This is the post I’ve wanted to write for years.
For those of you who have never been to Mackinaw Island (Michigan) or haven’t been in a long time, please, make it a priority to visit there soon! As the summer winds down, so will the crowds and I hear fall is an excellent time to enjoy the beauty (and fudge) with fewer crowds.
Yes, back to the fudge.
As a proud “fudgie” (the nickname given to the swarms of tourists that invade the island in search of # pure Michigan traditions like freshly-made fudge), I finally accomplished the very scientific, official fudge taste test. I recruited several hand-raising testers (nine to be honest), to declare the winner of the best overall chocolate fudge of Mackinaw Island. While there are amazing flavors like chocolate cherry, peanut butter, maple, mint chocolate and dozens of other mouth-watering options, I bought a brick of plain chocolate fudge at five different shops:
Murray
Murdick’s
Joann’s
Ryba’s
Sanders
Before you point out a flaw in my testing, I will. I admit we skipped Kilwin’s, which could be a game-changer but alas, it is what it is. Fudge is expensive! After visiting five shops (samples tasted at each location) and my credit card starting to emit smoke, I decided five brands to test was enough. (Sorry, Kilwins!)
Murray: located at the great Murray Hotel, this fudge goes against the crowd and sells squares of fudge. While they offer unique flavors that other fudge shops don’t, some taste testers found this fudge to be too creamy – like thick frosting consistency. (It’s still worth a visit!)
Murdick’s: The most expensive of the fudge bricks, this was the least popular of all of the fudge tasters. Don’t get me wrong: no one spit it out in their napkin. Some thought a second piece to try would be a good idea. We’re talking about high-level, refined pallet tasting here.
Joann’s: By far the most popular among scouts, since they offer a huge discount if you visit the store in uniform. (By day 2 of 7 on the Island, most Scouts have already bought several bricks, giving them the energy boost they need to march up the hill to the fort several times a day). But, alas, it was deemed “a little gritty” by taste testers.
Ryba’s: Perhaps the most advertised on the island, Ryba’s had a nice texture and more complex flavor. Even still, the tasters didn’t mention this as a top contender.
Sanders: I would consider Sanders the underdog in this competition because they weren’t really on my radar but we stumbled across them as we collected our sugary specimen. Y’all….this no-frills, basic white bag IS THE WINNER! More tasters preferred Sanders to all of the other fudges – and it was the least expensive! Walk a little further west down Main street to find Sanders – you won’t regret it!
What’s your favorite fudge flavor????
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