of the treat itself is slightly messy, almost homemade. It also lends itself to sharing with friends. The packaging is an ugly bag. It keeps the candy well but it is ugly. I would love it if they came in a little can. Maybe for a special edition.
Packing: 8
Sabor: 9
Sugus
Chewy fruit-flavored candies
First of all, we have a complaint. The mint Sugus are in short supply, we couldn’t find any, they may be out of production. This ruins all my contribution to the article. I wanted to surprise Naná as she surprised me with the Tita secret last time around. Now neither Naná nor you will be able to savor the magic of frutimenta.
Frutimenta is when you eat a strawberry Sugus and a mint one at the same time and it is incredibly delicious. The taste is like that of Odolito, which was a children’s toothpaste that was made delicious specifically to entice kids to brush their teeth.
Sugus come in a beautiful packaging. You have to dig in with your fingernail to be able to remove the paper. There are some delicious apricot-flavored Sugus but now they only come in the special selection bag that comes with cherry, grape, and tutti frutti. They no longer come in the original flavor bag. The original flavors are mint, strawberry, orange, lemon, pineapple and apple. The most popular flavor, according to the latest surveys by Naná, is apple.
They are a dangerous candy for children, because it is really very difficult to peel off the paper well and there’s always a bit left over. Throughout our childhood we must have eaten a lot of Sugus wrapping paper.
The Sugus were originally manufactured and sold the Wrigley Company and Arcor purchased them, fooling all of us into thinking it was a local treat. It seems that the Sugus originated in Switzerland in 1931 but that the Argentine Sugus were always produced by Arcor.
Sugus resemble Starburst, but softer in taste and stiffer in texture. The fact that they are so tough tends to work against them. The ideal is to buy them loose in self-serve candy dispensaries so you are able to select the tastes you want.
There’s also the “Sugus confitados,” which come with a candy coating and are some of the most delicious sweets we have. They have an impeccable range of colors, in elegant pastel shades of pink, light blue and yellow. At one point they tried to make the “Evolution” Sugus which came in super strong and saturated colors… totally unnecessary.
Packaging: 7
Taste: 8
Flynn Paff
Tutti frutti flavored chewy candy
When this candy hit the market, there was total confusion. People couldn’t wrap their heads around the fact that there was a chewy candy but with a bubblegum taste. A rarity. It used to have a much more vibrant color and a much stronger bubblegum smell. Now both things are softer. It’s a difficult treat to tackle. You don’t know whether to go bit by bit, whether to eat it all at once. The flavor, luckily, remained. It is quite tasty.
It is a treat that one could imagine Marty McFly eating. There’s something retro-futuristic about it. It’s the treat you eat while hoverboarding.
Its texture is quite hard. It’s actually too big to be that tough. But it’s all part of the experience. A kind of wanted discomfort, the fact that it’s twice the size of any common chewy candy, that it tastes like bubble gum, that it has that awesome wrapper. We stan this treat in its most popular flavor, which is bubblegum, although the banana version is also good.
A historical line of Argentine inflation could be drawn in Flynn Paffs. When they first came out, you could buy 20 Flynn Paffs for one peso. Now a single Flynn Paff costs five pesos.
Flynn Paff is an experience. The candy is amazing. The wrapping paper is beautiful. It is a worthy representative of a great company like Georgalos.
Packaging: 10
Taste: 9