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Currently the packaging is a blue cardboard box with the distinctive orange jaffa cake writing (which looks like orange peel) and "McVitie's The Original Jaffa Cakes" on the side and are sold in boxes of 12, 24 and 36 (they are divided into packs of 12). On my box of 36 (there are now 32 ... Read review
Advantages: Yummy, low fat, high energy Disadvantages: moreish and a little sweet
I love Jaffa Cakes - always have done and even more so now as they are one of my "allowed" bits of chocolate that I can eat. I would expect that most people have tried these yummy treats but for the uninitiated here is a little review of the original orange version (For your information I have a box of 36 in front of me and currently there are only 34 in there - we shall see how many are left at the end of the review!)
McVities ... ...Jacobs and Hula Hoops to name but a few. They have tantalised the taste buds for over 60 years and have undergone many marketing transformations (hands up who remembers the naughty Munchkins?) but the basic treat itself has remained pretty much in tact.
So what is a Jaffa Cake? Simply they are round cakes (yes they are cakes as McVitie proved to the tax man in 1991 so you don't pay VAT on them!) which have a sponge base, a dark chocolate ... more
I love Jaffa Cakes - always have done and even more so now as they are one of my "allowed" bits of chocolate that I can eat. I would expect that most people have tried these yummy treats but for the uninitiated here is a little review of the original orange version (For your information I have a box of 36 in front of me and currently there are only 34 in there - we shall see how many are left at the end of the review!)
McVities Jaffa Cakes are actually owned by United Biscuits who own Jacobs and Hula Hoops to name but a few. They have tantalised the taste buds for over 60 years and have undergone many marketing transformations (hands up who remembers the naughty Munchkins?) but the basic treat itself has remained pretty much in tact.
So what is a Jaffa Cake? Simply they are round cakes (yes they are cakes as McVitie proved to the tax man in 1991 so you don't pay VAT on them!) which have a sponge base, a dark chocolate topping and sandwiched in between is a tangy orange centre. (they are 5.5cm in diameter if you are interested!) When you first open your packet, you get a really lovely comforting chocolate orange/cake smell. The best things about Jaffa Cakes are the taste and the texture. Yes they are sweet but they are tangy and the chocolate adds a slight bitter edge. The sponge helps to marry the two flavours together and adds a lovely rich, warm texture. The chocolate layer has a slightly crackling bite and the orange centre is a jelly like texture. When eating all of this seems to merge into bites of sheer loveliness and although Pringles have the "once you pop you just can't stop" tag line this should also apply to Jaffa Cakes.
Well actually McVitie do recognise the addictive and packet demolishing qualities of this product and for those concerned about their jaffa cake consuming habit you can ring Jaffaholics Anonymous on 0500 011710 (1800 409 317 in Republic of Ireland). I am so tempted to ring this - not because I have a problem (the box now has 33 in it which isn't bad going I don't think) - but just to see what it is all about.
Now how do you eat them? Yes there are ways of eating them. And here are some of my favourites:
One in the hole: The simplest way of eating a Jaffa cake is to open your mouth and pop it in whole. Advantage - instant gratification and nice balance of flavours, disadvantage - gone too quickly!
Half Moon: The two bite option - you take one bite and the remainder that is left is a half moon shape. Advantage lasts a bit longer and nice balance of flavours, disadvantage - still gone too quickly and hard to get the perfect half moon shape!
The Nibbler: Holding the jaffa cake between thumb and index finger in the centre you take small nibbling bites around the chocolate and cake base that is not touching the orange centre. You must be very careful not to disturb the orange centre too much. Once all of the outer ring is removed you have two options - either pop the remainder in your mouth or continue nibbling. Advantage - lasts longer and is fun, disadvantage - can be messy and you might have to lick the chocolate off your finger.
The Licker: Holding the jaffa cake between thumb, index and middle with the chocolate side facing you, begin to lick the chocolate off. Once it is melted it reveals the orange jelly centre and the sponge underneath. Gently nibble away the exposed sponge leaving the orange with the sponge underneath. Gently peel off the orange and consume and then eat the remaining sponge. Advantage - this is the ultimate way to eat them as they take age to eat this way, disadvantage - best done on your own and you don't get the right blend of flavours.
The Dunker: I have seen this method of eating them but even that is too much for me - they should be eaten unadulterated by tea or coffee).
But for all the fun and pleasure that Jaffa Cakes provide there is a more serious side to them. There is a very good reason that I eat them. Firstly they are low fat - there is only 1g of fat in them and because of a medical condition I need to eat as little fat as possible and because of that I can have energy issues especially after exercising. So what was I recommended to eat by my personal trainer and my dietician? Yep you've got it - Jaffa Cakes!
They are quite high in carbs (8.7g - 6.7g of which are sugars) and as such are a great way to receive a quick energy and sugar boost after exercise. If you just ate them and sat around all day then they won't do you any good but eaten in moderation they are great. McVitie do recognise this as well and have listed on their boxes the following website address www.123healthybalance.com which advises on healthy eating and exercise to maintain a healthy lifestyle. I have been recommended by my dietician to eat 3 if I feel a bit drained after exercise (how fab a doctor's prescription for jaffa cakes!) And I'm not the only person who eats these to give them energy - they are the official half time snack of the England Football team (I remember seeing the trainer give Rio Ferdinand some during a Manchester United match once!).
Currently the packaging is a blue cardboard box with the distinctive orange jaffa cake writing (which looks like orange peel) and "McVitie's The Original Jaffa Cakes" on the side and are sold in boxes of 12, 24 and 36 (they are divided into packs of 12). On my box of 36 (there are now 32 in there) apart from the the name/logo and the current competition that is being run the box bears its proud boast of "Only 1g Fat per cake" (this fact has been pushed in their marketing since 2006 and is why I love them!), together with the usual nutritional and allergy information and contact details ( as well as any phone numbers and website addresses mentioned above).
As I have just mentioned it the Allergy information on Jaffa Cakes is that they contain Milk, Egg, Soya and Gluten. They are also suitable for vegetarians.
You can also buy them in tubes (launched in 1999) and in bags of mini Jaffa Cakes (which was launched in 1994). You can also buy Jaffa Cake Cake Bars (which in my honest opinion are an abhoration and are far too sweet!) and as always seems to happen these days there are new flavours that I have not tried (and not sure that I wish to): Lemon & Lime, Blackcurrant and I saw Apple and Blackberry the othe day as well. I have also seen them with milk chocolate instead of dak chocolate.
I would also recommend against cheaper shop brand Jaffa cakes - they are not the same at all and in this instance I would not accept substitutes. I'm sure that many of you would disagree but when it comes to these I am a purist!
Price wise (all prices from my local Sainsburys) 12 pack - 75p 24 pack - £1.38 (the last price I paid for them) 36 pack - normally £1.99 (but 99p at the moment)
In conclusion these are a great treat and taste yummy but to be honest after a few I do find them too sweet and sickly - if I eat too many my teeth feel itchy and I can taste them in my mouth for hours. Unless you have a particularly sweet tooth I would recommend that you eat them in moderation. They are good for you and do a fantastic job of keeping the energy levels up but again only if eaten in moderation or if you exercise regularly otherwise they just become another treat to increase your waistline. But I do love them (I only ate 4 writing this - honest!)
Advantages: Zingy, Zesty, zap on the tastebuds. Disadvantages: There's never enough!
Jaffa Cakes, they have become an era-defying, non-conformist favourite among young and old alike. Maybe it has something to do with it's inability to be positioned within a the genre of cake or biscuit. Or maybe it's down to it's gratifying ability to accompany a cup of Traditional English tea, it's dunkability, no floating remnants or crumby mess, just a solid, softened chocolate jelly heaven.
Who knows? But Jaffa cakes have become institutionalised ... ...making, nothing has ever superceded their flavour, size or addictiveness!
All hail the Jaffa Cake diving into diversity with their innovative new flavours, the zingy Lemon and Lime, and the fruity Blackcurrant. Now I've only just discovered these brand spanking new flavours on a chance visit to Iceland for some bits and pieces. I have never seen them in Asda or Tesco, and so it was a bit of an accidental discovery! The new flavours still come prepacked ...
lisacallow 11.02.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of McVitie's Jaffa Cakes
...of plain chocolate on top.
McVitie's describe their Jaffa Cakes as “Light sponge cakes with plain chocolate and a smashing orangey bit!” I think this is quite a good description, but there is within certain circles quite a heated debate as to whether a Jaffa Cake is in fact a cake at all or a biscuit. For the sake of argument I shall use the word cake throughout.
The Taste and Smell
There is no distinct smell as you tear open the cellophane seal ... ...under your nose that you can smell the traditional smell of plain chocolate, there is only a light hint of the orangey flavour trapped below the chocolate layer.
Finally, I will get onto the taste. I find that to enjoy the Jaffa Cake in its fullness it is best to resist stuffing the whole thing straight into your mouth, and instead delicately bite the cake in half. This will allow the full flavour of the orange jelly to ooze out as the hard chocolate ...
micksheff 16.08.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of McVitie's Jaffa Cakes
Wandering around Tescos this morning it occurred to me that I’ve been at ciao for over a year now and haven’t yet written about my favourite food in the whole world – the humble, yet delicious Jaffa cake.
First things first, you must have noticed the bright blue box in the chocolate section on the biscuit shelves in the supermarket but what, exactly is a Jaffa cake?
WHAT IS A JAFFA CAKE
A jaffa cake is a cake – it has been proved in court, if ... ...on it or something like that so they went to court to prove that the way they make it means it is well and truly a cake, the only argument the tax man came up with for it being a biscuit was that they always stock them on the biscuit aisle - pathetic! (I may have made that up but I’m sure I remember John Craven saying something about it on Newsround when I was little) Anyway moving on the jaffa cake is shaped like a flying saucer, well Hollywoods ...
MHam 29.09.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of McVitie's Jaffa Cakes
~ Introduction ~
Jaffa Cakes are by far my favourite treat for the weekend. I must say that I am somewhat of a pig when it comes to eating these. Do you recall the advert on the television with the school teacher eating these? Well, for your benefit, she demonstrates the lunar cycle by showing the uneaten cake (full moon), taking a bite out of it (half moon) and then finally devouring the last of it (total eclipse). If you cut out the middle step, ... ...~
Jaffa Cakes come in a variety of different packaging. I have seen them in tubes like Pringles ones, small packs of 3, single boxes of 12 cakes and double boxes of 24 cakes. The packaging that is sitting in front of me now is that of the latter, the 24 cakes in the single box.
The packaging is predominantly dark blue in colour with approximately 10 light blue blurred-balls even placed. The word “Jaffa Cakes” are shown in large orange ...
Wolfie1974 20.10.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of McVitie's Jaffa Cakes
Advantages: The most scrumdiddlyumptious thing ever Disadvantages: excuse me, I didn't understand the question
There was a little trouble a few years ago around the time those crazy European rulings were made. Pounds and ounces were outlawed and Jaffa Cakes were almost hit. The cunning Taxman saw a way to fill his coffers further by reclassifying the Jaffa Cake as a biscuit. You see, TECHNICALLY Jaffa Cakes aren’t. Cakes I mean. They're biscuits, except they're not biscuits either. They're with the biscuits in the Supermarket, by the chocolate digestives ... ...They've got sponge, and biscuits just don't 'do' sponge. So put them with the cakes. But they don't fit there either. They're flat and biscuit shaped, with a chocolate half-coating. So there they are in confectionary Limbo. And that's where they'll stay, because The Taxman gave up, it was just too confusing.
Tourists love them, and expats would do anything to get them. A gloriously British institution, they don’t quite make sense. I love them. ...
QueenAngella 20.02.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of McVitie's Jaffa Cakes
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Advantages: good packaging, delicious taste, not a bad price, good zesty flavour Disadvantages: only five in a packet, not good to carry in handbag because they get squashed, chocolate melts easily in warm conditions.
I have eaten JaffaCakes for years and years and really enjoyed them but when McVities introduced the JaffaCake Bar, WOW!.................in the supermarket the packaging design jumps out in your face almost inviting itself into your trolley. Then as soon as the shopping is put down in my kitchen I can't wait to grab the packet, its just the thought of biting into it.
When I open one up the packet makes a lovely crinkly noise which sets my tastebuds off straightaway. Then biting into it is just mmm....sensational. My teeth bite down into the plain chocolate then the smashing orangey bit (which is softer than in the cakes) just oozes with zest. Then comes the light spongy bit, and as I eat it the packet just keeps rustling almost like opening a pressie on your birthday with the crinkly foil wrap. Then when the last mouthful is ...
I read and rated about 4-5 reviews on Jaffacakes here and on another site. I went to Sainsbury?s another day and I saw thatMcVitie?s JaffaCakes were on offer. A box (containing 6 mini rolls) was for 1 pound. I decided that I will try too, so I put it in my basket.
On the blue package it is said that it is more orangey. The letters of JaffaCakes looks like they were cut out of an orange peel. You can also see a picture of a mini roll on the wrapper. I waited for the moment we arrive home to open it.
There is a transparent tray and the mini rolls are packed individually. I opened one. It was covered with thick dark chocolate. Inside the chocolate is a sponge cake topped with orange jelly and then rolled up. For me the chocolate wasn?t delicious enough. Although I am a milk chocolate and white chocolate fan, I eat sometimes fine dark ...
Advantages: Tasty Strawberry flavour, Only 1g fast per cake Disadvantages: Lack of flavour, Quite tasteless
***JAFFACAKES STRAWBERRY FLAVOUR***
Everyone knows that JaffaCakes are yummy cakes with a tangy, jelly orange flavoured centre which is then covered in delicious dark chocolate. Anyone who has had Jaffacakes will know how addictive they can be and how more-ish they are.
McVities have introduced limited edition Strawberry flavoured Jaffacakes which are available to buy in single packs (12cakes) or a double pack which contains 24 cakes.
These Jaffacakes come in a red box which also has a bit of blue on them as well. They have the same writing as on a normal box of Jaffacakes and they have the same fat content as well which is only 1g fat per cake. On the box you will find weird and wonderful facts about strawberries.
I?m not sure how much longer these will be available to buy as they were bought out for the summer ...
