Here are the two bars side by side.
The packaging is the first difference we notice.
The US packaging is significantly more glitzy.
The cubes are much flatter and wider.
In the UK bar, each cube is slightly raised.
But both have the well-known Cadbury's logo.
We kick off with the UK version.
The first bite is glorious. It's creamy, sweet but not sickening, and the texture is smooth.
The aftertaste is the best part. It lingers. Each time you chew, it becomes that much creamier.
Next, to the US version. The first bite feels similar.
But then we chew. There's no creamy taste, and our mouth fills with the taste of cocoa.
The aftertaste is bitter, and we quickly realize that the raised top of the UK bar isn't for aesthetics — it makes the texture considerably smoother.
To ensure we're not just being patriotic, we asked four other American tasters to try out each bar.
The results were mixed. One noticed no difference at all, one preferred the US bar, noting that it had a creamier aftertaste, and the remaining two preferred the UK version, claiming that it was significantly less bitter.
“I had the US one first, and I thought it was good, and then I tried the other and it was much better," one tester said.
"I can't taste anything different at all," another said.
Ultimately, it comes down to the ingredients.
The only differences are the fat content and the amount of cocoa used in each bar. The US Cadbury bars use only cocoa butter as the "fat," in order to meet FDA standards. In the UK, the company is also allowed to use vegetable oils such as palm and shea.
The difference is subtle, but it's real.
