German Products Spotlight: The "Wunderbar"

So, I'm trying out a new feature on the site. I figure I have a few months left in Germany, I should spotlight some of the products that you find here (and that I'll miss once I go back home!!).

That being said, I picked this one up purely for the hilarity of it. Everyone, this is the Wunderbar:

Yes, they have a candy bar here with probably the best pun-inspired name ever. Let's take a closer look, shall we?

"a peanut butter caramel experience"

Ok, it might just be me, but shouldn't a German candy bar wrapper be written in, oh I don't know, GERMAN?

Oh wait, THAT explains it...

Yes, the Wunderbar is made in Canada. I was so excited when I saw it in the store; to get home and realize everything on the label is in English first, and it's not even made here... I'm sorry, but we in North America don't do Cadbury justice (I've had Cadbury in the UK - no friggin comparison). So disappointing...

Well, after the initial disappointment, I thought it was still funny enough to post about (clearly), and I couldn't let a wondrous combination of chocolate, caramel, peanut butter and crispy rice go to waste, now could I?

So let's open this sucker up

My first thought? It looks surprisingly like a Twix. A little bigger, but quite Twix-like all the same. Being the scientifically minded person I am (and knowing that I needed to save half for the hubs), I bisected it cleanly in half for a closer inspection of the strata (fancy speak for "I cut that sh** in half to see the pretty layers of sweety goodness")

Notice the three distinct layers of this luscious treat. You have a crunchy, peanutty filling coated in smooth sticky caramel, all lovingly draped in North America's finest chocolate. Truly Wunderbar!

Don't believe me?

See? If it's in a diagram, especially one with arrows, you know it has to be good!

Well, it looks tasty enough, but you never know until you try.

Mmm.......

Final Verdict?

OK, all joking aside, this is a sad excuse for an "authentic" German treat. There's really nothing German about it. In fact, it's nothing more than a clever ruse concocted by North American businessmen to make poor homesick expats (like myself) feel comfortable in the big scary world of Not-North-America.

I'll be honest, I fell for it - I was taken in by the novelty of the Wunderbar like a true gullible American traveller before coming to my senses to realize it's about as German as Pommes Frites (hugely popular). I don't honestly think I've seen a single German person buying candy bars at the store, or walking around with one. I haven't seen the wrappers in the trash (or on the ground - they keep the streets fairly clean here in Mainz). Truth is, candy bars as we know them were invented by the British, and "perfected" by Americans. So far, the only really good bar chocolate is found in Switzerland.

OK, so we've established the astounding non-Germanness of the Wunderbar. Setting that aside and just looking at this product as a candy bar, it's a pretty good one. The caramel is soft and smooth; it's not so sticky that it adheres your teeth together, and not so overpowering that all you taste is sweet sugar. The filling is pretty good: soft and a little crumbly, with crisped rice mixed in, giving it a light and interesting texture. The choclate is what you would expect from any American candy bar. All in all, it's basically taken the flavors of a Baby Ruth, and made them easier on your teeth.

In the end, it gets a "0" for authenticity, but a "7" overall for taste. Not bad, but not really Wunderbar.