Riesen is one of those candies that I’d often seen on store shelves and in commercials but had never bothered to try.
When I was in England on my toffee binge, I saw these under the counter and thought it was time I gave them a shot. It helped that they came in a small candy bar-sized portion rather than in the bigger peg bag version I was more used to seeing in the U.S. I should’ve known that a candy made by Storck (they also make Toffifay and Mambas but are probably most famous for Werther’s Originals) would be pretty good.
Riesens are chocolate-flavored caramels (or toffee, in Brit-speak; because I bought mine in Britain, I shall refer to them as toffees) covered in chocolate.
The chocolate coating, which could have gone horribly wrong and been made of fake vegetable oil chocolate, was lovely, dark, and rich. The chocolate-flavored toffee inside was just the right blend of creamy and chewy and sticky. It managed to glue my teeth together a bit, but none of it got stuck in the nooks and crannies of my mouth, so no embarrassing post-candy teeth picking necessary. I have no idea how Riesen got their toffee texture teased to perfection, but it was wonderful.
The flavor of the toffee inside was quite nice – a round, mellow cocoa – but wasn’t anything revolutionary. What really sold me on the Riesen’s was the texture, which can be so crucial for creating a candy that constantly surprises the tongue and makes one want to reach for more. I polished off my pack super quickly; thus, Riesen get a ZOMG! from me, coupled with a tinge of regret for my not having discovering these sooner.
Try them for yourself and leave your comments below.? If you want a second and third opinion, check out reviews from Cybele at Candy Blog and Jamie at Candy Addict.
Varsha