Ginger is an acquired taste and most people either love it or hate it. I'm not keen on ginger in cooking but I do like ginger beer. Sophie, age 8, and Juliette, age 4, don't like ginger beer but will happily munch away on gingerbread men. And Mike will eat pretty much anything anyway !! So when the three different varieties of ginger sweets arrived, I told everyone to taste one of each with an open mind and see what they thought.
First up was Gin-Gins Spicy Ginger Hard Sweets - "Sweet-hot ginger confection : Strong, fiery and delicious !" Despite the word fiery on the packet, these were the ones that everybody thought were the mildest and they liked the most. You can easily stash a few of the individually wrapped sweets in a pocket or bag, which is very handy. They're great to suck - I want to try these out on our next long car journey to see if they help alleviate the girls' travel sickness. The website says, "Double strength hard ginger candies made with all natural ingredients. Enjoy as an after dinner digestive or a throat lozenge to both warm and soothe. "
Next was the Original Ginger Chews - "Sweet-hot soft ginger confection : Spicy, chewy and delicious !" The jury is out on this one ! When I first started chewing, I said "ohh it's got the texture of a Jelly Baby" but within a few chews, it felt a bit strange and Mike said it was more like chewing a slug !!! Sophie ran around the room going "aaaggghhh my mouth is on fire !" but then came back and asked if she could have another one !! Juliette pulled a funny face and spat her one in the bin. They're hot and warming when you swallow the juice and I'm sure they would be great if you were suffering from a sore throat. They're a bit sticky and messy when you unwrap them though so are not so good for young children to eat on their own. The website says : " America's #1 selling ginger candy and winner of Fiery Food Association's Scovie Award for "Best Candy," our Original Ginger Chews are natural, stimulating and delicious. Given ginger's queasy-quelling properties, Ginger Chews are great to fight off nausea while flying boating or going on a bumpy road trip. Surprisingly and satisfyingly spicy. The only candy that bites you back! "
Lastly, we tried Gin-Gins Boost : The Traveler's Candy. Taste-wise, we couldn't really taste any difference or heat to the first ones, the hard candy. Texture-wise, they're slightly chewier as opposed to crunchy. After looking on the website, I discovered that they contain "a whopping 30% fresh ginger - our most potent candy yet! " Hmmm maybe our tongues were still anaesthetised after the ginger chews !! On the website it says, "Fondly referred to as our “little potion for the motion,” Gin Gins BOOST is a super-delicious, super-soothing candy packed with a whopping 30% fresh ginger - our most potent candy yet! You'll enjoy its softer texture and warm ginger kick. If you or someone you know suffers from motion sickness, give this tasty little candy a try. Call it a little traveler’s insurance to help make your next journey the most comfortable yet."
Whether or not you like the taste of ginger, you have to admire the company's credentials. It's still run as a family-owned-and-operated business with two state-of-the-art ginger factories in Australia and California, and they continue to use small-scale artisan-style techniques to maintain the highest quality and the best possible taste for their products.
I would definitely recommend trying these sweets if you suffer from any form of sickness. As I mentioned above, I want to test them on car journeys with the girls and I really wish I'd some at hand during my morning sickness. And if you love the taste of ginger, you won't even need an excuse to munch your way through a pack anyway !
star rating : 4/5
Gin-Gins are available at most health food stores including Holland & Barrett
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