The Good: Intriguing flavor, Nothing bad in them.
The Bad: Not the strongest flavor, Flavor fades in bulk.
The Basics: The Mandarin Orange Mango Smoothie Jelly Bellys are hit or miss when considered on their own.
Sometimes when I consider things as part of a group, the group rating is significantly higher than the sum of the various parts of that group. This is especially true of seasons of television shows, which has been noted by some who read my episode reviews of the same season. Often what will happen is that the entire season is rated higher than any form of average of ratings for the episodes within that season and while it might seem odd, it works because the whole season might progress and develop in ways not evident in a single episode or the feel of the season as a whole is greater than the individual episodes. So, while I have reviewed the Smoothie Assortment (here!) of Jelly Belly jelly beans rather favorably, when I consider some of them independent of the assortment, they do not fare quite as well. This is especially true of the Mandarin Orange Mango Smoothie jelly belly.
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 the Very Cherry Jelly Bean Dips, Seasonally-Available Candy Corn, the Snapple Assortment or their signature flavor Buttered Popcorn.
Who needs up to ten pounds of Mandarin Orange Mango Smoothie flavored Jelly Bellys? Anyone who loves their smoothies, but loathes the potential for their cirtus to curdle their milk, will love the sweet freedom of Mandarin Orange Mango Smoothie Jelly Belly jelly beans in bulk. Anyone who might like Mandarin Orange Mango Smoothie Jelly Belly jelly beans will likely find that buying by the ten pound box is a good way to get it, though at this point most places still only have this flavor in the Assortment.
Basics
Mandarin Orange Mango Smoothie is a flavor of Jelly Belly jelly beans from the Smoothie line of Jelly Bellys which is supposed to be a smoother bean. 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 fruity and they do.
Mandarin Orange Mango Smoothie flavored Jelly Bellys are available in a wide array of quantities, but they are frequently sold by the pound. The ten pound package, if one can find it, is the most affordable way to get them.
Mandarin Orange Mango Smoothie flavored Jelly Bellys are a little harder to recognize, especially within the Smoothie Assortment. The Mandarin Orange Mango Smoothie Jelly Belly jelly beans are a bright orange color that is only separated from the Strawberry Banana Smoothie Jelly Bellys by that flavor's red spots. Otherwise, the two are virtually identical, especially in low light.
Ease Of Preparation
These are jelly beans, not uncurdling milk after citric acid has been added to it, preparing them is as easy as opening the bag and popping one (or a handful) into your mouth. In the case of the ten pound box, one needs only to open the box and remove them from the bag inside. The optimal eating experience would come from eating these from a separate container.
Taste
The Mandarin Orange Mango Smoothie has almost no aroma, which is why it is almost astonishing that it has so much flavor to it. In truth, the bouquet adequately prepares the consumer for the overall experience of this Jelly Belly jelly bean.
The shell is very fruity and tastes like orange without the sharpness of straightforward oranges. The muted orange taste gives way to a milky flavor as the bean sits upon the tongue. The center is much more subtle, blending mango and milk flavorfully. This flavor is a little less distinct the more beans one eats and the mango flavor is subtle, getting lost the more beans one consumes.
The Mandarin Orange Mango Smoothie Jelly Belly jelly beans are the weak link of the Smoothie Assortment, especially in bulk. The reason for this is simple; the more of them one consumes, the less flavorful they become. The weak flavor becomes generically sweet after about a handful and at that point, the mango flavor is almost entirely lost to the citrus orange taste these beans possess. This is a poor bean to bulk up on, unless one is looking for a bean whose flavor will fade as portion control!
Nutrition
Again, these are jelly beans, not the healthy fruit beverage upon which it is based! They 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! Outside the bee's wax, they are pretty universally Vegan compliant because they do not have any actual milk in them. They have only one percent of the daily sodium with 20 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 . . .). They remain freshest when they are kept in an airtight container (the bag 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 denature. 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, it's just polite to the beans that way!). I've never had Mandarin Orange Mango Smoothie Jelly Bellys stain anything.
Overall
Mandarin Orange Mango Smoothie Jelly Bellys are light, fruity and ultimately less satisfying than most of the other Jelly Belly jelly beans, even in the Smoothie Assortment. This is a decent occasional bean, but not one worth stocking up on.
For other Jelly Belly flavors reviewed by me, please check out:
Birthday Cake Remix
Candy Cane (limited edition)
Pineapple Pear Smoothie
4/10
For other Jelly Belly jelly bean reviews, please be sure to visit my index page for a complete listing by clicking here!
© 2011 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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