Simple spheres

When I look at the ingredient lists on many products, the length of some them makes me dizzy sometimes. Does deliciousness take so many ingredients and, sometimes, lots of preservatives?

I can say No, as far as Uncle Joe's Mint Balls go.

This British product was made not by William Santus, Uncle Joe's real name, but by his wife Ellen. It debuted in 1898 and today, the family company still makes the sweets with just three ingredients: cane sugar, peppermint oil and cream of tartar.

"No" and "Free" appear a lot on the package. The balls contain no artificial colours or flavours and are free of gluten or genetically modified ingredients. Needless to say, they are suitable for vegans too.

Simplicity works every time and these mint balls wake me right up. They are not too terribly sweet either.

Uncle Joe's Hand Made Mint Balls, $3.50 for a 98g bag, from Tanglin Market Place, B1-02 Tanglin Mall, tel: 6734-0105, open: 9am to 10pm daily

hsueh@sph.com.sg

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This article was first published on July 13, 2014.
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