A Letter from Alice: Updating my page, and Current Circumstances
I’m not sure if you’ve tried to use my sponsorship link recently, but it doesn’t exactly work.
Candysan revamped their whole website, and this comes with the caveat that I needed to re-sign up... which means I lost my sponsorship link and all of my rewards.
Its, uh, kind of a bummer, so I’ve been reluctant to start over. I don’t requalify for my sponsorship position until I’ve made a new order, and money’s tight. This isn’t helped by the pandemic, as I’m a fulltime freelance illustrator that makes a majority of their money off of commissions, as all patreon dues go towards my rent and utilities, and I don’t exactly spend a lot of money on food. So, fewer people interested in commissions means less money, which means I haven’t had extra to be much of a candy foodie.
I’ll see if I can’t whip up a few reviews, but my focus over the past year or so has been getting my business up and running, so things here just sort of fell off.
I’m still active on my twitters, RabbitFo11ower and DreamsByAlice, as well as my patreon where I post most every day, but I’m not sure when I’ll be able to make a full return to this blog due to my current situation.
Once everything comes back together, though? You’ll be the first to know.
This isn’t goodbye, it’s until we meet again, which I hope will be very soon.
I love you all, and I hope to see you on my twitter, or in my next review.
I’m surprised I haven’t had the chance to discuss KitKats on this blog. While there exists no shortage of KitKat fans in the west, there seems to be a specific appeal for these in the east, and it’s often treated as an oddity... or at least, it is where I’m from. I can’t tell you how many times my interest in worldwide confectionary has come up, and I get something along the lines of “have you tried Japanese kitkats? They have so many flavors. Isn’t that weird? Why is that?”
Well, I’ll tell you. They’re the top distributed confection by our friends at Meiji, which is coincidentally the leading confection company in Japan. After the green tea flavor was introduced in 2004, many other flavors followed. While the reason for their popularity isn’t known for sure, Nestle believes it has something to do with the tradition of omiyage, a Japanese term for souvenirs. It’s considered socially obligatory to bring back regional gifts to co-workers and family members, and it’s sometimes considered an apology for absence. With KitKat being so widespread, and many regions offering exclusive limited edition flavors, they make for a simple, yet attractive gift. Coincidentally, “KitKat” is very similar to the phrase “kitto katsu”, or “you will surely win”, leading to the brand being associated with good luck charms. You can read more about it in this New York Times article, and you can learn more about the tradition of omiyage here!
That in mind, we’re looking at a special Japanese KitKat variant that has a bit of a DIY twist to them. These aren’t your average everyday KitKats, my good sir, madam, or other individuals not specified. These are KitKats that you BAKE.
The package states that these are “purin aji”, or custard flavored, but I’ve seen a few different varieties, like cheesecake, or a special sweet potato flavor for the fall season. Maybe I’ll give those a look once they’re back in stock on Candysan. At the time of writing this, they’re unavailable, but they tend to come back in stock every few months, so check back every now and again if you want to use my discount code on these. Until then, I’ll supply an alternative site where you can buy these at the end.
It smells like maple or caramelized sugar when you open the bag. Quite pleasant, somewhat nutty and buttery... Very strongly of butterscotch or vanilla when you open up the packaging around the actual chocolate.
They’re somewhat waxy before you bake them, but still creamy. Tastes like vanilla more than white chocolate, with a nice smooth aftertaste. It’s enjoyable, but probably nothing like the baked version.
While the instructions are in Japanese they're quite simple: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit or 180 degrees Celsius, unwrap your KitKats and arrange them on a foiled baking tray, and wait four to five minutes. Don’t go far, though! These are finicky little things, and can burn very easily. Check every couple minutes to make sure you don’t lose these guys. The chocolate will first start to melt, then puff up and toast to a pale golden color. Once they’re a little crispy, they’re done!
First and foremost, if you plan on making these, I hope you’re prepared for your entire kitchen to smell like vanilla and buttercream. My entire apartment smelled like i had just made a cake. It’s downright delectable, but don’t be tempted to eat one before they cook.
The texture is like a cookie, or biscotti, but not as dense and with a much lighter crunch, like the top of a Creme brûlée. They’re more like wafer cookies than KitKats at this point, with a very sweet flavor reminiscent of a toasted marshmallow. While these are pudding flavor, I find it hard to compare them to Japanese purin or Creme caramel. Those tend to have a much subtler flavor that is complemented by the almost bitter caramel topping. While that’s not necessarily reflected here, I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s a bad thing. They’re just different, but in a good way. Actually, now that I think about it, they’re similar to Bake chocolate, which has a similar texture and a variety of flavors. I personally prefer bake as far as candies go, but these certainly have their appeal. They’d be really nice paired with ice cream, a berry compote, or maybe some actual pudding!
I’ll update this post as soon as Candysan starts carrying these again. If you’re still craving kitkats, seasonal flavors can be purchased here! Don’t forget to enter the promo code 111409207 during registration or at checkout to get 5% off your order!
That’s all for this week’s review. Hope to see you next week (❁´▽`❁)*✲ﾟ*
I know you’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but part of my job as a candy reviewer is going through swathes of colorful packaging and finding what looks the most interesting to viewers, or just fun to review. These immediately caught my eye at the shops with their bright pastels and I knew I had to give them a look-see.
This candy comes to us from our friends at UHA. While their name isn’t immediately recognizable like, say, Meiji, they’re probably best known for being the makers of puccho, a chewy, taffy-like candy that I’ve looked at a few times before. They’re also the manufactures of the unique sakeru gumi, which you’re just going to have to see for yourself. They’re soft and fluffy and fun to eat! These candies are a little different. They’re naturally flavored, tear-drop shaped gummies made with 55% domestic fruit juice, and come in three flavors: White peach, orange, and grape!
Unfortunately, these are a bit of a rare find! I picked them up at my local Japanese marketplace, but I’m hard-pressed to find them on the internet. Still, I’m very excited to share these with you, and I hope you’ll be able to find them in your area. Keep your eyes peeled! In the meantime, let’s get to the fun part, and discuss how they taste!
Spoiler alert, here’s a reoccurring theme for these guys: They smell amazing.
I cannot stress to you how good these smell. Our first flavor, peach, is reminiscent of a farmers market with its ambrosial bouquet. Am I being dramatic? Maybe just a bit, but it’s still pretty delectable. On a personal note, these remind me of a peach soda I was able to try at the Ohio state fair last year; Fresh and sweet, and almost effervescent. The taste reflects this pretty well. The texture of the gummy is nice and chewy with a little bit of give to it, like a soft rubber ball, and it compliments the flavor nicely. They’re quite sweet, with a tangy aftertaste, and the sugar coating they have gives them a bit of a crunch. They might be a little sweet for some, but they’re really enjoyable!
The orange flavor was probably my favorite of the bunch, which was pretty surprising to me, as someone who doesn’t particularly enjoy oranges as a fruit. My expectations for these weren’t exactly stellar, as these immediately smelled a bit more artificial than the peach flavor, but it could just be how sweet the aroma was. Oranges smell sweet, sure, but this was closer to, say, orange concentrate. In addition, this candy seemed to have a thicker layer of sugar crystals, but that probably had more to do with packaging or how these were stored, rather than being an intentional choice on the part of the candy makers. In terms of flavor, these start really sour but fade into a much sweeter taste, finishing nice and tart. The whole foods near my hometown had a machine that you could buy fresh oranges for, and then process into a fresh bottle of orange juice. This is very similar, but a touch sweeter. It has the most interesting flavor profile so far, and I found myself munching on these the most between photos.
To me, the grape flavor has the most interesting flavor of the bunch. First and foremost, while I and my room mates were giving the bags a good whiff upon opening them, it was hardly needed for these. Their strong, almost wine-like scent was detectable from a few feet away, and their flavor was reflective of this, tasting very much like sparkling grape juice: A little sour, almost bitter, but finished off sweet, almost to an unnatural extent, as the aftertaste was more reminiscent of a grape than the actual candy. Edible, but somewhat offputting. I’m willing to chalk this up to these being the last flavor we sampled or just my usual distaste for candy on the sour side. They’re not bad, though, as I willingly at a couple, they’re just a bit different from the other two flavors.
I’m almost disappointed that I can’t find these from an online retailer, because these are really, really good. My search is probably limited to English results, however, as I am by no means experienced with reading or writing Japanese. If you can find these anywhere, please let me know, and I’ll update this post with a link.
If you’re craving something else, my sponsors at Candysan can hook you up! Don’t forget to enter the promo code 111409207 during registration or at checkout to get 5% off your order!
That’s all for this week’s review. Hope to see you next week ヾ(･ω･｡)ｼ
To me, one of the biggest draws to talking about foreign candy is the variety of flavors. Not just in the sense that there are often so many to choose from, but there are a plethora of different tastes that just aren’t present in western sweets. This, of course, comes from differing palates across different demographics of people, or to put it more simply, different people like different things. I’ve always found this phenomenon to be really interesting, so I get pretty excited when I find candies with obscure flavors that you usually wouldn’t think to put in candy. This has delivered mixed results, of course, I remember the vegetable candy crisis as much as you do, but sometimes I’ll find gems like Morinaga caramels that have flavors like green tea or yogurt that taste really good for the form they’ve taken.
Long story short, it’s this fascination of mine that has drawn me to these.
This bear might be familiar to you, but if you’ve never seen him before, allow me to introduce you to Kumamon! He’s the mascot of Japan’s Kumamoto prefecture, which is coincidentally the theme of this candy. The flavors herein are made with local produce of Kumamoto, at least, according to my translation of the packaging, featuring daikon radish, ginger, watermelon, milk and strawberry, and… something called white night sleeve? We’ll get to that later. For now, let’s start the review.
First and foremost, I have to apologize. While I can’t exactly blame myself or the candy for this, I still feel obligated to make it known when I cannot give a certain product a full review. For whatever reason, this bag is missing a flavor. After sorting each of the candies according to their respective wrapping and listed taste, we found that the one I was looking forward to the most, strawberries and cream, was missing. This is probably just dumb luck, but I still feel a sense of unfulfillment from being unable to describe these candies in full. However, it’s almost funny that one of the most mundane candies of the bunch is missing, which means it’s up to me to help shape your expectations of the rest of these. Let’s go!
What’s weird about this candy is that the bag has no smell... or rather, it smells like plastic. This may sound like nitpicking, but it’s not uncommon for the candies I review to have a strong aroma when the bag is opened, whether they’re wrapped or not, and this helps me as a reviewer to form first impressions before I even get to taste the candy in question. You may eat with your mouth, but your sense of smell is very much intertwined with how your brain perceives flavor. So, food without a smell? It’s like your tongue’s equivalent of the uncanny valley… or, it is to me, at least.
I kind of hoped this would be changed by unwrapping my first sweet, but the daikon radish candy has a vaguely sweet scent, but it’s hardly there, and I had my nose right next to the bonbon in question. The taste is pretty similar, as in, it’s kind of underwhelming. Though it immediately tastes like honey, there’s a subtle spicy aftertaste reminiscent of a radish… but it’s mostly masked by the honey. It doesn’t taste like very much at all. It’s just sweet. Weirdly enough, though, it left my mouth tasting like copper. If that sounds delectable to you, I guess you’d enjoy this?
Now, about that “white rabbit” flavor from earlier, it refers to the citrus fruit candy pictured on the packaging. I can’t read Japanese, and that’s what google translate gave me. Rakuten Global, the site that carries this candy, refers to it as “night white sleeve”, and that didn’t help much either. I was ready to assume it was yuzu or grapefruit until I read the ingredients list supplied from the shop I purchased these from, which referred to the flavor as “citrus maxima”. Turns out, it’s pomelo! I’ve never tried on, unfortunately, but I think I can give you a pretty good idea of what the candy is like. First of all, this piece of candy actually had an aroma, which was that of lemon, which was quite pleasing! It’s just like any lemon-scented thing you’ve ever smelled, but I don’t really see that as a problem. Was is a problem is the texture of this candy. Unlike the others in the set which have a smooth finish, this one is somewhat gritty, like the dehydrated zest of the fruit… which is a bit of a detriment to the flavor. After the sweet, syrupy outer layer is gone, you’re left with a gritty rock in your mouth that tastes like the rind of a grapefruit: Very bitter, and not very satisfying.
Onto the ginger flavor, which… full disclosure, I don’t like ginger candy, so I wasn’t looking forward to this. However, I’m not one to back away from trying something new. To my surprise, it didn’t really taste very much like ginger at all. It’s very similar to the daikon radish flavor, being closer to honey than anything else, this time with an earthy aftertaste and a slight burn to it. I really don’t know what else to say without repeating my thoughts from the daikon candy. Same aroma, and virtually the same flavor. Moving on.
And finally, watermelon. While the scent isn’t exactly strong, it’s the most distinct of the bunch, and smells like something out of Bath and Body Works; Sweet, and borderline artificial without being offensive to the senses. The flavor is very similar, tasting like peak-season watermelon. That said, it’s almost sickeningly sweet, like to an artificial degree, despite being made with real watermelon paste. I’m thinking it might be the excess sugar of the candy. I’m big on sweet stuff, so I don’t mind it, but I could imagine others being repulsed by it.
I’ve been told that it’s better for a product or experience to be bad than it is to be average. A bad product gets people talking, where an average product just exists, leaving no impression. It’s forgettable. Unmemorable. Unfortunately, that’s kind of the case for these candies. Even at their best, they’re nothing I’d write home about, which is disappointing, considering how different these flavors are to the average joe. Maybe next week we’ll have something more fun!
Maybe I’ve missed something here? It’s totally possible! Why not give these a try yourself? They’re available on Rakuten here! If you’re craving something else, my sponsors at Candysan can hook you up! Don’t forget to enter the promo code 111409207 during registration or at checkout to get 5% off your order!
That’s all for this week’s review. Hope to see you next week (❁´▽`❁)*✲ﾟ*
A Letter From Alice: Alice-in-Candyland State of Affairs
Figured I’d actually post something more official as opposed to just a few tags on an ask. So, here’s a short little update on where I’ve been, where I’m going, and a few other things you might want to hear.
So, wow, it’s been four years since my last review, but I think I had a good enough excuse.
When I first started my blog, I had just gotten out of my third year of high school and was transitioning into senior life. A lot of things went down during my senior year, which is why reviews were so... infrequent, usually with breaks in between. Not getting help with some brain stuff also made things worse. I thought I’d be a bit freer once I started college, but here’s the thing... it’s college, and I was getting a degree in a STEM field, and I actually ended up in the hospital for a short while. In the meantime, it made no sense to carry all of my candy around with me wherever I went, and I, of course, didn’t have as much money to spend on new snacks outside of essentials. In addition, I was doing more dedicated work as a freelance artist in my spare time, both as a hobby, and to get a little extra money on the side. After living in a dorm for three years, I finally stepped out of my comfort zone and into apartment life, as well as really nailing down what I’m passionate about, and where I’ll be going within the next year or so.
So, after four years, I’ve actually found myself in a really good position. That freelance art I mentioned? It’s becoming my full-time job, and I have a patreon. That brain stuff? I’m on a really good treatment plan, and I have an amazing support network of friends that I’ve made in the past couple years. As for my apartment? Well, I’m moving into an even nicer one tomorrow with someone who I happily consider to be one of my best friends, and we’re even getting our own cat, to boot!
And, even better, I graduated on time, just as planned, with a great fallback degree if art doesn’t work out as a career. I’m in an amazing position, all things considered, and my weekends are going to be pretty free from here on out.
If you were wondering if I’d ever revive this mess, the answer is a resounding yes. In the coming days, I’ll be refurbishing this blog, and doing batches of reviews to be scheduled to post on Fridays or Sundays. I’m still debating on the day, but I can promise you a safe return. In addition, I’m thinking about starting a youtube channel, so maybe you’ll even get some fun videos out of this. Who knows? This is a really good time to experiment and see what sticks.
Thanks for sticking around for so long, and I hope you’ll continue with me on this journey through Candyland.
Not an ask question, but I just wanted to say thanks to your reply! ^^ I'd be like, sooo grateful if you could return! I know one person isn't enough to convince you yet but I've missed your blog so much!! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ ✧ﾟ･: *ヽ(◕ヮ◕ヽ)
Guess who is really bad at keeping their candy blog updated in between work, college prep, and other things that I’ll keep to my personal blog?!
Is it me? ...I think it’s me.
Sorry for the unannounced hiatus; I really didn’t like pulling that on you all, but sometimes things happen that get in the way of things we enjoy. That said, I hope to make up for it in the future. Maybe I’ll do an extra-special review for you all? We’ll just have to wait and see... as in, wait until after this one... After this, I’ll make something special.
So, today, we have puccho balls. Ive praised puccho in their stick taffy form, so I figured it was time to take a look at something a little different. Unlike your garden variety puccho candies, these have no strong aroma; They do give off a vague sugary scent, due to having a thin coating of powder, but that's only if you have your nose right over the opening of the box.
This is, of course, because of the candy coating... At least, I assume so.
So, without a strong aroma, how does the flavor stack up?
...Well...
These are Very chewy, with a very tough center, a somewhat sour bite, and a tangy flavor that is strong enough to cover up the cola flavor... Almost. While these do have a semi-sweet cola-ish finish, they're really tart most of the way through.
So, wait, while I get over the sourness, let's break down the layers of this.
There's a sweet candy coating, a layer of sour compressed sugar, and the taffy-like candy in the center. So, why is it so sour?
It really bugs me, because there's not much else I can say about this sweet besides that. It's so sour to me that I'm drawing a blank as to what to comment on. Combine that with how tough these can be to eat, I can't say I enjoy these.
Granted, I'm a little pansy when it comes to sour stuff, but this is my perspective on it. If your a sour junkie, though, you may want to try these... Actually, I recommend that you do. When you do, tell me where exactly does the cola flavor start? Because I can't find much of it.
So what about this other flavor? No aroma, same structure... It can't be that much different.
So, my first one was solid candy coating... If there's one thing that grinds my gears, it's every time that happens to me.
So... Let's try that again
To my surprise, these are a lot crunchier and sweeter, and the texture is a bit less gritty, too... a bit closer to a gum ball than, say, a skittle, like the last one. However, it also doesn't put much focus on the flavor; It's just kind of sweet and tangy. There's a bit of a sour tinge to it, but it's not nearly as obvious or offensive to me.
So... I guess it's kind of a wash. They're nothing I'd really eat again, but they're not exactly my type of candy, either. I don't really like skittles or any of those candy coated chewy sours... I don't feel like I'm equipped to say whether or not these are good or bad, because these might taste great to someone who eats sour candies normally... I just...
I know what I can say.
This packaging is marlarkey; The little spheres get stuck in the corners and nothing comes out when you tip the thing over, or shake it into your palm. That's bad.
That all aside, why don't you give these a try? Both of these products can be bought from our friends at Candysan, with the cola flavor here, and the ramune flavor here. Don’t forget to enter the promo code 111409207 during registration or at checkout to get 5% off your order!
That’s all for this week’s review. Hope to see you next time (❁´▽`❁)*✲ﾟ*
I normally wouldn’t be bringing this up, but it’s concerning when suddenly most of the candies in the chocolate section go poof, and you just so happen to have a review of a couple of those products to put up.
It’s especially concerning when you happened to have really enjoyed these products.
Well, the show must go on.
We’re taking a look at Milky today, a specific type of candy produced by Fujiya, who also produces Country Ma’am cookies, but it’s more likely you know them for the former; Milky is pretty popular. While these are originally a soft milk candy similar to taffy, it’s signature flavor has been incorporated into many different candies and with many different tastes. These are just a couple examples of sweets that bear the Milky logo, and the smile of Peko-chan: Milky chocolate, which is chocolate with a sweet creme filling, and Milky Cookies, which are creme filled.
Sounds good to me!
Milky chocolates have a very warm chocolate aroma, with strong cocoa undertones. Honestly, it's just something that makes me instinctively say "mmmm" when I open the package.
The chocolates themselves are pleasantly soft without being too melty, and give way to a velvety cream center. The two flavors mix well to make something similar to that of a chocolate milkshake.
The chocolate isn't overly sweet, and it floats somewhere between bittersweet and milk chocolate. This probably comes from the cream center, which is just delicious. It's softer than the rest of the candy, and has a mild milk taste to it that mellows out the sweetness. Honestly, I was expecting a filling more akin to white chocolate, but I was pleasantly surprised. I can see why this brand is so popular!
Also, can we talk about the cute little designs on these chocolates for a moment? They’re just so detailed and adorable!
So, how about the cookies?
These cookies smell strongly of vanilla and brown sugar, with a really nice nutty undertone, and their golden color is just irresistible.
Taking a bite out of one of these is like eating a cloud. Moist, chewy, rich, creamy... My goodness, so many words come to mind, but it's difficult to describe these in a sentence. They taste strongly of vanilla custard, and the cream filling serves more as a way to enhance the flavor, rather than being a separate element of the cookie. Heck, these even have a cake-like quality to them in their texture. These just melt in your mouth.
I can see how these may be too sweet for some, but I honestly have no complaints... Although, I may need a glass of milk. They’re quite rich!
Want to give these a try? Definitely! Why wouldn’t you?
Since Candysan no longer supplies these, I had to do a little digging, but I managed to find the cookies here. However, I cannot find the chocolates anywhere, which is disappointing. If you can help me at all by supplying a link, I would appreciate it very much!
Thank you very much for reading this week’s review, and I’ll see you next time! (´∀｀)♡
You know what I haven’t reviewed in a while?
A DIY kit.
Yeah, as much as I love these, and as many as I have laying around, I haven’t really touched them since… Oh, gee, I think the last one I reviewed was the Poppin Cooking cake set. That’s unacceptable! You can find plenty of videos on YouTube where they make the goodies advertised on their packages, but you seldom see anyone talk about what they taste like. So, I think I should take a stand, and fix that.
…But let’s start with something simple.
Ringo Ame!
Looks familiar? Well, if you’ve been following this blog for a while, you may remember when I reviewed a very similar looking Choco Banana kit. Turns out the company makes two other similar DIY kits; One is ice pop themed, and this one is for making candy apples… So to speak.
Very little “doing” is involved in this do-it-yourself kit; It comes packaged with circular pieces of Apple-flavored candy, syrupy dipping sauce, and sprinkles. All you have to do is assemble your sweets. Simple, yes, but effective. Think of it kind of like FunDip, but with extra things to dip your candy in. What kid wouldn’t love that?
Now, let me tell you, just like the banana kit, this one is fragrant. It smells like tart Granny Smith apples and happiness. Exaggeration aside, it smells very sweet, with an aroma that is distinctly Apple. Again, Granny Smith comes to mind, but it could be any kind. I’m no expert on Apple scents, and I only ever eat Fuji, which is a shame. Honey crisp apples are my favorite.
The apple gum is very sweet, with light tangy flavor. Probably Fuji flavor. It’s got a little tartness to it, but it works well, and melts away in your mouth. If I had to describe the texture, it’s kind of similar to gum, but it dissolves like taffy. It’s very unique, and hard to describe.
The syrup is very tart, almost sour. It’s got the same consistency as corn syrup, and it’s viscosity is really low. Like, it doesn’t drip at all. Somewhat Apple-y, not exactly the candy coating flavor you’d expect, and has a bit of a pucker to it.
Albeit different, the two favors mesh well; The tango mess of the syrup hits you first, but it’s quickly followed by the sweetness of the candy. Plus, this is mixed in with the unique texture of the sprinkles, which add a nice crunch. Yes, they’re just made of sugar and don’t add much flavor, but they’re like the cherry on top of this candy,
Want to give this kit a try? You certainly won’t regret it! This kit can be purchased from Candysan here. If they’re currently not in stock, they will be again in a couple days, so be patient! Don’t forget to enter the promo code 111409207 during registration or at checkout to get 5% off your order!
That’s all for this week’s review. Hope to see you next time (❁´▽`❁)*✲ﾟ*
Last week’s review: The Worst Candy I’ve Ever Eaten
You know who I am, you know what I do, and if you know that you should know that I am passionate about my candy.
There are few things that make me happier than sweets, and trying new things; I seldom hesitate to sample a new treat, regardless of how strange it may seem. I mean, why else do you think I began looking into foreign candy? I thrive off of fun, new foodie experiences.
That said, this review has been a long time coming, and not for the reasons that you may think. While I jumped at the chance to get my hands on these, I sat down one day, and realized that I really did not want to eat them. Then it came to me that I would have to sit down and review them.
Then I knew how miserable I would be.
So, just what are these?
Yeah, you see that? Let it sink in. It warrants a second glance, doesn’t it? Vegetables. In candy.
Yeah, these hardly need an intro.
These come from Senjaku of all places; They’ve made some of my favorite hard candies, namely their ramune candies , Happy Nikukyu, and 5-flavor matcha candies. This company has a decent track record with me, and even their worst candies are at least okay.
I remember seeing these on the shelf and saying to myself that these might not be that bad. I’ve had plenty of weird candies that turned out being fine, right? Right. These could be one of those types that could stand out in a good way, and end up being a nice treat.
I was an innocent cinnamon bun who didn’t know any better. I was too pure for this candy that had only intentions of crushing my fragile hopes.
Okay, enough mellow-drama. We have a review to get to.
So these little disasters come in two flavors: Lemon and apple.
Now, lemon was the first one I tried, and it managed to work up my hopes a bit. Despite these candies looking... less than pretty underneath their wrappers, the lemon flavor has a nice, tart aroma to it; I mean, it smells like real lemon juice, which is kind of pleasing. Nothing wrong with smelling like something fresh out of Yankee Candle, if you ask me.
Now, here’s the thing, there was no hint of vegetable in this bouquet; It was just a really attractive, unoffensive scent. So maybe it couldn’t be that bad? Maybe this candy wouldn’t taste like vegetables at all!
With that in mind, I put my trust in this sweet, and let it sit in my mouth. All was well and good, as it started tasting like any other generic lemon-flavored candy, albeit being more subdued and not too sweet.
Then, as the candy coating began to melt away, a strange savory flavor crept up on me. Subtle and salty at first, but then all at once.
Oh, it was awful.
Imagine eating lemon sorbet, then finding that the center tastes like bruschetta. That’s what this is like.
You can taste each vegetable that this candy claims to contain: Tomato, carrot, spinach, you name it, it’s all there, and it’s awful. It’s just not a good match with the lemon flavor at all, and... it’s just straight up disgusting.
“But Alice”, you cry. “There are two flavors! Surely the other could be more forgiving!”
But that is where you are wrong, because this flavor is even worse. It claims to be apple flavored. What kind? I assume they were going for fuji, but they weren’t even close.
First off, these do not smell even remotely good. They smell pungent and rotten, which is not a good way to make your candy smell, assuming you want it to be enjoyable, or at least edible.
Want to know what these taste like?
Do you really want to know?
Because they sure don’t taste like apples.
When I was but a wee ankle biter, my parents had two delightful crab apple trees that would blossom in the late spring, and would bear the tiniest green fruits that almost appeared to blush pink.
And the wee ankle biter Alice decided to take a bite.
What they discovered was not a sweet apple-like flavor. Rather, it filled her mouth with an indescribable, earthy bitterness unlike any they had ever wanted to taste.
Basically, these candies taste like crab apples, and the center is no different from their lemon-flavored counterpart.
This candy shouldn’t even exist, and you know what, I’m not sure it does! I spent a long while searching everything I could think of, but turned up with nothing.
Nothing.
This is like the candy you hear about from your uncle that their dad had given them once as a kid under the guise of it being delicious and sweet, when in reality it was a silvery wrapper full of disappointment and shattered dreams. For once, I am almost happy that I don’t have to supply you all with a link, because this candy is not worth the price it goes for. Yeah, I paid $2.99, but I could have bought something that was actually delicious.
As far as I’m concerned, these candies were a bad dream: Short and insufferable, but over soon enough for me to return to things I enjoy.
Now, I’m going to go cleanse myself of this memory.
I hope to show you a more satisfying candy next week, sweeties! (◍•ᴗ•◍)
Well, summer is here, and you know what that means!
I hope you do, because I sure don’t...
In all seriousness, I am now on summer break, and after four long years of being caught in a rut, I get to graduate highschool. Now, even though I said a few months back that this blog was indeed my senior project, I plan to keep running it for as long as I can.
So, summer means more candy for you and me! Yay!
So, what do we have on the menu today?
Today we have some KariPori from Kabaya; A candy whose name comes from the sound it makes when you bite and eat it. Onomatopoeia seems to be a theme in japanese snacks.
That aside, what are these?
Well, they’re... sticks. And you eat the stick... and it tastes like soda?
Granted, it’s not a weird concept, but is there a name for these types of candies? Y’know, stick candies... I feel like there’s a better term out there for these that I’m just not aware of, but...
You get the point. They’re sticks, and they’re apparently crunchy and taste pretty good, and that’s good enough to base a review on, right?
...Right?
Let’s start with the cola-flavored... stick.
You know what, I’m going to stop dwelling on that.
These have a light scent to them; nothing too jarring or noticeable. You'd really only notice if you took the time to smell the package (like I usually do for these reviews...). It's a subtle cola scent. Sorta sweet, sorta mellow... and sorta not there, but I wouldn’t say that’s really important for this kind of candy.
The flavor reflects this to an extent; It's very mellow and subdued to a point where it tastes kind of flat. It doesn't have the sort of dynamic you'd expect from cola, and ends up being swallowed by the fizziness of the candy. And while these are fizzy, it’s not exactly a strong fizz, or at least it’s not a fizz comparable to a generic cola beverage. There aren't really any undertones to the taste of these; It's just sort of a straight syrupy flavor, mixed with the fun texture and fizz of the sweet. So, it's kind of a wash.
But then... How does the ramune flavor stack up?
The ramune flavor has a bit more of a varied scent to it. There's an obvious citrus aroma to it, and it smells very tangy and sweet. Again, it’s not noticeable unless you’re wafting it below your nose, and unless you’re reviewing them, why are you doing that?
After an initial pucker, these sticks go from being sour, to having a very sweet lime-like taste. Oddly enough, these don't have as much of a fizz, but I don't really see that as a problem, as it allows the candy to put more of a focus on its flavor and texture.
And you know what, I’m fine with that.
Okay, I’m going to be real with you; This isn’t exactly a candy that you enjoy for the flavor. These are focused almost entirely on the texture, which is probably the best part about eating these.
KariPori are very crunchy and airy, and there's a crispness to these that I really enjoy when they break; I'd compare it to eating chalk, if chalk were softer, and satisfying to eat. Also, the fizziness is gained through chemicals and pores in the candy itself, rather than a fizzy powder in the middle, which works for these.
While these aren’t anything special, they’ve still got a nice crunch to them that makes them enjoyable to eat; Something perfect to maybe keep in your pocket or your purse if you need a little something munchy or tangy while you’re waiting for the time to pass.
And hey, there’s nothing wrong with that.
Stick to what you’re doing, KariPori!
...Did I actually just write that...?
Wanna give these a try?
Our friends at CandySan currently have them in stock, and if they don’t, they’ll have more in a few days. If you’re interested, snag some here! Also, don’t forget to enter the code 111409207 at registration or at checkout to get 5% off your order!
With graduation coming up, and my senior year drawing to a close, things have been seasonably busy. But hey, it’s wonderful to be back; We’ve finally hit the home stretch where I can finally sit back and enjoy my last few days of senior year, so I’ve been able to tend to some personal projects, playing video games, and (of course) sampling new sweets!
So, just what are these little bags of joy?
Today we have a gummy candy to look at by our friends at Meiji, a rather popular Japanese snack company that is known primarily for their various chocolates. Believe me, if you’ve ever dabbled in Japanese candies, you’ve probably had Meiji’s candies: Kinoko no Yama, Torotto, Watapachi and Watagamu... They’re no stranger to me.
So, last time, while I mourned over the lack of good melon-flavored candies, I was also sent a package from my sponsors at CandySan with these buried beneath a plethora of other sweets. Think of them like one continuous gummy worm of two separate flavors. We have two types to look at today, too! One is Moko Moko Himo Q, which is melon and soda flavored, and the other is Chou Himo Q, which is cola and soda flavored.
So, I’ve waited long enough. Let’s get started!
Ooh, right when you open up the bag, you can tell these are going to be nice.
If you've ever had melon ramune, it smells just like that, and also has undertones of lemon and lime.
I mean, wow, it's a very sweet, syrupy scent, kind of like melon-flavored sprite; It even smells fizzy. No, seriously, it tickles the back of your nose. I have no idea how else to explain it.
The ramune side is really sweet; Very lime-y, and kind of like flat sprite... But not bad. It tastes kind of like soda mix, the syrup that you put into carbonated water, but since it's not too strong it's decent enough.
Then there’s the melon side.
Okay, now, I don't mind flavors that are artificial; As long as they're not offensively chemical, or unpleasant.
While this does not taste like melon, it's certainly satisfying to me. It tastes like melon flavored soda, but that's not exactly a bad thing. Having it be more accurate would mean making the flavor of this more subtle than it is.
Now, if this were by itself, without the ramune side, I'd definitely say to make it a little less sweet, but it needs that to hold it's own with the much more strong soda flavor. When put together, the ramune flavor practically overshadows it, and leaves it lurking in the undertones of the flavor.
The gummy is a touch more spongey and soft, so it falls apart nicely in your mouth. It also has a little creaminess to it.
I may just order these again... They’re really mellow and satisfying!
Now, let’s see how the cola flavor holds up.
This one smells funny.
No, sorry I was mistaken. I thought this was cola and ramune, not nail polish remover.
I'm being completely serious here, it smells like limes and watered down nail polish remover, with this weird sweet undertone... Well, my expectations plummeted.
The ramune part of this candy is... Weird. It's got that signature lemon-lime flavor, but it's very subdued, and it's not very sweet. It's also a bit hard to recognize without a twinge of fizz. Granted, I've had really bad ramune gummies, and these aren't bad, but I'm not sure that the ramune flavor isn't exactly capable of being captured in a gummy form.
The cola flavor is much closer... but it still tastes like a watered down coke with an oddly bitter aftertaste.
So, how are these flavors together?
About as well as you'd think.
It's like a watered down cola with lemon. It's syrupy, not too sweet, and has a lingering sourness to it. The thing is, it's not strong enough to be offensive. It's more subtle.
These are also pretty chewy, almost rubbery in texture, kind of like gummy worms mixed with rubber bands... If that were pleasant. Go put some gummy worms in the freezer for about five minutes. They're kind of like that.
I mean, I don't really like it, but I don't dislike it. There's this funny neutrality to it, so think of it what you will.
Wanna give these a try? Be my guest!
Moko Moko Himo Q, which is melon and soda flavored, can be purchased here, and Chou Himo Q, which is cola and soda flavored, can be purchased here. Candysan also offers a Grape and Muscat flavor here, so give that one a try for me!
We’re going back to our regularly scheduled reviews, so that means they’ll be submitted every Saturday after this.
So, I hope to see you next week, sweeties! (◍•ᴗ•◍)
