Today’s candy has the most Western name to date: Butter Ball. Everything else up to now has been distinctly Japanese, even the pizza flavored snack I’ve reviewed has the unique touch of Japanese cuisine imparted upon it. But this hard, sweet candy beats it hands down by being butter in ball form. Can’t get any better than that!
The company which makes Butter Ball, UHA, is a truly inventive Japanese candy maker. They’re the creators of Shigekix, Koakuma and a slew of other appealing and inspiring snacks and candy.
Packaging
The packaging is rather blah for UHA, which stands for “Unique Human Adventure“. They usually have some phenomenally eye-catching packaging that hits you square in the face and forces you to buy their products. This bag looks like a bag of candy I’d find down at my local grocery store. The red kanji doesn’t pop off the orange backdrop and the black English font does nothing for me. The cow in the bright green field, however is a good contrasting image. Also, points for showing the product and for having the candy individually wrapped. Overall, though, I’m kinda unimpressed with Butter Ball’s packaging. UHA, you can do better!Score: B-
Appearance
The buttery yellow hue and satin sheen are attractive but it’s disappointing the candy is more of a lozenge shape than ball shape, seeing as how it’s called “Butter Ball”. Score: A-
Texture
Butter Ball is a hard candy with a smooth texture. When it’s sucked on, it releases it’s buttery flavor with a bit of heaviness, reminiscent of actual butter. Score: A
Flavor
Wow! This is awesome! It tastes like a butter cookie, with a hint of lemon. The flavor takes me back to when we would crack open a bag of butter cookies on a hot summer afternoon after school and chow down. The lemon is what takes this flavor to the butter cookie realm and not to that of butterscotch or true butter. Butter Ball also has a touch of milkiness, the overall effect being of buttery cookies. The flavor is nice and rich, just like a well made butter cookie. All the butter cookie essence without the cookie.Score: A+
Verdict
Butter Ball is another fantastic offering from a truly unique candy company. The flavor is full and delish. My only complaint is I keep crunching down on them expecting cookie but getting hard candy.
In the 50s we used to get a hard completely round candy called butterballs. The were sweet and buttery flavored woth just a little salt. After I thought they were long gone I discovered them in Marin CA but that source is also gone. I think Werthers(?) and Brachs had something similar. One was called butter disks but they slick all the way through. The never developed the sugary ridges and tiny crispies as they slowly melted away in your mouth. I have not tried this Japanese brand but would be interested in trying