¡Ay, Carambar!

I am so completely juvenile (and not ashamed to admit it!) when it comes to toys, contests, and most of my style. As can be witnessed by the um...subdued color scheme of this website. I tend to be easy to shop for. If it's kitschy, brightly colored, funky or if even your 8 year old kid sister would would look askance at it because she's too old for it, chances are good I will love it.

Hence, when I opened my very first Carambar and saw there were points in it to be collected I immediately wanted 'It'. Regardless of the fact that I had no clue what 'It' was. This is like getting a decoder in your cracker jack box. Sure the popcorn is fine...but we suffer the sugar high for the 10 cent toy nestled lovingly within. Back to my narrative...So I set out to find what our little mystery prize was to be. The options are either a dvd (eh) ORRRRRR a Carambar t-shirt!!!!!! I'll take what's behind door number 2, Pat. My Vache Qui Rit shirt from the last point collecting spree needs a companion.

I rushed out and bought a bag of my very own and brought the bounty in to work to share....not without an ulterior motive, of course. I am currently up to 73 points of the 200 needed to ransom for the shirt. Wish me luck ;)

Now...about the candy itself. Imagine if a Reisen candy and a Milk Dud got wild and crazy some fine halloween evening and shed their silky chocolate coatings in your trick or treat sack. Throw a Tootsie Roll into orgy and the resulting lovechild might resemble something like our baby Carambar. Now dress the candy up in a snappy red and yellow couture covered in jokes and random trivia...in French. It has a surprisingly complex taste for a mass produced candy marketed at sticky fingered children shopping with their moms (and what mom doesn't love their child enough to glue their jaws shut with candy for a little while. Remember those giant jaw breakers you used to beg for? And your mom would finally seem to catapult and give in to your demands? It was really for her enjoyment...not yours.) It's not solely sugar or cloyingly sweet but I am starting to fear for my fillings. Especially as I haven't established myself with a dentist here yet!

Overall I'd have to say I prefer the nibble sized Milk Duds. Then again I am a self admitted (but not yet committed) chocoholic, so any candy without chocolate is a snack opportunity wasted. These are good in that once-a-year sort of way...and yet, just a bit addictive. If you find yourself craving Carambar, give into that feeling.

And send your points to me :)