7-Eleven Salted Caramel Donut

Today, I found myself doing something I don't do very often: getting donuts from there. Typically, I get a soda or some snacks for my students there, but rarely do I indulge in their donuts. I guess it's because I always figured that local donut shops do things better, so why bother with convenience store donuts? However, today was a different day. 7-Eleven had thrown something at me that I had to try out.

A Salted Caramel Donut

I don't think I've seen salted caramel donuts at any of the local donut shops. I love salty and sweet combinations, so I had to try one of these. Before I took my first bite, I was expecting the worst. How could 7-Eleven make a donut as good as a donut shop can? How well could they do salted caramel? With my first bite, I was pleasantly surprised. Now, the texture was a bit, shall I say, gummier than other donuts I've had. This is probably so the donuts last longer. However, despite the texture, I found myself liking the flavor of this donut. They did the whole salty-sweet thing pretty well, and this exceeded my expectations. Here's hoping that local donut shops start making these or 7-Eleven getting the texture right.

7-Eleven Salted Caramel Donut: 8.5/10

McDonald's Strawberry & Creme Pie

I don't often go to McDonald's for food. I go there quite often for a large Diet Coke, but rarely do I go for the food. I've always meant to try things such as Chicken McBites, but I haven't had enough motivation to do so. However, I was VERY interested when one of my friends spoke very highly of McDonald's Strawberry & Creme Pie. I had never heard of these "signature" pies, as I usually just order a large Diet Coke and get out, but I guess they're a new thing.

The box for the pie was very nondescript. My friend said that this was, "probably the best McDonald's pie". These were very bold words. Usually when people say things like this, you're in for some disappointment. When someone hypes something up for you, your expectations are raised, and afterward you're left asking yourself, "Was that it?" I was hoping that this wouldn't be the case with this.

A Strawberry & Creme Pie broken in half

The first thing I noticed is that the strawberry and the cream were exposed on the top of the pie. I also noticed that there was one side that was just strawberry and the other side was just creme. The flavor was quite good as it wasn't too sweet; the cream cut the sweetness of the strawberry. The texture of the crust was also good, as I feel like it was a bit lighter than a regular McDonald's pie. Overall, I'd say that my friend's claim was correct, as I don't think this was the greatest thing ever, but it is the greatest of the McDonald's pies. One minor downside is that it costs $0.89, which is a bit more than apple pies which cost $0.50.

McDonald's Strawberry & Creme Pie: 9/10

Meiji Earl Grey Chocolate

Milk tea is something that I never really got into until college. It's a flavor combination that always seemed a bit odd to me. When people ordered milk tea I always imagined someone mixing the tea from Asian restaurants with some milk, and that didn't appeal to me at all. However, as I got older, I realized that milk is a pretty good combination. There's the scent of the tea, the richness of the milk, and a slight sweetness that goes along with it all. With that being said, how would people feel about chocolate milk tea?

The good folks at Meiji have answered that question with this candy. If there's green tea chocolate, green tea ice cream, and Earl Grey ice cream, why not Earl Grey chocolate, right?

The back of the box

A stick of Earl Grey chocolate

I definitely got a strong scent of tea when I bit into this chocolate. At first, I was a bit disappointed in the chocolate, because it wasn't very rich. However, as I tasted it a bit more, I grew to like it. It's not too rich, not too sweet, and is very aromatic. The texture is a bit brittle at first, but it will eventually melt. If you like milk tea, then you should definitely check this product out because it's basically milk tea turned into little sticks. However, be warned, this candy is a bit pricy. It costs about as much (or a little more, depending on where you buy your milk tea) as a cup of milk tea, and it doesn't last very long if friends or children are around.

Meiji Earl Grey Chocolate: 8/10