noshing

Vietnam Restaurant shakes Alia and Aria olive oil Edamame Noshing Niagara

The Brits are not known for the quality of their cuisine. But in one area they stand out: though Milton Hershey and H.B. Reese may have been Americans, when it comes to candy bars, those Brits have us beat. And luckily, there’s no need to book a flight on Virgin to sample some of the best. Thanks to the Hub’s sizable Irish expat community, many Boston-area supermarkets have sections featuring food from across the pond.

Of course, much of these bars’ appeal lies in their novelty: their nifty packaging, their cutesy names. They’re just so ... different. Take the Yorkie (89 cents), for example. What a quaint name! It comes in two varieties: original (a hefty bar of plain ol’ chocolate) and raisin-and-biscuit. Raisin-and-biscuit! What country are we in? Then there’s Fry’s Turkish Delight (99 cents — and not only is it delightful, it’s " Full of Eastern Promise " ). Despite the bar’s mystique, it must be admitted that this square, chocolate-covered gelatinous thing tastes a little medicine-y. And a friend who’s been to Turkey says that it’s a pale imitation of the real thing. The Aero (99 cents), on the other hand, is great. Its aerated center gives it a soft, melt-in-your-mouth consistency and a rich chocolate flavor. " Have you ever felt the bubbles melt? " the wrapper asks intriguingly. We have.

The Toffee Crisp (79 cents) is another bar with an oh-so-very-English name. It’s called that because it’s filled with toffee and, well, crisps. Finally, check out the Lion bar (89 cents). As a student in Dublin, I ate almost as many of these as I downed pints of Guinness. Big. Chunky. Wafery. Caramely. It is the chocolate bar that roars.