A pair of gonzo treats from Canadian shelves is stirring up envy in the U.S.: Nestlé’s new KitKat Chunky Cookie Dough Bar, only available in Canada and Europe, has been called "quite possibly the greatest candy ever conceived by mortal minds." Then there are Cadbury's Oreo creme eggs, a cookies-and-cream take on the ultra-sweet Easter treat released in Canada last year and now — due to intense demand — set to hit U.S. shelves later this month.
But Canadians have a long history of diverging from the U.S. when it comes to chocolate. We have more in common with the U.K. and other Commonwealth countries: In North America, only Canadians can delight in a Coffee Crisp, an Aero, or that childhood favourite, Smarties. (Ask for them south of the border, and you’ll be handed something similar to an old-school packet of rocket candies.) Even milk chocolate tastes different in the U.S., according to this interview with Hershey’s senior chocolate expert. It seems "Americans prefer a cheesier flavour to their chocolate, similar to the way a Hershey’s kiss tastes, [while] Canadians prefer a smoother and sweeter taste.”
Below, get a righteously patriotic sugar rush with our short history of Canadian confectionery. (We'll keep the Coffee Crisps, thank you.)
A milk-chocolate bar filled with bubbles, this cousin to the Aero bar is also famously popular in Canada.
Nestlé.What is it? A chocolate-covered turkish delight.
Nestlé.These candy-coated chocolates aren’t distributed in the U.S., as another company holds the brand rights to Smarties, selling them as multi-coloured, tablet-sized candies (what we like to call Rockets).
Nestlé.Modeled after the Milky Way Bar, the Mars Bar was developed in the U.K., and has been distributed worldwide — minus the U.S. — ever since. Flavour variations and limited edition releases are common, like the Canada-only Mars Maple bar.
Mars Inc.Launched in 1935 in England, the bars are now produced both in the U.K. and Canada, and their amazing melt-in-your-mouth texture makes them popular in many countries worldwide.
Nestlé.Chewy dark toffee, peanut and chocolate. Delicious.
Hershey.An iconic, old-school chocolate bar with flaky peanut-butter filling. Did you know it was developed in Toronto in the early part of the 20th century? Neither did we.
Cadbury.Widely available in Canada, the U.K. — where it launched in 1929 — and internationally (except the U.S.), this sponge-toffee-filled chocolate is a famous favourite on Canadian shelves.
Cadbury.This solid milk chocolate bar, now produced by Cadbury’s, was originally developed by Neilson Dairy in Southern Ontario.
Cadbury.More:
The worlds's best chocolate comes from ... Canada?!
20 decadent and delicious chocolate recipes
8 amazing (and award-winning) Canadian chocolate bars
Subscribe to our newsletters for our very best stories, recipes, style and shopping tips, horoscopes and special offers.