My Chocolate Balls! (Mars Maltesers)

Member Name: ian22

Product:	Mars Maltesers
Date:	04/06/06 (2387 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very tasty, moreish

Disadvantages: Can be sickly

Since joining Dooyoo about 3 years ago, I have written reviews on quite a few different chocolates, but somehow seem to have overlooked one of my all-time favourites, Maltesers. So today, I shall finally write my review on the humble Malteser.

BACKGROUND

Let's start with a bit of trivia...

Maltesers were originally known as 'Energy Balls' and were invented by Forrest Mars Sr. in 1936. Despite the name, Maltesers bear no connection to Malta or anything Maltese. In fact, the name actually came from the combination of the words, 'malt' and 'teasers'.

Nowadays, Maltesers are made by the Mars group and are popular not only in the United Kingdom but also in Ireland and Japan. Interestingly, countries like the USA and Australia have their own versions of Maltesers too.

WHAT ARE MALTESERS?

I'm sure most people are familiar with Maltesers, but for those who aren't, let me tell you a bit about them. Maltesers consist of a spherical malt centre, surrounded by a thin layer of milk chocolate. The manufacturers of Maltesers are not keen to divulge information on exactly how they are made, but it is thought that the malty centre is formed by making small pellets of a dough-like mixture which are then placed in a low pressure container. This enables the bubbles in the mixture to expand and results in the formation of round, crunchy balls. These are then coated in chocolate and polished to give them a shiny appearance!

PACKAGING

Maltesers are sold in various sized packets, ranging from the small treatsize packets to the large bucket-type containers. However, whatever size you buy, the main appearance of the packaging remains the same. It is always bright red, with "Maltesers" written across the front in bold, white lettering and lots of chocolate Malteser balls (some half-eaten) scattered randomly over the top.

THE EATING EXPERIENCE

Because of their honeycomb centres, Maltesers are actually quite delicate. It seems a shame to have to bite into the intricate, bubbly centre, but it's just one of those things that has to be done! It's up to you how you eat them, of course. You can either munch them or let them melt slowly in your mouth. Sometimes I like to let them melt on my tongue, but more often than not, I bite off the chocolate layer and munch the inner honeycomb ball. It's quite a challenge to do this without biting straight into the crunchy centre, I can tell you!

So what do Maltesers taste like? Well the chocolate on Maltesers is quite sweet and reminds me of Nestlé milk chocolate. It is perfectly enjoyable, but it is the honeycomb centre which makes Maltesers unique, so it is this bit which deserves the most mention.

The inner centre is deliciously crunchy and has a bubbly appearance to it. When you first take a bite, it tastes quite sweet, but after a few seconds, this sweetness is replaced by a malty, creamy aftertaste. If you choose to let it melt in your mouth, you'll find that the crunchy centre quickly turns into a gooey mass, which dissolves on its own.

Although Maltesers look light, they can actually be quite sickly. The milk chocolate and malty inner centre can make for a sickly combination, so take care not to eat too many at a time. They are, however, very moreish and even the most strong-willed among us will find it hard not to want to keep eating more.

NUTRITION & DIETARY INFORMATION

100g of Maltesers contains:

Energy = 505 kcal (calories)
Protein = 7.9g
Carbohydrate = 62.8g
Fat = 24.7g

Maltesers that are made here in the UK are suitable for vegetarians, because they contain whey powder from suppliers who use rennet approved by the UK Vegetarian Society. However, those made on the continent may contain whey powder which originates from calves. As long as there is a 'U' after the best before date, then you can be sure that the Maltesers have been made in the UK and are therefore suitable for vegetarians.

Unfortunately, I cannot say whether they are suitable for those with nut allergies or not as the box gives no information.

PRICE

A 146g box of Maltesers normally sells for around £1.15, but I was recently lucky enough to buy one for a mere 98p in my local branch of Tesco. The larger gift box (400g) retails for around £2.98 and the standard 37g bag for 39p.

CONCLUSION

In my opinion, Maltesers are one of the finest chocolates ever invented. They are simple little creations, but are one of the few chocolates that even today remain popular with people of all ages. Overall, I rate Maltesers very highly and personally find them one of the tastiest chocolates around.

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