Ice Cream:  
Little do people know but ice cream is not just ice cream and with the right attention it can be a little bit more than just a mere frozen milk product.  
To get the best from ones ice cream is to allow for it to at least sit for 5 mins room temperature or 15 secs in the microwave then try eating it, trust me I sincerely believe it’s the only way ice cream should be consumed. You’ll love it!

Another one of my favourite ice cream “experiments” is orange chock chip or French vanilla ice cream

(room temperature) wrapped in Italian country split bread with the crust cut off, it’s worth a try.

TARUN'S TOP 5 ICE CREAM:​

 

​Haagen daz strawberry cheesecake

•  

Movenpick Mint Chocolate

•  

Kilinchy Gold Whittaker's Chocolate Ice Cream

 

Kohi Rd Earl Grey

 

Chocolate and Mango Nice Cream / Little Island

 

TARUN'S TOP 5 ICE CREAM NOVELTIES:

Street's Mint Magnum

Tip Top Fru ju

 

 Street's Cookie Crumble

 
Tip Top Mint Trumpet


When in South Africa
If in South Africa go to Milky Lane try the Waffles with ice cream topped with their special Caramel crunch… oh man it’s the schnizzel… 5 Sitars

Chocolates:
Remember when you were a child and you use to eat Milky Bar, it tasted so nice, while for no unknown reason the flavour changed or as the company likes to put it “new improved flavour” well no longer do you have to subject your taste buds to the companies” new improved flavour”. If you ever come across the Milky Bar Chew which is also made by Nestle often found in Australia will bring back that unforgettable taste of Milkybar.

Up until recently I was always under the assumption that chocolate tasted differently in different countries because of the quality of the milk but apparently this is not so, and flavours are adjusted in different countries according to individual taste buds.

This is just a personal opinion but if ever you get to taste the Kit Kat from the U.K. or U.S.A you will taste the distinct difference from that of New Zealand and Australia, the taste is also apparent with Cadbury.

Chocolates which float my boat
Kit Kat Chunky original and caramel  2 thumbs up! NZ/AUS version (no offence to those whom live outside these postcodes, except for the fact that in U.S.A Hershey still own the rights to the brand Kit Kat, so the taste is significantly different to those of other countries branding this bar under the Nestle Banner.

Remember the Nestle Nut Roll? Hershey’s have cloned the product and made it in my personal opinion 10 times better. Once known only by it’s descriptive name “peanut caramel bar” but as Jefferson aeroplane its identity was renamed yet the recipe remained the same known to all as the “Rally”. This is also known as the “Oh Henry” or "Baby Ruth" bar in parts of the world. definite. 5 Sitar bar

Some may not know it and can often buy into the world’s ability to market a brand so well not leaving enough room in ones belly for those less recognised brands. With my candy know how I will let you in on a few brands which do not come with extreme marketing clout yet are extremely friendly to ones taste buds.
 

 Richfield's of New Zealand definitely give them a try especially the grapefruit  2 Sitars

Harmony bar which is often only ever found at The Warehouse (mint and passion fruit are 2 of my favs in this range) made by Waikato Valley Chocolate  4 Sitars

If you come from overseas and are visiting the friendly shores of New Zealand some bars that are unique to Aotearoa (New Zealand) and can rarely be found abroad.

Whitakers Peanut Slab - 5 Sitars
 

 Cadbury's Perky Nana - 4 Sitars

Cadbury's Pinky - 4 Sitars

Cadbury's Moro - 3 Sitars
 

 When in Australia try the following:

Cherry ripe - 4 Sitars

Strawberry ripe - 5 Sitars

Freddo the Frog (for Africa) what's that about? - 3 Sitars

When in the U.S.A/Canada:

Babe Ruth - 4 Sitars

Reese's Pieces - 5 Sitars

Oh Henry! - 5 Sitars

Turtles - 5 Sitars

Hershey Take 5  - 4 Sitars

United Kingdom:

Lion Bar - 4 Sitars

Double Decker - 3 Sitars

Yorkie - 4 Sitars

TARUNS TOP 5 CANDY BARS:
Luxury Flake

Cadbury Crunchie

Hershey’s Rally/Oh Henry!/ Baby Ruth (One in the same re-branded for foreign market)

Moro Gold
 

Kit Kat Chunky
 

STRONGLY RECCOMENDED:
Lindt - 5 Sitars

Ferrrero Rocher - 4 Sitars

Toffee Pop Bar ( Twix on Cocaine)  - 5 Sitars

Toggenburger of Switzerland (Currently only at New World) - 4 Sitars
 

Biscuits:
Some of you are probably aware of the Tim Tam phenomenon.  For those of you who don’t I would definitely recommend it. To do this it requires you to grab a Tim Tam bite of a corner at opposite ends  then suck a warm liquid through it (personally Indian tea is one of my favourite's) but each to their own, another is Girl Guide biscuits for dipping they rock.

TARUNS TOP 5 BISCUITS:
 

Australia's Choice Decadent /Presidents Choice - Canada (One in the same only available at K Mart Australia and selected supermarkets in Canada)

Fox Chocolatey

Double Chocolate Tim Tams

Jaffa Cake

Ginger/Lemon & Almond thins
 

HIGHLY RECOMMEND:

Pina Colada Tim Tams ( Only taste good frozen ) - 4 Sitars

Toffee Pops - 3 Sitars
 

Cookies:

TARUNS TOP 5 COOKIES:

Cookie Time Original (Has to be heated though)
 

 Subway White Chocolate and Macadamia Raisen and Oatmeal

 

Ma Higgins Double Choc Chip and Mint (only from the stall and not the pre-packed)

Leda Gluten Free Chocolate Chip

·Cookie Time Afghan

HOT OF THE PRESS

Try Care Cookies - 4 Sitars.Only available of the net currently. Highly Recommended.

Potato Crisps
Placing them in the freezer for a while can be surprisingly quite nice.

TARUNS TOP 5 CRISPS:

·Chilli Kettles (Currently only available in Australia)

Grain Waves

Red Rock Sweet Chilli (Currently only available in Australia)

Ruffles USA 

 

Mc Coy's Salt and Vinegar

 

TARUNS TOP 5 EXTRUSIONS:
 

Cheezles

Poppajacks

Twisties (NZ)

Cheetos Flamin Hot

Rashuns

Miscellaneous:
Rocky Mountain are caramel apples currently found in North America. In saying that the ones I ate in Vancouver were by far the best. They come in various types New York Cheesecake is by far my fave but I do have a sweet spot for the Apple Pie flavour. Both get 5 Sitars.

This is a tough one as it is not chocolate nor is it an extrusion. What we do have here though is the Nestle Chocolate (or white fudge as they like to call it) Pretzel. Extremely morish and so far only been able to track down in North America, United Kingdom and possibly in the Middle East. (I saw them in the background of a movie set in Iraq).

Nestle Pretzel Flipz - 5 Sitars

 

​Makana Macadamia Butter Toffee Crunch - 5 Sitars

 

​Makana Very Berry Toffee Crunch - 5 Sitars

 

As we all know that in this competitive world there  will always  be a product that has a competitive brand sometimes inferior and at times by its quality can often be as successful as its rival as Pepsi is to Coke and Pebbles to M and M’s. It is the consumer’s taste buds that ultimately decide the success of a product.

Obviously in different countries different types of confectionery exists I can only comment on those at the time been on which I am familiar with and hopefully in the future with some vast travelling I shall be able to bring a more comprehensive assessment.   For now though I can only comment on those I know of.

Look out for irregular updates on what's hot to put in your mouth. 

HAPPY MUNCHIN!

Some may think of the following as obsessive but for the record if you want to know all there is to know about the best tips on when it comes to confectionery I’m your man!… but I could be wrong.