After Eight facts for kids
 |
|
.jpg) |
|
| Owner | Nestlé (1988–present) |
|---|---|
| Introduced | 1962 |
| Previous owners | Rowntree's (1962–1988) |
After Eight Mint Chocolate Thins, often called simply After Eights, are a popular type of mint chocolate. They are thin squares of dark chocolate with a creamy mint filling inside.
These tasty treats were first made in the United Kingdom by the Rowntree Company in 1962. Later, in 1988, Nestlé bought Rowntree's and has been making After Eights ever since.
After Eights were first made in York, England. Then, in 1970, production moved to Castleford. Today, they are made in Halifax. Over one billion After Eights are made each year!
Originally, After Eights were made with dark chocolate that did not contain any dairy. However, in 2002, Nestlé started adding a little butterfat to some After Eights. This helped stop the chocolate from getting white spots, which is called chocolate bloom. By 2009, all After Eights included butterfat. Nestlé has also made special kinds of After Eights, like orange or milk chocolate versions.
Contents
How After Eights Are Made
The soft, gooey center of an After Eight is called fondant. It is made from a thick paste of sugar, water, and a tiny bit of a special helper called an enzyme (specifically, invertase).
This fondant is then covered with dark chocolate. After the chocolate is added, the enzyme slowly breaks down the sugar in the fondant. This makes the center become more liquid and creamy. Once each chocolate is ready, it is wrapped in its own paper sleeve and then put into a box.
Special Certification
After Eights are certified as kosher dairy by the Orthodox Union. This means they follow special food rules for people of the Jewish faith.
Other After Eight Products
Over the years, many different types of After Eight products have been created.
Products You Can Find Now
- Thin Mints: These are the original square dark chocolate mints with the creamy fondant inside. Sometimes, special versions with flavors like orange, lemon, strawberry, or even gin & tonic are made for a limited time.
- Marzipan: These are sold in Germany.
- Mint & Blood Orange: This was a special thin mint flavor for summer 2011. It came back as Orange Mint in 2022.
- Delights: These are round dark chocolates with a mint filling.
- Straws: These are long, thin sticks of soft dark chocolate with a mint center.
- Bars: A chocolate bar with a creamy mint filling.
- Biscuits: These are cookies that combine dark chocolate and mint.
- Chocolate Santa Claus: Around Christmas, Nestlé Germany makes a Santa Claus shape from white or dark mint chocolate.
- Easter Bunny: For Easter, there's an After Eight Dark Chocolate Easter Bunny. It's made from peppermint-flavored chocolate and comes in the famous green After Eight wrapper.
- Bitesize: These are small, plain chocolates with a mint fondant filling. They used to be called Mintola, then Mint Munchies, before joining the After Eight brand in 2006.
- Mousse: A chilled dessert with mint mousse and layers of dark chocolate.
- Dessert: A chilled, smooth mint and chocolate flavored dessert.
- Ice Cream Dessert: A frozen mint and chocolate ice cream block that you can slice, similar to Viennetta.
- Strawberry and Mint: A special thin mint flavor released in spring/summer 2020.
- Gin and Tonic: Limited edition thin mints with a light flavor like the popular drink.
Products That Are No Longer Made
- Chocolate Truffle Pancakes
- Dark Chocolate Fairy Cakes
- Ice Cream Van
- Lemon Sorbet
See also
In Spanish: After Eight para niños
