Nestlé did not have much presence in the American chocolate/candy market until about the past decade, so it is not much of a surprise to find that American "Smarties" are "rockets".

Both of these "Smarties" are horrible vs. British Smarties. If you have not had British Smarties, you are in for a pleasant surprise when you do. The chocolate is creamier. There is less emphasis on the candy shell (which, I am sure, has become thicker here in the past couple of years). Best of all, the orange ones have natural orange flavour in them to make them like a small Terry's Chocolate Orange treat.

No, I am not British, I just like better chocolate.

this reminds me of various relatives over in the UK who also say that their chocolate is better.

they also tell me their bacon is better, the beef products are superior, and of course, being in northern ireland, that their potatoes are better.

i dunno. seems weird that this can all be true. home turf bias or fact?

you never know though. things are a bit different over there. they used to have a very popular ice cream treat called a "99" - which was one of those Flake chocolate sticks jammed into an ice cream cone.

and, when i first went to visit belfast one summer many years ago as a kid, i got a lot of weird looks from the local kids. see, it was summer. i was wearing shorts. apparently kids don't wear shorts in the summer over there..apparently they're too tough to do so. at least it was that way back then.

It's sad to be in America. No Smarties, no Caramilk, no Coffee Crisp, no Crispy Crunch, no whatever the sponge toffee one is called, no Cherry Blossoms, lousy Kit-Kats. And no Shreddies, on a different front.

It's always surprising when we have something the Americans don't.

Excuse me, but they have their own candies/cakes snack foods, which are just as good or even better that what's in Britain/Canada, like:

Big League Chew

Baby Ruth

href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s55QoIZScP4">Peter Paul's Almond Joy and Mounds

Milk Duds

Big Red Chewing Gum

Willy Wonka's Nerds and other candies from that company

Mallowmars

Twinkies

Hostess Fruit Pies

Chipwich

Tones of other stuff that you can look up if you want to.

You can get them down here in some specialty shops. I had a store within walking distance of my house that carries Smarties, Crunchies, real Kit-Kats, Caramilk, Flake, and several others. No Coffee Crisp or Malteesers, though.

@Douglas

I agree that British chocolate is better than anything we'd get here in Canada--Just try a Flake bar!

I heard during "Bring Your Culture to School Day" in my Kindergarten room that there are Ketchup chips only in Canada.......I always forget to check when I am over shopping....anyone know??

Hey, after literally months of hunting, I finally found an actual Chipwich sandwich (not the far inferior Nestle knock-offs). Corner store of Yonge + Chatsworth. Don't take the last one!
On the other hand, I still can't find Wink pop. Cadbury Schweppes burn in hell!!1

Lori: I think Dill Pickle is also a Canadian oddity also.

No Frills has ketchup chips for sale - made by Herr's - in Pennsylvania.

I like the Canadian ones better.
You guys also have Ketchup potato chips, Coffee Crisps, Aero bars, Sleemans Honey Brown and Labatt Honey Brown and several other beers that dont make it south of the border.

you just found out? :)

Toronto Mike

I just found out!

Labatt Honey Brown...Hmmm, Ive never seen that one.

I found out about the Smarties on a work trip many years ago.

Me - `Do you have any smarties`
7-11 Employee - `Are you trying to be funny?'
Me - ' Uh no, I just want some smarties'
7-11 Employee - 'Would you please leave the store'

At my work (a school in the Buffalo suburbs), we used to have Coffee Crisp in the faculty lunchroom vending machine! They haven't had them for a while, but they feature them at the local Buffalo SPoT coffee shops.

American Smarties are gross. They remind me of chewable vitamins.

I've only seen smarties like the Canadian ones.

After moving to the U.S., the first thing I do when I head back north is buy the biggest box of Smarties possible! American Smarties are just compacted powder sugar! Horrible!!

British chocolate is superior. I have British friends who send me care packages and their chocolate is amazing. Even their cheap Marks and Spencer stuff is better than ours. I'm actually one of those people who is willing to shell out $$$ for decent chocolate and it's ridiculous what the difference is.

The chocolate that people have brought me from Switzerland and Belgium v. the stuff they sell here that is supposedly from Switzerland is astounding. You have to go to an import store to get decent items.

I sometimes wonder if people just dump their crap on our market because we fall for it. Other countries have better health care, better food, better electronics, better broadband, etc...

Rockets are terrible btw. No, our stuff is not as good as the stuff in Britain or Canada.

so you call m&ms smarties in canada

Toronto Mike

No, we call M&Ms M&Ms in Canada.

Smarties are similar, but different.

If you go and look at the "American Smarties" wrapper, it says made in Canada. Technically they are both Canadian smarties.

Hershey seems responsible for most of the crap chocolate in the world and pretty much sets the American standard for commercial chocolate readily available. I never understood how anyone over the age of five could stomach a Hershey bar. For decent chocolate in America you have to go the route of imports like Godiva or premium chocolatiers like Ghirardelli. In the UK and everywhere I've been in Europe you can get really tasty chocolate inexpensively in any corner shop.

American and Canadian chocolate and candy has lots of wax or other hardening agent, to the point of affecting the flavour. European chocolate is just more, well, chocolatey.

I agree with Ryan G. Smarties from England is way more creamer than the one from here. Their Cadburys are delicious too. When ever we have friends going to England. That's the first thing we tell them to bring.

Hello,

I just bought a 6 oz. bag of Smarties from Rite - Aid's Pantry item in San Rafael, California. When I got home I opened the bag and took out a roll. First I noticed there was no "Made in Canada" text on the wrapper. Next I tasted the roll candy and it tastes different! They are mushy and flavorless as compared to the Smarties made in Canada, of which I have a 3 lb. bag, which are crunchy and flavorful.
Could it be that the recipe is different in the USA? How can I be assured that the roll candy Smarties I buy online are truly Made In Canada?
Our entire family have eaten and LOVED Smarties candy for a very long time, well over 50 years.
Please help.

nice

I don't see how people assume that European chocolate is better than North American chocolate. Yes it is creamier and more flavourful than in Canada and the United States, but it feels like I am the only person in the entire universe who likes synthetic chocolate past age 5.

I just watched a "Food Factory" segment on Rockets made in the Canadian factory. From what I have been able to find, Rockets and American style Smarties are made in two factories, one in Canada, and one in the US using the same recipes and processes, the only difference between Rockets and Smarties made in the Canadian and US factories are labels/name.

I have read that some people see a slight difference in the colors when comparing Rockets and Smarties, slight color differences between batches and factories isn't very surprising. Unless precise color matching is done, colors of just about everything from yarn to paint to candy vary slightly from batch to batch. The "Food Factory" segment showed them measuring liquid artificial coloring by volume in a beaker when making a batch of candy, which is not terribly precise and very likely to cause variations in color.

My guess is that Smarties / Rockets that have dull flavor and a soft texture are old or have been stored in hot or humid conditions. The Smarties / Rockets packaging isn't air tight, and humidity will cause the candy to turn soft, while age and heat will cause the flavors to be dull.

Do you know anything about Milk Nut Loaf chocolate bar. Not sure of the manufacturer. In the '70s.

Cadbury Flake chocolate bars from Britain are my favorite. you can get them selectively in Canada, but the British ones are best. Thanks Grandma!

I wish I could have British Smarties... :(

(P.S. I'm Canadian.)

Did I just read that our Canadian Smarties are made by Nestle?
That is so sad as I take my grandchildren in the states smarties as a treat.
There will no longer be smarties in Nana's backpack as ...
I have just boycotted Nestle.
http://usuncut.com/news/nestle-water-deal-fryeburg-maine/

Hah

Trader Joe's premium versions of normal candies are amazing, especially the three pack of Crunch-like bars and the 99 cent 3.5 ounce sack of mini peanut butter cups. For major European brands though I'd have to go with Ritter-Sport over Cadbury.

Canadian smarties look better and taste better than the American one

First of all, I notice that some people are confusing candy Smarties (Rockets) for candy coated milk chocolate Smarties in Canada.

There is also a MARKED difference between Canadian candy coated chocolate Smarties and M&M's. Smarties are just creamier! British Smarties may be even creamier still, but Canadian Smarties put M&M's to shame!

Whenever I go up to Canada, I go to Save-on-Foods bulk food section, select TWO bags and double them up, and then EMPTY the entire Smarties bin! After I have paid for them, I dump the Smarties into a clean, empty ice cream bucket that I brought with me.

When I get home, I disburse 1 cupful of Smarties into as many Zip lock bags as I can.

You see, I have converted a LOT of my friends, and they ALL plead with me to bring back Canadian Smarties!

Of course, there's also Uncle Dan's Country Dill Mix, HP Sauce, Shreddies, Muffets, Alpha Bits, ando Red River Cereal!

I never knew there were so many chocolate bars available in Canada that are not in the USA. I was going to send my friend a whack of caramels bars, they are my fav, but now it seems I will be sending a variety of treats. I heard kit kat is Canadian too, true?

I just read this while eating a 203g of Smarties share pop'npour container......I love Smarties....but then I also had some Junior mints....(i had a tough day at work)...I started out life in a candy store...literally and find that chocolate must taste terrific to have by itself but when coated or filled its even better...I prefer dark to milk and European bars like Ritter or Lindt much more than Gagnon (which makes me gag still after 65 years). There are some terrific new chocolatiers in Canada that have fabulous products like Constance Popp in Winnipeg....Xocolatl Chocolate in Vancouver and Squamish...with more of a New World way with chocolate....via Mexico and the Mayas....I love chocolate but it has to be good....to be worthwhile crossing my lips....:-)
and Smarties with their little crunch and their colors....are worthy...yes...I eat the red ones last because I used to love their flavor but now its...habit...

I miss Canada! I was so confused when someone offered me Smarties and gave me what I would call Rockets. And Coffee Crisp was the best!
My mom grew up in Scotland and her absolute favorite thing was the Flake chocolate. It's a little too rich for me though. But I love Caramel Bars. Mom bought a whole box on her way home from her last trip :)