5 British Chocolate Bars That Should Be Big in the U.S.

British cuisine often gets a bad rap. Delicacies like quail eggs, haggis, and spotted dick don’t always mesh well with the palates of many Americans—myself included. As a kid, whenever I would visit my grandparents in the U.K., dinner time was a bit of a nightmare that I would endure with as much politeness as I could muster. “Thanks, Grandma! This blood pudding is delicious!” But there was always a light at the end of the dark, mushy tunnel: dessert. My grandparents lived near a corner shop, and the selection of unique, rich, complex chocolate bars blew my little American mind.

This is largely because of the quality of European chocolate, which lives up to the hype. It has a higher fat and cocoa butter content than U.S. chocolate, making it taste richer, milkier, more buttery, and slightly less sweet. That’s why chocolate bars like Milky Way and Kit Kat tend to taste a little different in the U.K. The country also has a huge array of their own unique chocolate bars that, for whatever reason, haven’t taken off on this side of the pond. Most of these elite candy bars are available online—and trust me, these decadent, dazzling, innovative treats are worth the extra effort and shipping costs. So ‘ave a look, mate!

Lion Bar

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The Lion Bar, as its name implies, is both fierce and regal. If you like your chocolate bars to contain a mix of textures and tastes, this melange has it all: crunchy wafer cookie, surrounded by rich caramel (if you use your imagination, you will see a lion in the cross section), covered in crispy cereal, enrobed in rich milk chocolate. It’s like a bunch of chocolate bars all teamed up to become one super chocolate bar. If you have a hard time choosing a candy bar, like I do, this one hits all the bases.

Aero Bars

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Imagine this: a bubble bath made of chocolate, in your mouth (in a good way, I swear). This bar is full of airy bubbles of light, creamy milk chocolate. And that’s it! No bells and whistles. Just a fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate cloud with a texture that is like nothing you’ve experienced before (unless you’ve had the opportunity to eat a chocolate cloud). I prefer the classic flavor, but this also comes in peppermint, which tastes like if mint chocolate chip ice cream was a candy bar.

Cadbury Flake

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Similar to the Aero Bar, the texture is what makes this simple chocolate bar so spectacular. To call it a bar feels like an understatement. This Cadbury creation is a light, flaky wand of chocolate, dispensing pure magic straight into your mouth. There is wizardry at work here. The chocolate is airy yet indulgent, buttery soft, and utterly unique in texture. Despite what its name might imply, the Cadbury Flake won’t let you down.

Cadbury Crunchie

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This is yet another Cadbury creation that, confoundingly, has not taken off in the U.S. It’s basically a bar of dense, crunchy, syrupy-sweet honeycomb toffee coated in creamy chocolate. Maybe it’s my rabid sweet tooth talking (it talks a lot), but I think honey and chocolate are perfect together and I don’t understand why more candy companies haven’t picked up on this. This insanely sweet bar might not be for everyone but [holds up poster board, Love Actually-style] to me, is perfect.

British Rolos

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British Rolos and American Rolos may look similar in size, shape, and packaging, but they are not the same. British Rolos are the OG Rolos, and are made by Nestlé, with a richer, higher quality chocolate than the generic, overly-sweet chocolate in Hershey’s-owned American version. The toffee is different, too. Nestlé’s toffee is softer, richer, and more buttery, while Hershey’s is denser and has more of a sweet caramel vibe to it. While both are good in their own way, comparing British and American Rolos is like comparing an original Van Gogh painting in a museum to the $8 print I have hanging in my bathroom. You just can’t replicate high art.