A Budget Candy That's Not Bad, But Falls Short of Being a Truffle

Hello everyone and welcome to my review!

I'm back to talk about sweets, specifically the Airy Rice Truffles from Permskaya confectionery factory. I was drawn to these candies because of their name, which reminded me of the high-end truffles I've had in the past.

After trying them, I'm here to share my honest opinion with you.

Let's start with the basics. These candies are called Airy Rice Truffles and are made by Permskaya confectionery factory, a domestic manufacturer based in Perm. I'd heard mixed reviews about their products, but I was willing to give them a try.

You can find these candies in Ashan by weight, but I haven't seen them anywhere else yet. The price is incredibly affordable at 440 rubles per kilogram, making them a budget-friendly option.

The ingredients list is standard fare for mass-produced candies, but it's not as bad as I expected. Here's what you'll find:

sugar, confectioner's fat (refined deodorized vegetable oil in natural and modified form, emulsifier lecithin soybean, antioxidant E306), milk whey powder, wheat flour, broken wafers (wheat flour, sunflower oil, raising agent: sodium bicarbonate, salt, emulsifier: lecithin soybean), product of extrusion technology 'Airy Rice' (rice flour, wheat flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt), emulsifier: lecithin soybean, flavor 'Irish cream', complex food additive - antioxidant (emulsifier E432, antioxidants: E300, E307, medium-chain triglycerides)

Nutritional Value for 100g of this product is:

Protein - 4g, Fats - 27g, Carbohydrates - 65g

And the energy value for the same 100g product is

2140kJ / 510kcal

The weight of one candy is pretty small, around 20-25g, so for 44 rubles, you'll get approximately 4-5 pieces.

The candies come wrapped in individual foil wrappers, which are twisted at the top and look similar to more expensive truffles. However, the packaging is a bit minimalist, with a bare minimum of information. The product name should be on both the front and back of the wrapper, but it's often hidden due to the twisted design.

The bottom and top of the wrapper feature small balls that are meant to resemble air drawing, but they look more like chocolate balls to me.

At the very bottom of the packaging, you'll find a brief mention of the manufacturer's data, address, phone number, and contact information, along with a logo.

The unwrapped wrapper looks like this:

I have to say, the packaging is a bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand, it's not cluttered, but on the other hand, I was expecting to see more information about the chocolate inside. The design is pretty straightforward, with just three colors: white, silver, and brown.

The real surprise was the chocolate itself. I'm used to truffles being dark and covered in cocoa powder, so when I saw a white chocolate inside the wrapper, I was a bit taken aback. It looked like halva to me, with no cocoa powder in sight.

And to make matters worse, the chocolate had a weird, uneven coating. It was like they'd just drizzled it on top without bothering to smooth it out. The chocolate itself was so thin that it formed a weird, lumpy layer. You could even see gaps in it in some places.

truffleThe chocolate itself was also pretty rough-looking. It looked like they'd just squirted it out of a piping bag and then slapped it into a mold. And to top it all off, the chocolate had a weird, uneven coating. It was like they'd just drizzled it on top without bothering to smooth it out.

truffleI'm not sure what to say about the texture. It was like they'd just slapped the chocolate into a mold and then sent it off to set. It was a bit of a mess, to be honest. And the flavor? Well, let's just say it was a bit of a disappointment. I was expecting a rich, creamy truffle, but what I got was something that tasted more like...I don't know, maybe a cheap candy bar?

truffle chocolatesSo, what did I think of the chocolate? Well, let's just say it was a bit of a letdown. The appearance was a bit rough, the texture was weird, and the flavor was just...meh. I wouldn't exactly call it a truffle, either. Maybe it's just me, but I was expecting something a bit more...special.

That's my two cents on this chocolate. It's not exactly the worst thing I've ever tasted, but it's definitely not the best either. Maybe I'm just being picky, but I think I'll stick to my regular truffles from now on.

Aroma. When you open the wrapper, you're hit with a light, sweet, and pleasant aroma. Yeah, it doesn't smell like traditional truffle, but the scent is still nice. I get notes of cocoa and Irish cream (which I associate with Baileys), and it's all topped off with super light echoes of chocolate and something else sweet and creamy. I don't pick up on any chemical notes, and that's already a big plus.

Texture is a bit stiff and slightly crumbly. You can feel the air pockets, and it crunches easily on your teeth, but in this case, it's more like those chocolate balls you get with Nougat or similar stuff. The texture is creamy. It doesn't drag on your teeth, it doesn't stick, and it's easy to chew and melts quickly if you're drinking it with hot tea.

candiesAs you can see from the photo above, the candy is pretty uniform inside. The glaze at the bottom is almost nonexistent, you can barely see it. Since the candy isn't covered in anything else, it doesn't leave a mess on your hands and it doesn't melt if you store it in a vase on your dresser (which is where I keep mine).

The truffle, contrary to my expectations, wasn't dry at all - you can eat it completely without drinking anything.

Taste. For me, it's just confusing. There's no chocolate or truffle flavor at all, but you do get distant notes of Baileys (Irish cream). I've eaten a bunch of these candies, but I still can't accurately describe the taste, even to myself. The candy is super sweet, but not cloying. It's like a cream with the flavor of Irish cream, mixed with crushed wafers and airy rice.

The glaze doesn't add any flavor at all because there's so little of it, and the chocolate flavor just gets lost behind the creamy, sweet Irish cream flavor.

These chocolate truffles, also known as airy rice, seem almost not sweet against the cream background, but that's a plus - it balances the flavor, and in my opinion, the airy rice prevents the candy from being cloyingly sweet. The rice crunches pleasantly and adds an unusual note to the overall taste of the candy.

In general, this truffle with airy rice is a decent candy that can brighten up a tea time. Of course, there's nothing from the classic truffle here - no color, no sprinkles, no proper glaze. But if you put all that aside and imagine it's just a 'standalone' candy, everything takes on new colors.

The pleasant texture, the unusual combination of Irish cream and wafers with airy rice, and moderate sweetness all make the candy a pretty good option for tea.

However, from our family who's already tried it, this truffle didn't impress anyone, and I'm the only one eating it for now.

I'd recommend the candy, but I'll give it 3 stars because it's quite unique. And there's barely any chocolate in it (so little that you can't even feel it). I eat the truffle, but only when there's nothing else, or I pair it with something better.

Will I buy these candies again? Probably, just to have them with other candies and for a 'rainy day'.

chocolateThanks for reading!

That's it from happiness_inside - I write about everything, so stay tuned!