What's the fuss about Tim Tams?
Yes, you can get them locally, but due to the warm temperatures here, they've had to change the milk content of the chocolate to ensure that these wonderful morsels of fat do not melt enroute to local points of sale, or at the shops itself.
Tim Tams got to Malaysia sometime last year or early this year, and I was among the first to welcome it to our shores. However, I was unaware then of this minor adjustment to Tim Tam adaptability in tropical climates, and bit into a mouthful of disappointment.
Local Tim Tams are nice on their own, but if you lived through 5 years of the real deal, and did the 'slam' (widely publicised by a song that was popularised over Triple J) - with coffee, preferably lattes, you will be able to appreciate the stark difference between the two variations.
Original Tim Tams (i.e. the ones produced for consumption in Australia and New Zealand) cannot be stored at Malaysian room temperature. They literally melt off your fingers. These biscuits come in variations as follows: Chewy Caramel, Hazelnut Praline (my personal favourite), Double Coat (ultra-rich!), Dark Chocolate, Mocha, Chewy Choc Fudge and of course, the original flavour. (I have most of this in my fridge... *evil grin*)
Other Arnott's biscuits that give a similar high to Tim Tams - Gaiety - same chocolate, but instead of a biscuit sandwich, you get thin wafers - much like what you get in Kit Kats.
Local Tim Tams come in original or white - although I'm not sure whether they have diversified it seeing that I've grown accustomed to the original ones.
And no, this is not reflective of any deep-set colonial mentality i.e. local products no good. Just that the 'same' food in different countries will undoubtably taste different because of local conditions or supply of ingredients.
Tim Tams and its effects on human behaviour
Once I couldn't get them anymore, I started behaving like a crack addict. I horded whatever little supply I had, until I realised that I was surrounded by colleagues that constantly travelled to Australia or New Zealand.
Hence I began recruiting suppliers, from Gordon to JP and now, to Padma, who regularly returns to Melbourne to visit family.
Once I was assured of a consistent supply, I became more free to share them with the less fortunate, who first scoffed at the power of this humble-looking biscuit (there are no fancy logos, no cutsie packages...), but immediately succumb to its delights on first bite. This, I discovered, was a more potent and reliable way of making people smile - so in the spirit of true Tim Tam addicts, I began to realise that the thing with Tim Tams is that it is best when shared with others.
Of course, as with true junkies, I do have my personal stash safely locked away in the office drawers. :P
Posted by Najah Nasseri at 2003年09月11日 17:11 | TrackBackWhat's the fuss about Tim Tams?
make u post a separate posting on it. LOL!
unfortunately, i do not like tim tams but then again, maybe it was the malaysian-ordered ones. :p
i like arnott's shapes biscuits.
enjoy ur ... err ... personal chow? :p
Posted by: Wena at 2003年09月11日 17:30Yes, chocolate (of the same brand) taste different from one country to another. Try cadbury's for example, the ones produced locally does not have that rich flavour. Something is missing...
Even their hot chocolate drink have tht slight different flavour.
Chocolates .... ah Chocolates ....
Keeps me bouncing off the walls all the time ... the lesser of 2 evils I say (between chocolates and coffee), but then again my diet says otherwise.
*sigh*
Posted by: Fische at 2003年09月11日 18:46Kit Kat is Malaysia is way better than what they have in the US. People will argue, but it is true.
Najah, you are scaring me. You just posted a whole post on Tim Tams girl! I believe you were hoarding them like a crack addict!
Najah, get Milano cookies from Pepperidge Farm, bloody scrumpti-diddly-ious.
Posted by: meesh at 2003年09月11日 19:26gotta say this one really had me smiling. really cool post.. hehhehhe.
Posted by: Idlan at 2003年09月11日 23:08This is a very cruel post. Oh man. A whole blog!!! Hahahah.
I don't suppose I'll ever be able to try the original from Oz so I guess I'll just have to make do with the local version. With any luck, I might find happiness there... :)
Posted by: spit at 2003年09月11日 23:52Hi Najah,
I’ve been reading your blog on & off for a while but you’ve really touched a soft spot with your Tim Tam entry that I couldn’t resist writing here now! You spoke of Tim Tam like only one who had experienced the "original" can, and I have too, for almost as long as you did. I had the opportunity to experience the "craze" (only back then it wasn’t really a "craze", more like a normal & natural thing to do, every other day :)) when I was a student in Oz back in 95-98. That is also around the same time you were there, yes? In fact, you might remember my husband, he was the rep from Tas in NLC. If you don’t, it’s ok, it has been *that* long :)
Anyways, you’re so lucky to have such constant supply of the "original"! I last "slammed" last year and that’s too long!! Do you know that it’s also called "The Chaser" (having close resemblance to the act of the white & powdery kind)?
I wish the "fresh food people" here in SG can bring in the "original & some variations" direct from Oz and maybe place them in the cold section, where they can be kept "cool & collected" for us poor deprived souls.. In the mean time, I have relatives in KL you can send some to for my safe keeping if you'd be so kind ;)
Posted by: daffils* at 2003年09月12日 02:20How come I never had this Tam Tam thing back in Melbourne?..or have I? Silly me, I thought Tim Tam is a Malaysian product..hehehhe...
ps. Najah, make a review on Biskut Ping Pong la pulak..that's my fav biscuit(my grandma's too)
Posted by: jemi at 2003年09月12日 08:32arghhhh!! i dun lik ethe taste of Malaysian version of Tim Tam either..its not the same at all from the one that u can get over there...
ok..now u make me crave for tim tams.. *uhuk..*
Posted by: kaezrin at 2003年09月12日 10:17that's it! im ordering 1 box of tim tams each from my mom, dad and sister! that should keep me alive till end of this year? whoah!
my fav are dark choc and original. yummy!!!
Posted by: maria at 2003年09月12日 10:50Oh yeah... kit kat taste different too... I remember Kit Kat taste alot better before Nestle bought them over... I think before that they were produced by Rowntree or something like that.
Posted by: KaZ at 2003年09月12日 11:12Lyrics for TimTamSlam is avai 2 the discerning tim tam connoiseur available at http://malwebb.customer.netspace.net.au/timtam.html - twas written by Mal Webb. :)
But I think that TimTams are not the real thing - they were brought over by a scottish baker to Au in the mid 1900s, long after the first Penguin was conceived (also in Scotland). Not really an Aussie biscuit after all. (Not that it matters, Campbell's (American) bought over Arnotts. :). http://old.smh.com.au/news/0203/11/opinion/opinion4.html
That said, I've heard of chocolates (mostly be Nestle) made in Malaysia and imported to Australia. Seems to go down well for them. I think that the chocolate quality doesn't have to be necessarily very different to be sold in our country, all chocolates generally do well in airconditioned stores. Cheaper timtams sold in malaysia is the reason why the taste is different - quality is not a prerogative for the m'sian food industry.
Aiyoh :-) A whole fridge full of them.. must try this Tim Tam s thing la though me not chocolate lover sgt. Ada sikit2 boleh bagi rasa tak ?
Posted by: omecool20 at 2003年09月12日 12:57hey, how timely, just when i'm walking down memory lane of my sunny brissie memories. just had malaysian tim tam yesterday and true enough, if u cant get hold of the original aussie timtam, u're probably better with none.
take it from a non chocbicuitsnthelike-enthusiast(untill i met timtam), who did a whole marketing plan during her degree on it-and scored well too ;)
Posted by: ying at 2003年09月12日 13:01a whole fridge of tim-tams?!?*#$@
jealousnye!
yep, truely said. tim-tams here do NOT taste the same as OZ tim-tams. take for instance Cadbury chocolates. the taste is totally different, if compared with the one made here and overseas (OZ n NZ) Packaging is different too. much betta packaging i must say.
guessing the REAL chocolate cannot withstand the humid, huuuumid weather here. *sigh*
Ya Allah! Banyaknya Tim-Tamssss...If Arnott found out about this, surely they'll make you the official spokeperson for Tim-Tam...and then make you sing the Mal Webb's song. You gonna be rich la woman! Ahh all of your karaoke sessions at the Rasa Sayang finally paid off...
Posted by: jemi at 2003年09月12日 15:07banyaknyer.... this makes me want to jump into my car and cari tim tams u have made me craving for one hehehe. well its true that sometimes oversea choc. are more richer in taste than the ones made locally... i have done an experiment myself. my uncle just came back from holiday in aus. one of the places he visited was the cadbury factory (i think it is in taz) so he bought some choclates home as he know that i am a choc. addict (acctually he got most of them free from the factory - u can take as much as u want). Do you know those food testing method? well i have conducted myself with the help of my brothers and cousins(13,7,15) since they are also a choc nut like i am. So the result are as follows they all pick the cadbury choc made in aus rather than the ones made here. Most of them say that the choc made in aus cadbury are more milky, rich and not that sweet. The test was conducted to prove to my mom who was saying "why must u get those imported choc. u can get the same products locally" this is becoz the only thing i ask to bring back if any of my relative are going oversea are BRING ME BACK CHOCOLATES...hehehe now with the success of the experiment i can at last prove to my mom why i always ask only for chocolates hehehe.. my uncle is going to new york next week... any ideas wht can i get from new york?
Posted by: chocfan at 2003年09月12日 15:38Chocfan - New York. :-\ No good for chocs. But! But there is Dove chocolates there, and those are excellent. Dove, Reese's (Peanut butter and choc - divine), M&Ms (Way cheaper o'er there), Gourmet chocs. Kool-aid. Jello. Good coffee. Dark choc is ok there.
I don't like hersheys, but if you've tried it and like it, you can get it alot cheaper in US.
and in poor taste, (mine) - you can also prolly buy a rock off the WTC, seeing as its NY.
Posted by: prema at 2003年09月12日 16:23HMMMM...Reese's!!...now that's more like it... They don't make em like they used too... or is it just me?
Posted by: Najwa Nasseri at 2003年09月12日 18:33MY FRIDGE! its so full! of chocolate! =(
aaaaaarGH!
i think the reason for the difference in the chocolate taste is the milk. Malaysian cow milk is so dilute and not as creamy as the ones in UK/Eire,
Hershey kisses are nice, leonidas, M/S chocs but never had timtams b4.
Gotta look for chocolates now!
Don't get me started on Reese's or any of those Hershey's Kisses...
My family are fanatics! We even went to Hershey Park once, and gorged ourselves silly!
Posted by: Najah at 2003年09月13日 01:48Chocfan,
If your uncle has the time/opportunity, I would suggest these gourmet chocolates - they're absolutely divine. My favorites - La Maison Du Chocolate (on Madison Ave in the Upper East Side), Leonidas (midtown), Neuhaus (on Madison as well, in the Upper East Side), and Fauchon (also on Madison, in the Upper East Side). They can be a tad expensive, but well worth it. As for Hersheys, Reeses, etc. I am not a big fan as I think that they're too sweet for my taste.
Gourmet chocolates, aahh you forgot to mention one of the best in its clan: Godiva Chocolatier :)
It was purposely left out due to its massive commercialism (that's how I see it). It was really good once upon a time...
Posted by: magixcarpet at 2003年09月14日 09:34ah...i was told about this post from meesh. i love tim tams too, great stuff, my fav is chewy caramel, but double choc or the regular ones are nice too. hmm...i think i like them all. thanks for the info about why they have one specially produced for the region, i didn't know that. :)
Posted by: killuminati at 2003年10月07日 14:31It's a stupid piece of confectionary. You make it sound like it's crack. Crack is much better.
Posted by: jingly Puff at 2003年10月08日 17:05I love Tim-Tams! little did i know the first time I had it it was imported ones, so when i went and got the local ones i was a bit dissapointed..
UK Kit-kat is my favorite..local ones just don't do it justice...
Im an aussie from Australia and Tim Tams are one of my favortite Choclates ever its like watching those tv commercials where their are people watching Tv in their lounge room eating Tim Tams.
a girl asked for a box of Tim Tams that never run out.
Cadburys you have done it again THANK GOSH U ARE STILL NOT OUT OF BUISNESS!!!!
Jacqui Batemans Bay NSW Australia