Prowling the carefully arranged rows of ancient canned goods, dusty boxes, and mysterious jars that seemed more like science experiments turned sour than anything consumable, my eyes were locked in on all the new and unusual items displayed at the grocery store. Not merely shopping, but hunting, the objective was not to find something I had heard of before, but to discover something new- Something “accidentally vegan.” The thrill of the hunt brought me back to this little game time and again, excitedly flipping over packages that held even an ounce of potential, and scanning labels with a fierce, laser-like stare, seeking out any nasty bits that wouldn’t agree with me. Inevitably hitting upon something not vegan more often than not, that once prized jewel would be hurled back on the shelf where it came from with such venom, I’m surprised there weren’t more casualties left in my wake.
Rarely do I have the time to indulge this old habit any more, more inclined to get in and then get out of the store as quickly as possible, but it does always pose a temptation. Many fantastic eats have been uncovered as accidentally vegan, and I can only dream that there’s still a whole trove of delicacies yet to be revealed.
Increasingly, manufacturers are beginning to get smart to the plight of the rushed grocery shopping vegan, and have begun to actually label their goods as such. What a concept! Unlike the mainstream treats of yesteryear, these shiny new wrappers have a neat little “V” or even the whole word “Vegan” emblazoned as a bold declaration, taking the guess work (and the wild goose chase) out of it. Q.Bel is one such company, and they’ve made sure there’s nothing “accidentally” vegan about their newest creation, actually pushing that angle pretty hard in all their press releases and on the candy itself. I, for one, was thrilled, and jumped at the opportunity to sample such an unapologetically cruelty-free mainstream candy for myself.
A higher-end candy in the grand scheme of things, Q.Bel has a number of chocolate-covered wafer options, but bear in mind that only the Double Dark Chocolate Wafer Bars have no animal products. Happily, there’s no need to bemoan the lack of options; this little number is fantastic, and leaves no reason to be envious of the others. A multi-layered affair with two tiers of fluffy chocolate filling interspersed between three sheets of wafer cookies, all covered in 70% dark chocolate, it could impress any chocolate connoisseur.
Audibly crunchy, the wafers are nothing if not crisp, which is a good thing, as they have very little flavor to offer. The filling, falling somewhere between a thin sheet of frosting and chocolate mousse, brings just enough sweetness to the party, balanced out perfectly by that blanket of unadulterated chocolate on top, which brings the real chocolate flavor as well. Quality cacao to be sure, there’s a slightly bitter, woodsy edge to it, with just enough bite that it could never be deemed as cloying. Somewhat like a Kit Kat Bar, but all grown up, it’s absurdly easy to eat through a whole package without even blinking.
One of the best things about this candid labeling is that those tricky ingredients are no longer an uncertainty- No worrying about whether that lecithin came from eggs or soy. No more sinister “natural flavors” that could come from darned near anything. And, if you’re lucky enough to spy one in in your local grocery store, it could save the day when it seems no vegan options are available. Trust me, if you’re strapped for time and ideas as Valentine’s day rapidly approaches, just get your sweetie a pile of these babies. They’re no fancy, mail-order boxed chocolates, but I know I sure wouldn’t mind.
Oh, I was confused because I know I have scanned this product before and found it not to be vegan…but also was confused because that wrapper didn’t look familiar. I don’t think they have the dark chocolate at my store. Bummer!
What store are you referring to? I think all the stores now have all the flavors. Check this link out for a complete list of stores: http://www.qbelfoods.com/pdf/Retailer_Request.pdf
I have always wanted to try these, but the ones I have found weren’t vegan. I’ve never seen the dark chocolate ones. They look delicious.
Oh wow. These sound so delicious. I hope i can find them in my area!
We have the same kind of products here in France, at least visually it looks like there;) But the price is exorbitant and the amount is too small :(
Look : http://vg-zone.net/2008/02/25/millechoc-bjorg/
Yum, this looks like a delicious treat! Thanks for the review. :)
I love the term “accidentally vegan!” It conjures up all sorts of fun mental images.
I would be tempted to buy these for the wrappers alone. They’re seriously cute!
Yum, I will be on the lookout for these!
Hannah, I just saw that you go to UMass…I actually did my first two years of undergrad there, but that was back in 2001-03, lol. I went there because my boyfriend at the time, now husband, was a student at Amherst College. I’m going to a wedding there next fall and it’ll be my first time back. I keep hearing that Bueno y Sano has lots of fun vegan burrito options, so I can’t wait! :)
i love qbels! i remember when i was vegan i really wanted to try them but couldn’t find a vegan variety, maybe they didn’t have this flavor then? yum! grown up kit kats are the best
I love that more and more products are being labelled vegan right on the packaging. I’ve had a lot of practice scanning ingredients over the years, but nothing beats that convenience!
Oh, yay! I kept looking at these at my co-op & was bummed there wasn’t a vegan one. Now there is!
These look so good! I like candy and treats that aren’t overwhelmingly sweet – I’ll definitely be on the lookout for these :)
I love the idea of accidentally vegan!
Great find, they do sound delicious!
What a fun game for the grocery store (though I suspect I wouldn’t have time to indulge, either). These do sound amazing, though!
How fun! I was just wanting to play that this weekend. We have a huge fancy shop that recently was expanded even more and I’d love nothing more than an hour (or two) to browse the shelves. I had seen this around but apparently only the ones with dairy. I didn’t realize there was a vegan option. I will keep my eyes out for it. Sounds like a slightly healthier version of a candy bar.
I’ve never seen these bars, but they are just my style.
I like your choice of sea green for the background. The color makes the packaging and chocolate more enticing!
Wow! These look amazingly yummy! I’ve never seen them at my local stores before. I would love to try them, double dark chocolate wafer bars sound really GOOD! Such a great idea for Valentine’s treat. Thank you for such a fantastic review, Hannah!
I hope these get to Australia eventually! A nice vegan candy bar would be so welcomed!
After I read your post, I saw these in our local natural foods store. The dark chocolate one wasn’t vegan. Maybe it wasn’t the double dark?
Oh, I’ve really missed Kit-Kat’s. These look perfect, I’ll have to look for them at my health food market!
Those look SO YUMMY. I just “discovered” this blog today, and you’re excellent at describing food. I can practically taste those candies!!!!
Awesome! I always reach for these and am dismayed they are never vegan. Gotta find the latest catch.