Halloween is right around the corner and your Canadian Correspondent has you covered if you want to go north of the border for your candy hunt. Whether you would call them different but the same or the same but different, here are six American candies and their Canadian doppelgangers!
1. Whoppers and Maltesers
When Americans crave malted milk balls enrobed in milk chocolate, Whoppers comes to mind. But if you were at the movies in Canada, you would probably have to settle for Maltesers, the honeycomb-structured lookalike. Who copied who? Well, Maltesers were first sold in 1937, and Whoppers entered the candy market two years later in 1939. Sure, Americans have strawberry and peanut butter flavoured Whoppers, but Canadians have white chocolate Maltesers. And what’s better than white chocolate? Nothing.
2. Raisinets and Glosettes.
Who likes chocolate covered raisins? Both Americans and Canadians, apparently. In the USA, they’re called Raisinets, but travel north (or west and east in Maine’s case), and you’ll have to look for Glosettes. Raisinets first were sold in the United States in 1927. It isn’t published exactly when Glosettes were originally introduced, but they were named after the guy who helped make Oh Henry! a thing back in 1923 (John Glossinger), so let’s just assume Raisinets wins the age game.
3. Hershey’s Air Delight and Aero
Have you felt the bubbles melt? That’s the slogan for Canada’s beloved Aero bars, soft chocolate bars with a bubbly texture that just melts in your mouth. Americans can feel the bubbles melt too by having a Hershey’s Air Delight. Aero bars were first introduced in 1935, and Americans weren’t blessed with bubbles until Hersey launched Air Delight in 2011.
4. Butterfinger and Crispy Crunch
Butterfinger is a very crisp and crunchy peanut butter flavoured, chocolate coated candy bar that gets stuck in your teeth. Butterfinger was first made in 1923 in Chicago. That sounds like a long time ago and definite winner in originality until you find out its literally named Canadian twin, Crispy Crunch, was created in 1912. Nice try, American chocolate.
5. Milky Way and Mars Bars
In Canada, we don’t call Milky Way bars, which are made of nougat, caramel, and chocolate, by the same name. Instead of an entire galaxy, we have a planet-named twin: Mars bars. Milky Way bars first sprung out of Minneapolis in 1923. Mars bars were invented in England in 1932. They were in the United States until it was discontinued in 2002, but have remained largely successful in Canada. The confusing part is that Mars bars are actually manufactured by an American company.
6. Smarties and Rockets
This one’s a bonus. In Canada, if you ask for Smarties, don’t expect to get your American Smarties, or what Canadians call Rockets, in return. Instead, expect to be pleasantly surprised. Canadian Smarties are like slightly sweeter, bigger, flatter, and crunchier M&Ms. They’re great. Pro-tip: you’re supposed to eat the red ones last.