June is National Candy Month. While you may have been eating peanut butter cups and M&Ms all year long, these crazy candies are sure to be something new. Here, we round up eight truly weird (and sometimes gross) confections to help you celebrate.
Vegetable Mix Kit Kat
Ever wish you could have your daily dose of vegetables in candy-bar form? Kit Kat and Japanese vegetable juice company Ito En have made that possible with the Vegetable Juice Kit Kat. Each bar contains kale, Chinese cabbage, green peppers and other fruits and vegetables, along with white chocolate and the traditional Kit Kat wafer cookie. Although the combination of white chocolate and health juice might not seem like the most delicious combination, Jen of Jen's Kit Kat Blog says that "it was a taste I wasn't particularly fond of but I could maybe see where other people might like it." It might not have the wide-range appeal of the classic milk chocolate Kit Kat, but you have to give the creators kudos for fitting vegetables into dessert.
Dill Pickle Mints
Craving a pickle while you’re on the go? Archie McPhee's Dill Pickle Mints are the answer. FunSlurp says that these strong, vinegar-tinged mints "may not be great for a first date, but they can be a lifesaver on a lousy one." We can see other options for them as well, like wooing that pickle-maker you met at the farmers market or annoying your co-worker with the smell. Yes, these mints definitely have a myriad of uses.
Chocolate-Covered Squid
We have all enjoyed fried calamari. Why not throw some chocolate into the mix? Dried squid (known as ika) is a Japanese equivalent to American beef jerky, and is easily found at convenience and grocery stores throughout the country. These chewy sea creatures come in many different varieties, including smoke-flavored, wasabi-flavored, and even covered in chocolate. If the idea of it doesn't thrill you, you are not alone. Blogger Mike from Mike's Blender says that "a couple of pieces [were] enough to make me gag."
Genghis Khan Caramels
Caramelized sugar has long been used in haute cuisine to complement savory dishes -- think of the sweet accompaniments to cheese or foie gras. But meat-flavored caramels? That's a little different. These lamb-flavored chewy candies named for the Mongol warlord are, according to Oishii Eats, "naaaaaaaaasty! Spit it out NAAAASTY!"
Bathroom-inspired candy
We’re not sure why anything about bathroom activities would serve as a muse for candy creators, but clearly they are inspiring some. A fruit-flavored gummy candy called Farts recently debuted at the 2011 Sweets & Snacks Expo in Chicago. According to a press release, Leaf Brands CEO Ellia Kassoff says that, “We decided on the name Farts, because you can’t help but giggle and smile when you hear it. Kids love the name!” Moreover, Kassoff added, “To us, the candies look like little poofs.” Some companies take it even further. There’s the Chocka Ca-Ca -- poop-shaped chocolate wrapped in a diaperlike package and made for baby showers. Yum. But one confection flushes its competitors away. The Sour Flush candy features sour candy powder encased in a toilet package (complete with a lid), and comes with a lollipop plunger for dipping.
The Zimmern
After “Bizarre Foods” host Andrew Zimmern told People magazine about his favorite combination of flavors, customizable chocolate company Chocomize made the Zimmern bar, featuring dark chocolate with mini pretzels, Pop Rocks, cayenne pepper and coffee beans, for anyone who wants to get a taste of what really tickles Zimmern's buds. The weirdest thing about this one is that it’s probably the most normal thing that the candy bar's namesake has ever eaten!
Here is one that every prank-playing 11-year-old boy will have on his wish list -- a gummy candy that looks like a zit. It is so realistic that there is actually an oozy red sac filled with liquid candy that you can pop before you eat it. That's right, zit popping is now a gustatory delight. Kristi Knight at Sugar and Caffeine reluctantly admits that the watermelon-flavored candies are "rather tasty," and her co-blogger Blake Knight goes so far as to say that they are "pretty great." Popping zits has never been so ... delicious?
Hematogen
This most carnivore-friendly candy bar comes to us from Russia. There, this fudge is used not only for treats, but also to treat anemia, which makes sense because it is made with cow's blood. Now, I have eaten some bloody treats in my time, but a mass-marketed candy bar made of bovine blood? That takes the cake.
Check out Fritos and Foie Gras for more from Sarah Spigelman.