The views expressed in this Opinion article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
The top chocolate bars in Canada might have the same names as those in the U.S., but it turns out the treat inside the wrapper can taste very different depending on where it was made.
Canada and the United States share a border, a lot of culture and many of the same products, and so it's only natural to compare absolutely every little thing, from grocery stores and Niagara Falls to fast food and salty snacks. Many of these are just a matter of taste, although it turns out that even the "same" chocolate bar can be dramatically different if it's U.S. or Canadian made.
KitKat is one of the more well-known chocolate bars that tastes very different between the two countries, so I decided to check a few other top chocolate brands to see which country has the better chocolate, and which ones are consistent no matter where you get them.
The U.S. and Canada have different rules when it comes to the food sold in the market, and because of that, their homegrown chocolate recipes end up looking a little different. Additionally, certain labels are owned by different companies depending on where they're sold, which means the branding, recipes and descriptions aren't going to be identical.
That means a KitKat isn't always a KitKat in the same way.
Canadian Chocolate VS American Chocolate.
I had a friend travelling to NYC so I asked him to grab a few chocolate bars before returning to Toronto, just so I could compare them to what I could find at a Canadian grocery store.
I tried Hershey's, Reese's, KitKat, Snickers and Kinder eggs from both countries and then chose one as the winner of that particular chocolate.
Here's how the competition went, in no particular order of preference.
KitKat
KiKat Canada VS America
A few months ago, I discovered that KitKat in the U.S. and Canada tastes so different that people are shocked by it. TikToker Joseph DeBenedictis had gone viral for a blind taste test and said he was blown away by how much better the Canadian one tasted.
Today, I agree with him.
At first, I thought the packaging of the American KitKat looked better because it was funky and didn't have an ad labelled across it, as the Canadian one did.
But when I opened the packaging, first the U.S. KitKat was upside down, but also they smelled different.
After a few bites of each, I immediately recognized that the Canadian KitKat was sweeter and more chocolatey compared to the more subtle and darker taste that the American KitKat offered.
There was also chocolate between each layer of the wafer in the Canadian KitKat, whereas the American one was paler in colour.
Winner: Canada
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups U.S. VS Canada.
The Canadian Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are three small cups with more stuffing in contrast to the American one, which has two jumbo-sized cups and less peanut butter.
The main difference is the chocolate-to-peanut butter ratio that makes them taste so vastly different.
Once again, the Canadian Reese's Peanut Butter Cups tasted better than the American ones because they were sweeter.
The chocolate coating in the Canadian Reese's Peanut Butter Cup has a creamier and lighter consistency, whereas its competition is more on the dark chocolate side. So if you like something with more bite, the American version would be your favourite, but because I like sugary sweets, it's not my top choice.
The U.S. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups tasted close to the Justin's Peanut Butter Cups sold at Starbucks, which feels healthier than Reese's.
Winner: Canada
Hershey's
Hershey's Canada VS America.
I will start by saying I'm not the biggest fan of Hershey's because the chocolate doesn't taste all that decadent, but I gave it another try for this taste test and the American one is not good. Meanwhile, Canada's version is tolerable.
Right off the bat, the labels on the packaging are different. The Canadian one reads "Creamy Milk Chocolate," whereas the American one states "milk chocolate."
Like KitKat, the Hershey's packaged in the U.S. wrapper was flipped upside down, which I found odd, but the colours were the same, so I didn't think there would be a difference in taste.
I was wrong.
The American one was sour and bitter, whereas the Canadian chocolate bar was smoother and less intense.
Winner: Canada
Kinder
Kinder Surprise VS Kinder Joy.
It was a surprise to me when I learned that Kinder Surprise is banned in the U.S. because of the toys that come inside. They sell Kinder Joy instead, and it's slightly different from what Canadians might expect.
The Kinder Joy is basically a plastic egg that splits into two, with one half containing layers of cocoa and milk cream topped with two wafer balls and the other with a toy and spoon, which is used to eat the treat. It's basically a tiny bowl.
In Canada, the Kinder Surprise is a hollow egg-shaped chocolate lined with milk cream that contains a yellow pod with a toy in it.
Even though the chocolates are pretty similar in taste, I did enjoy the American one more because of the wafer balls that added a lot to the simple egg-shaped and iconic chocolate.
Winner: America
Snickers
Snickers Canada VS America.
Last but not least, Snickers.
Firstly, in the U.S., the Snickers bar is sold as two pieces within one wrapper. In Canada, it's one medium-sized piece per wrapper.
Next, the Snickers are actually not the same. The American one is thicker, crunchier and drier than the Canadian Snickers bar, which has stringy caramel, more nougat and fewer peanuts.
The chocolate on the outer layer tasted creamy and sweet in the Canadian bar and more dense and bitter in the American version.
Once again, Canada's sweeter chocolate rules come out on top.
Winner: Canada
Final thoughts
Mira holding chocolates.
The results are in and Canada leads by 4, whereas America loses with one point.
After testing out the chocolates and writing this article, a common factor I found across the board was that Canadian chocolate tend to lean on the sweeter side. In contrast, American chocolate bars are darker and more dense.
I'm unsure whether the market prefers it that way, but I believe chocolate should always be sweet. After all, when people look for chocolate in their grocery stores, tasty and delicious always win; dark chocolate is just a way to get the sugar rush without feeling guilty.
But, to be honest, Canadian chocolate comes in second when compared to those sold in Britain because nothing can beat Cadbury products like Dairy Milk, Buttons, Time Out and Fingers.
Also, the Milky Way in the U.K. comes in a blue wrapper with stars on it and includes a whole lot of nougat. In other words, it knocks any other chocolate out of the park.
So stay tuned, we might end up doing another comparison piece.
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