Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Chocolate Pudding Jelly Bellys: Good Flavor, Tough Sell To Bulk Up On

Chocolate Pudding Jelly Belly Jelly Beans - 10 lbs bulk
Click to buy directly from Jelly Belly!



The Good: Environmentally responsible bulk, Taste does not fade
The Bad: Taste is not as precise as some other flavors, No real nutritional value
The Basics: Chocolate Pudding is a good, but not great flavor of Jelly Belly and if one has to stock up on them, this is a great way to go!


The wonderful thing about the eclectic flavors of Jelly Belly jelly beans is that - even the ones that do not work all that well - they are different. Unlike the usual bland, sugary flavors of jelly beans that are defined by color for their taste ("hmm, yes, this tastes pink!") the flavors of Jelly Belly jelly beans largely taste like what they are supposed to. Sometimes, this is slightly ridiculous. For example, one of the flavors of Jelly Bellys is Chocolate Pudding. On the surface, this seems like a great idea, but it doesn't take much thought before some of us get around to thinking "they made a dessert out of a dessert flavor?!"

For those who might never have had Jelly Belly jelly beans, these are easily the best jelly beans on the planet, packing a lot of flavor into a very small size. Unlike most jelly beans which are only vaguely flavored and are more based on colors, Jelly Belly jelly beans have a wide variety of actual flavors, like Sour Watermelon, A&W Root Beer, French Vanilla, or their signature flavor Buttered Popcorn.

Who needs ten pounds of Chocolate Pudding flavored Jelly Bellys? I anyone who would eat a ten pound can of premade chocolate pudding but has lost their favorite can opener will get the same jag off these beans! Anyone who might like Chocolate Pudding Jelly Belly jelly beans will likely find that this is the best way to get them in bulk in an environmentally responsible way for the least amount of money.

Basics

Chocolate Pudding is a flavor of Jelly Belly jelly beans. Jelly Belly jelly beans are approximately one half inch long by one quarter inch wide and they are roughly bean-shaped. These little candies are marketed to taste precisely like Chocolate Pudding and they live up to that adequately, though without the real zest of chocolate.

Chocolate Pudding flavored Jelly Bellys are available in a wide array of quantities, but the largest quantity available is the ten pound bulk case. This is a decent-sized box with a plastic lining and while some might wonder why anyone would need a ten pound box, I ask, "Ever lost the motor coordination for a can opener and wanted pudding?" I suspect that for most people, a ten pound case is a year's supply of these jelly beans.

Chocolate Pudding flavored Jelly Bellys are a pain to tell apart from some of the other flavors of Jelly Bellys. In normal lighting, the Chocolate Pudding beans are a brown that is only slightly less red than the Dr. Pepper beans. However, while the A&W Root Beer flavored beans are translucent brown, the Chocolate Pudding beans are close in color. Similarly, while the Cappuccino beans are translucent brown and have white spots, they are awfully close to the brown color of the Chocolate Pudding beans. From a distance in low light, Chocolate Pudding may even be mistaken for Licorice flavor!

Ease Of Preparation

These are jelly beans, not opening a giant pudding can barehanded! In the case of the ten pound box, one might want to put them in a candy dish of some form as opposed to always going into the box. Then again, you are free to enjoy them any way you wish! It's not like real milk-based pudding and it does bad if you keep opening the box. Eat them however you want!

Taste

Chocolate Pudding Jelly Bellys have no bouquet, so it is not surprising their flavor is a little muted. This does not create much of an anticipatory sensory experience. As a result, the flavor is subtle and the consumer does not get a hint by anything nasal.

As far as the taste itself goes, Chocolate Pudding Jelly Bellys have a fairly bland outer coat and it is only when one bites into the Jelly Belly that it explodes with flavor. When it does, it tastes like a muted chocolate flavor, much like pudding. This is not milk chocolate or dark chocolate, it is chocolate pudding and it has a similar generic chocolate taste that is neither strong or particularly chocolate. In other words, for those who might be somewhat disappointed by the flavor of chocolate pudding compared to chocolate chips or Godiva chocolate, they are likely to be as disappointed in these beans.

On the plus side, Chocolate Pudding flavored Jelly Bellys do not diminish in taste when you eat vast quantities of them. No, these taste like chocolate pudding bite after bite, not getting stronger, but not sinking into a generic sugary taste that some Jelly Bellys do.

Nutrition

Again, these are jelly beans, so anyone looking to them for nutrition needs to understand they are based upon something that is a dessert itself. Jelly beans, even Jelly Belly jelly beans, are not a legitimate source of nutrition. These are a snack food, a dessert, and are in no way an adequate substitute for a real meal. A serving is listed at thirty-five beans, with each Jelly Belly jelly bean having approximately four calories. This means that in a single serving, there are 140 calories, which is 12% of your daily recommended intake.

The thing is, Jelly Belly jelly beans are not as bad as they could be in the nutrition area. They have no fat and no protein, but for those who have ever dated a Vegan, these are Vegan compliant because they contain no gelatin! They have only one percent of the daily sodium with 15 mg and they are gluten free! The main ingredients are sugar, corn syrup and modified food starch, so it's not like this is an all-natural food, but they could be far, far worse.

Storage/Clean-up

Jelly Belly jelly beans have a shelf life of approximately one year and I have yet to run across a stale Jelly Belly (though that could have something to do with a package never surviving a year around me and this flavor doesn't even last six months usually). They remain freshest when they are kept in an airtight container (the bag in the bulk box is sufficient if it is kept closed) and they ought to be kept in a lukewarm environment. Storing them in hot places is likely to make the beans stick together and be gross. Kept in a cool, dry place, the beans retain their flavor perfectly.

As for cleanup, unless one allows the Jelly Belly to get hot to the point that the waxy coating on the bean melts, the dyes on these do not bleed or denature, so there is usually no cleanup necessary, not even washing one's hands after eating them (always wash your hands before eating Jelly Bellys, these are not protected in a solid aluminum can!). I've never had Chocolate Pudding Jelly Bellys stain anything.

Overall

Chocolate Pudding Jelly Belly jelly beans are good flavor, but it is not one of the flavors that is more overwhelmingly flavorful. As a result, those who love Jelly Belly jelly beans are likely to feel a little let down by these.

For other Jelly Belly flavors reviewed by me, please check out:
Cantaloupe
Pomegranate
Coconut

6.5/10

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© 2011, 2009 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission

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