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Review Thu Jul 30 2009
Mmm, Bacon Lollipop
Bacon and maple syrup, two great tastes that taste great together -- at the breakfast table, anyway. How are they when combined into a sucker? I found out this week when I tried Das Foods' "Man Bait" maple-bacon lollipop.
OK, so I'm a little late to this, but as the city gears up for BaconFest, I figured now's a good a time as any. And despite my love for bacon, I've been gun-shy about bacon-flavored candies, in large part due to my disappointment in other offerings. The bacon flavor in most is underwhelming, or else doesn't play well with the other flavors. (Do not under any circumstances order bacon mints. They're seriously vile.) But this being a home-grown product, I gave it a try.
First off, the wrapper. What's up with "Man Bait"? Are women not interested in bacon? Seems to me bacon is universal, but whatever. Taking off the wrapper, you're confronted with a translucent sucker studded with bubbles and bits of bacon. A quick whiff and you smell smoke and a little maple sweetness.
That smokiness is what's at the forefront on first taste. I'm not sure if Das Foods used liquid smoke or some other flavorant, but it seems clear that it's not connected to the bacon itself. It gives way eventually to a mild maple syrup flavor and then finally a hint of bacon. At first I was concerned that the bacon was rendered flavorless by the manufacturing process, but it turned out I just hadn't melted the sugar enough to get to any of it yet. Once I did, it was tasty, though still mild. The savory balances nicely with the sweet for a fairly positive overall flavor.
Unfortunately, adding bits of bacon to the lollipop resulted in a gritty texture -- once the bacon is exposed, it feels like the sucker is covered in sand. Yummy, eventually chewy sand, but sand nonetheless. That's likely to turn a lot of people off.
The maple-bacon lollipop is a novelty and nothing more. It doesn't pack that much of a bacon wallop, so it won't satisfy a bacon craving. But it doesn't veer into tragedy, either. If you have bacon-loving friends and want to plan ahead for your next party, these are a good bet.
Graham / July 30, 2009 2:39 PM
When I was a kid, I remember there was such a thing as pickle-flavored lollipops. But no one I know has ever heard of this, so maybe it was some weird Southern thing.