What's new in candyland

I had planned on going to the Fancy Food Show in New York a couple of weeks ago. It's a humungo trade show where food companies display their latest creations to potential retailers. The weekend, however, was hot and muggy and I just couldn't muster the energy to get dressed in adult clothes and take the train into the city. Basically, I was just feeling lazy. But there are some new things coming out that I thought I'd share.

New from Chuao Chocolatier (based in San Diego) are their ChocoPods. These are decent-sized "pods" of chocolate that have less than 60 calories per serving. If you're one of those people who can have a small bite of chocolate and be satisfied, these are the ticket. The chocolate is rich and dense and the ooey-gooey fillings come in these flavors: Candela (spicy macadamia praline), Modena (strawberry and balsamic caramel), Picante (spicy cabernet caramel), Passion (passion fruit caramel), Banana (banana brown sugar caramel) and Dulce le Leche (milk caramel). I wasn't too keen on the banana; it was more brown sugar than banana, I thought, but I really liked the Modena and the Candela. YUM!

Other new products (that I haven't tried) include:

Koeze's Cream-Nut Peanut Butter Clusters: they look like a cross between a turtle and a peanut butter cup

Sweet's "Malt Shop" Gourmet Taffy: I'm not a huge fan of taffy, but these look good. The flavors are cherry cola, banana split, chocolate shake and rootbeer float.

ChocolateByNumbers: these are six different percentages of chocolates, from 31% up to 72%. They look ideal for a chocolate tasting party.

So there you have it, some new goodies to keep an eye out for. Now the question is: Will I attend the All-Candy Expo in Chicago? I'd LOVE to, especially since it's been quite a few years since I've gone, but the H-man presents some logistical (and financial) problems. Should I go? Talk me into it!