If you’re one of those who roll your eyes at everything bacon here are two words for you: bacon lollipop. Okay, three words: maple bacon lollypops. Bacon-flavored treats seem to have amazing staying power and the confection category is no exception.
Invented to Keep Kids Clean, Candy on a Stick gets Naughty
Candy flavors like Absinthe, Bourbon, White Russian - might be a little naughty and they're definitely grown up. The originator of the lollipop is debated. It is generally agreed that they were invented to keep kids' hands clean by putting bon bons on sticks. Today, these confections on sticks come in decidedly adult flavors. Putting aside the X-rated types, we see cocktails and exotic cuisines encroaching on the previously innocent candies. Lemon-ginger was not too sweet at all. In fact, it might take you more than one sitting to get through the diminutive candy with the big punch of ginger.
These treats tickle the tongues of grown-up gourmets. Lollyphile makes a Ginger-Wasabi flavor, too.
Comparing Candy with Grown up Flavors is no Child's Play
Samples from both companies show a balance of classic or at least tame flavors, combined with novel tastes. Orange with Pomegranate, Caramel with Lavender.
Das Foods - which makes a wonderful fleur de sel caramels, (the Chai Latte is to die for) has now ventured into the grown up lollipop business. Flavors include:
Man Bait – Maple Bacon Lollipop: This lollipop combines the trendy and irresistible tastes of real smoky bacon bits and sweet maple syrup. It was a hit at the Fancy Food Show.
Fab-O-Pom – Pomegranate and Orange Lollipop: It's good and good for you, fusing sweet and tangy heart-healthy real pomegranate extract and fragrant orange oil with bits of orange zest.
Naughty Ginger – Ginger and Lemon Lollipop: Sweet, tangy and wickedly spicy. Small bits of spicy candied ginger blend with all-natural lemon extract. The ginger is so strong, you may need to eat this treat in stages.
Caramel Me Happy – Caramel and Lavender Lollipop: A decadent medley of caramelized cane sugar, chewy Das Salty Caramel mix, real lavender extract and Fleur De Sel sea salt. This combination is a true reflection of the Das Foods palate. Subtle, yet rich and sophisticated. It is reminiscent of this confectioner's caramels.
Lollyphile Makes Absinthe, Bourbon, Wasabi-Ginger Flavoured Lollipops
Das' “Man Bait” is maple bacon and went head to head with another grown up confection from young upstart: Lollyphile. The founder of Lollyphile creates the flavor profiles himself and is decidedly off-beat and independent. Absinthe, Bourbon, White Russian, Wasabi-Ginger, and Maple Bacon lollies are his signature confections.
Lollyphile has a fun, irreverant website, with a beautiful painting of a Rousseau-like dream including an absinthe lollypop. Get over the "awesome" here, there, and everywhere and do try these mouth-filling, mouth-watering lollies. They even have a lollipop of the month club. New flavors coming soon.
These two lollipops or lollypops (British spelling) differ in size and shape. Das are flat disks about the size of a half-dollar coin. Lollyphiles are large round lollies, bigger than but similar to a Tootsie Pop.
In the head-to-head tasting of the bacon flavored treat Lollyphile was a richer, more sophisticated taste. It's quite something to finish, actually. The bits of bacon on the top of the pop are nearly indistinguishable as bacon, but definitely lend their smokiness to the pop. This was a very pleasing mouthful of maple-bacon flavor. Think Breakfast in Vermont.
Other Treats on Sticks
- Lamb Lollipops - are not candy at all, but a butcher's cut of lambchops. See trends in new butchers here:
- At the Bols Genever Launch Party Drink servers passed around miniature grilled cheese sandwichs - on sticks!
- A new lollipop has been developed that actually helps fight tooth decay by killing Streptococcus mutans, (the primary cavity-causing bacterium) with a licorice flavored treat.
Jacqueline Church - Award-winning writer, speaker, teacher on topics at the intersection of gourmet and sustainable food issues.
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