Okay, we're back to talking about food today. More specifically, about an exotic candy, Toffifay, which is a hazelnut/caramel/hazelnut cream/chocolate confection from the Storck company. My particular candy was actually made in a Polish facility, but the overall company is German, so that explains why two places are in this post's title.
The Storck company, also known as August Storck KG, was started back in 1903 by a German man named, of course, August Storck. Storck, who had previously been a farmer, originally called his confectionary business Werther'sche Zuckerwarenfabrik. Fortunately for those who prefer shorter names, he renamed it some time later. Additionally, for reasons I couldn't find out, this man also changed his surname, with his new one being Oberwelland. Storck has become hugely successful in the 120 years of its existence, as it currently employs over 7000 people, and is exported to over 100 countries around the globe. (If you're curious, unless you're reading this in parts of central or southern Africa, of in much of Southeast Asia, or on many Pacific Islands, you can probably get a Storck product in your general location.) As such, Storck has many brands, all of which involve some kind of candy. Some of these most popular ones include Werther's Original, Knoppers, Mamba, Riesen, and Merci. The brand I tried, Toffifay, was started in 1973. Also, this is the American version of the name--in other parts of the world it's rendered "Toffifee." To give you another idea of how successful Storck has been, the current owner, Axel Oberwelland, is estimated to have a net worth of 3,900,000,000 (presumably in Euros). Axel's brother Timm Oberwelland is in the film industry rather than the candy and chocolate game. IMDB lists over 29 completed projects from him, with highlights being the films "Alien Invasion: S.U.M. 1" (2017), "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" (2018), and "Catweazle" (2021), as well as the 2020-21 television series "The Island."
Storck Toffifay candy: These candies were bowl-shaped, about 1.25 cm. (about 1 inch) in diameter, with a light brown outer rim, and a dark brown center. The texture was slightly crunchy on the outside, but chewy on the inside. I could detect a hazelnut flavor, and the chocolate was not too dark and bitter. I'm not typically a big fan of hazelnut, but this was good. Solid candy. If you like Nutella, for example, you'll probably also like these candies.
Finally, much to my disappointment, the previously mentioned "Catweazle" movie does not appear to be cautionary tale about a cat/weasel hybrid. I was picturing something hideous made by a deranged surgeon, or an accident similar to what happened in the transporters in "The Fly." Instead it's a children's fantasy story, about a Norman magician who travels 900 years into the future. (Based on a British television show from the 1970's.)
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