I know what you’re thinking. “What could possibly be more romantic than giving a special someone a large plastic bag full of cinnamon hearts from Bulk Barn?”
Given the seasonal choice between cinnamon hearts and those awful chalky hearts with the printed words on them, I’ll pick the cinnamon, thanks. I can’t handle a whole lot of them at any given time, and I’m glad they’re only around for a short time every year — but while they’re around, I take full advantage.
Taste wise, it’s a case of a little bit going a very long way. The cinnamon flavour is spicy enough that it numbs your palate after only a dozen of the things. The main notes are hot cinnamon, sugar, and what I’d call red-food-colouring twang. That’s all there is, and it’s all that’s needed.
As for their suitability for Valentine’s Day, think creatively:
- Wrap some up in a pretty way (ribbon!) and leave them on your special someone’s kitchen table placemat or bed pillow.
- Wrap a little bundle of hearts with a note and sneakily place it in your spouse’s purse, lunch bag or briefcase. Make sure it won’t spill.
- Bake your special someone a batch of cupcakes, and use the hearts as a cupcake decoration. Cookies could work, too.
I guess what I’m saying is, you know, don’t just dump a plastic Bulk Barn bag of the things on your wife’s/husband’s lap and say Happy Valentine’s Day. That’s not going to cut it, buster.
RATINGS AND DETAILS
Cost: $0.44 per 100 grams at Bulk Barn.
Value for cash money: Cheap. 100 grams of cinnamon hearts is one hell of a lot of cinnamon hearts.
Availability: Got mine at Bulk Barn, but also available pretty much everywhere food or candy is sold. Window of availability is usually early January to late February. Expect discounts after Valentine’s Day.
Nutrition?: 50 calories per 20 pieces (14 grams). That’s about 357 calories per 100 grams, by my math. Nothing nutritionally beneficial to be found.
The verdict: Delicious, but only in limited quantities and for a limited time. If they were available every day of the year, I wouldn’t eat them every day of the year.