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Burning Question: How Does Popping Candy Work?

YumSugar — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 15:00:00 -0700

Yesterday, I reviewed a new candy bar that contained popping candy. That got me wondering about popping candy, especially the nostalgic favorite, Pop Rocks.

How do they work, exactly? Hard candy in any form is essentially a sugar-water mixture that's been cooled and hardened. In the case of Pop Rocks, an extra step is required: The sugar-water syrup mixes with pressurized carbon dioxide gas (roughly 600 pounds per square inch!), which forms tiny, pressurized bubbles in the candy. Once it cools, the pressure is released and the candy shatters, but pieces still contain pressurized bubbles. When consumed, these pieces melt in your mouth, releasing the bubbles with a loud snap. That's the sound of the pressurized air being released from the bubble.

Pop Rocks, first sold to the public in 1975, employed cutting-edge candy technology. In fact, the technology that's used to make that carbonated candy crackle is actually a patented process.

Got a burning question? Send us an email.

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Taste Test: Chuao Firecracker Chocolate Bar

YumSugar — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 11:15:52 -0700

Last year, I sung the praises of a small chocolatier, Chuao, for its unique and delicious flavor combinations, like strawberry balsamic and spicy Cabernet caramel. I had a chance to try their newest bar, the Firecracker, and it was no exception.The chocolate smelled typical enough - bittersweet and slightly smoky. But once I took a bite, my experience took a turn for the bizarre. First, I tasted creamy dark chocolate then gradually intensifying heat and a tingly, burning sensation in the back of my throat. And all of a sudden, out of nowhere, loud crackling and popping, at which point I realized there was not only an explosion of flavor, but also a physical explosion of some kind. To find out what the cracker of the Firecracker was, read more.

Turns out the appropriately-named chocolate bar is made of dark chocolate, enrobed in chipotle chiles, salt, and popping candy - the kind I loved in the third grade. I can only liken the bizarre, oddly addictive experience to going on a roller coaster for the first time and wanting to go again. For those of you who are game (it is not for the unadventurous eater or faint of heart), I encourage you to go for a ride. Does spicy chocolate with popping candy sound like something you'd want to try?

Taste Test: "New" Candy

partysugar — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 15:00:08 -0700

Updating an image or spinning off of a product is nothing new, but lately it seems like this concept has taken over the candy industry. I recently received a box full of new products that were featured at the National Candy Expo a month ago in Chicago. The majority of items weren't exactly new, but rather re-creations of old products. I selected four - Pop Rocks Chocolate bars, Nerds Giant Chews, Chocolate Pez, and Baskin Robbins Soft Candy - and decided to perform a taste test. Sadly none of the new variations lived up to their established counterparts. To see what I thought of each product, read more.

Pop Rocks Chocolate bars: This oversized bar is described as "real milk chocolate with a kick." At first the chocolate bar tastes like any normal krispy-style chocolate bar. However, the krispies explode in your mouth like pop rocks. The chocolate is mediocore and the sensation interesting, but I wasn't hungry for more.

Nerds Giant Chews: These giant nerds (they're the size of peanut M&Ms) have a bumpy, crunchy shell and soft chewy center. They taste exactly like the miniature version. Eating one is the equivalent of tossing an entire handful of Nerds into your mouth.

View 5 Photos ›

Chocolate Pez: Why Pez felt they needed to expand into artificial chocolate-flavored candies is beyond me. These are chalky and leave a sour aftertaste in the mouth.

Baskin Robbins Soft Candy: With their sweet-minty scent, I was certain these chewy candies were going to be the best of the bunch. However they were disappointing and tasted fake. The best thing about them was the smell.

So has anyone else tasted any of these new candy formulas? What did you think of them?

Yummy Link: Pop Rocks Chocolate Bar

YumSugar — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 06:03:31 -0700

I am definitely adding this Pop Rocks Chocolate Bar to my list of candy-must-trys. - Junk Food Blog

Candy Cane Pop Rocks

YumSugar — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 00:04:17 -0800

Pop Rocks has unveiled its new limited edition candy cane flavor. Each pack will set you back 99 cents and is guaranteed all the explosion power that you get with regular Pop Rocks. Perfect for a last minute stocking stuffer. You can order them here.

Our Review of Beatles Rock Band, Clooney Has a Naked Man Fan, and Using Facebook Instead of 911?!

Molly — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:17:19 -0700

Beatlemania returns today as The Beatles: Rock Band hits stores, and we're here with GeekSugar's review of the hotly anticipated new game! Plus, watch cute clips of George Clooney's indecent proposal and David Beckham with his family on Ellen. All that plus two Australian girls who got lost and instead of calling the police, they updated their Facebook statuses to get rescued. Check out PopSugar Rush now!

What to Download: New Music Today

BuzzSugar — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:00:17 -0800

Welcome to a very special Monday edition of What to Download! Instead of Tuesday, all the hot music releases are happening today. In addition to the dance-floor-ready releases I've handpicked below, Shakira's She Wolf also dropped today.

Good girl gone bad makes good: Rihanna has had a tough year, but if her release of Rated R is any indication, she's ready to pick herself up and be back on top - of the charts, at least. Considering her last album gave us modern classic "Umbrella," I've been trying to sniff out this year's mega-hit. "Hard" probably comes the closest, but while it's catchy, this isn't a candy-coated pop musing. Sounding weary but more mature, Rihanna brings a darkness with her singles, particularly on "Wait Your Turn," probably my favorite on the album. Speaking of dark, "Russian Roulette," a stirring ballad, conjures up gun metaphors for love. Its heaviness, along with the album's, may or may not translate to chart success, but it's a tough, brave declaration that Rihanna isn't going anywhere.

Feel the fame all over again:The Fame Monster is the re-issue of Lady Gaga's debut album The Fame, but has enough new tracks on it to justify all the buzz around it. You'd have to be fighting it pretty hard to not have heard "Bad Romance" - the track and its great hook are exactly what I like to hear from Gaga. But I think the real winner here is going to be "Telephone" - featuring the only diva fierce enough to go head to head with Gaga: Beyonce. If you still need more fuel for your dance party, play "Monster" a few times and you'll be spinning around your room in no time.

See one more new release when you read more.

Worship your glam idol: Kris Allen may have won American Idol, but Adam Lambert is your rock king. For Your Entertainment is as glittery and fun as its crazy cover promises. I've been loving the bouncy, sexy title track since Lambert performed it in his scandalous AMA performance. Swaggering glam rock track "Strut" is more of the same fun, and the fabulously '80s "Music Again" features the capable vocalist hitting high notes like a modern Freddie Mercury.

Link Time! New Moon Director Chris Weitz Has a New Project

BuzzSugar — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:30:52 -0800

New Moon director Chris Weitz reveals his next film, titled The Gardener - Cinematical
Who was the most over-the-top on the AMAs stage? - PopSugar
ABC halts Cougar Town due to a "private family matter" for Courteney Cox - HitFix
Here's a sneak peek at the final episode of Jon & Kate Plus 8 - People
Taking a page from Kevin James's resume, TLC is doing a new show about mall cops - TV Squad
Behind the scenes of Avatar - Rotten Tomatoes
Will the Grammys let Lady Gaga compete for Best New Artist? Pretty, pretty please! - Rock & Roll Daily
What's really based on true life and what was just made up in The Blind Side - Moviefone
Parks and Recreation's Aziz Ansari on his favorite music growing up - Pitchfork
Kat Dennings joins the Thor cast - MTV Splash Page
The top five turkeys on TV - as in failures, not the bird - The TV Addict
Heroes stars reveal what they're thankful for this year - TV.com

Girls and Guys Get Glam For the American Music Awards!

PopSugarUK — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 02:11:08 -0800

The American Music Awards took place last night in Los Angeles, celebrating the best in US music from the past 12 months! Taylor Swift was the big winner of the night, dominating the female categories and getting gongs for favourite artist in both pop and country categories as well as beating Michael Jackson to the huge award - Artist of the Year. Taylor's in London at the moment and missed the ceremony, but Michael's family Jermaine and Janet were at the ceremony and picked up the late singer's four awards.

Country act Gloriana were shocked to beat Lady GaGa to Breakthrough Artist award, while Twilight picked up yet another award for Favourite Soundtrack. Performers included Whitney Houston, Jay-Z, Black Eyed Peas, Shakira, Rihanna, Lady GaGa as well as a performance by Adam Lambert that's got everyone talking - see why under the cut!

To see the full list of winners from the evening, more photos from the red carpet and the show, plus video of Adam Lambert's performance just read more.

POP OR ROCK MUSIC

FAVOURITE MALE ARTIST
Michael Jackson

FAVOURITE FEMALE ARTIST
Taylor Swift

FAVOURITE BAND, DUO OR GROUP
The Black Eyed Peas

FAVOURITE ALBUM
Michael Jackson, Number Ones

COUNTRY MUSIC

FAVOURITE MALE ARTIST
Keith Urban

FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST
Taylor Swift

FAVOURITE BAND, DUO OR GROUP
Rascal Flatts

FAVOURITE ALBUM
Taylor Swift, Fearless

RAP/HIP-HOP MUSIC

FAVOURITE MALE ARTIST
Jay-Z

FAVOURITE BAND, DUO OR GROUP
Black Eyed Peas

FAVOURITE ALBUM
Jay-Z, The Blueprint 3

SOUL/RHYTHM & BLUES MUSIC

FAVOURITE MALE ARTIST
Michael Jackson

FAVOURITE FEMALE ARTIST
Beyonce

FAVOURITE ALBUM
Michael Jackson, Number Ones

SOUNDTRACKS

FAVOURITE ALBUM
The Twilight Soundtrack

ALTERNATIVE ROCK MUSIC

FAVOURITE ARTIST
Green Day

ADULT CONTEMPORARY MUSIC

FAVOURITE ARTIST
Taylor Swift

LATIN MUSIC

FAVOURITE ARTIST
Aventura

CONTEMPORARY INSPIRATIONAL

FAVOURITE ARTIST
Mary Mary

ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Taylor Swift

BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST
Gloriana

INTERNATIONAL AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
Whitney Houston

View 50 Photos ›

Images include: Sofia Vergara, Snoop Dogg, Keri Hilson, Alicia Keys, Pete Wentz, Leona Lewis, Adam Lambert, Paula Abdul, Lady GaGa, Rihanna, Kate Hudson, Alex Rodriguez, Will.i.am, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Kristen Bell, Selena Gomez, Leona Lewis, Dominic Monaghan, Mary J Blige, Kelly Clarkson, Fergie, Jennifer Lopez, Seth Green, Demi Lovato, Jay-Z, Toni Braxton, Billie Joe Armstrong, Green Day, Alex Meraz, Gloriana, Drake, Ryan Seacrest, Whitney Houston, Jermaine Jackson, Candis Cayne, Shakira, Mike Dirnt, Nicole Kidman, Kris Allen, Nelly Furtado.

Announcing the Winners: 2009 American Music Awards

BuzzSugar — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 21:42:17 -0800

The American Music Awards show is over, and I've got your full list of who earned trophies. Following her big CMA wins, Taylor Swift dominated in the female categories, taking home AMAs for favorite artist in both pop and country categories as well as the top honor of them all: Artist of the Year.

Besides Ms. Swift, there were plenty of others who triumphed, like country act Gloriana, who pulled off a shocker of an upset with Breakthrough Artist over Lady Gaga. (Even Gloriana poked fun at the win, asking the audience to raise a show of hands if they didn't know who they are.) Michael Jackson won four posthumous honors, and his brother Jermaine took the stage with family members to accept on his behalf. I'll be going over all of the highlights from the show tomorrow - including some of my red carpet coverage and notes from the press room - so check back then! For now, be sure to vote on Fab's fashion polls and Bella's beauty polls from the night's looks.