There’s a hierarchy of confections and snacks (okashi) in Japan, for those who didn’t know. At the top of the Japanese sugar mountain are wagashi.
Wagashi, as denoted by the wa-, are the traditional sweets of Japan which are painstakingly handcrafted with the finest ingredients. They include daifuku, dango, and botamochi/ ohagi. Many wagshi are incredibly sweet and are used as accompaniments to the Japanese tea ceremony. The sugary sweetness offsets the bitterness of the green tea, creating a perfect balance of the two.
Placed slightly below wagashi- though some may argue that they should be level with wagashi- are yÅgashi. YÅgashi are sweets and treats of Japan that have been strongly influenced by the West. Nama (raw) cheesecake and an doughnuts (soooo good) are great examples of how the West has influenced Japanese treats. YÅgashi tend to be lighter and less sugary than their Western counterparts.
At the bottom of the Okashi Hierarchy are those snacks known as dagashi. Dagashi have an analog in American penny candy. While Western penny candy (Bull’s Eyes, root beer barrels, Now or Laters TM, etc.) are candy in the strictest sense of the word, dagashi can be both candy and baked/ fried treats. And just like our rapidly dwindling soda fountains and dedicated candy stores, dagashi stores are going the way of the dodo.
Dagashi are still available today, however, but the environments, candy stores called Dagashiya , that spawned these candies are no longer as prevalent as they used to be. Dagashi are still sold in Dagashiya, but they’re also sold in super markets, convenience stores, and kiosks.
Another fun fact about dagashi is the way they’re packaged. Sometimes they come with toys or puzzles, sometimes it’s a surprise as to what you’ll get, and sometimes they’re sold in variety packs. The one thing all dagashi have in common is their price point (cheap) and quality (not so high).
Maruisuzuki is a small company who makes dagashi. Besides the big names of Morinaga, Glico, and Meiji, there are smaller folks who manufacture okashi. Many local, independent shops and companies like Maruisuzuki, create their own non-mainstream treats. Pansy is a dagshi I discovered at the L.A. Mitsuwa.
I’ve found one other snack with properties similar to Pansy: Umai Bo. Pansy, however, isn’t a giant stick and is covered in sugar, unlike Umai Bo.
Sanshikisumire is the Japanese word for pansy, but sanshikisumire isn’t anywhere on the packaging. Perhaps this treat was named after the flower because of its tricolor palette: san= three, shiki= color, sumire= voilet.
The packaging is apropos for Pansy since it showcases the glittering puffs nicely. The large black kanji complement the pink, yellow and green of the dagashi.
Biting into one of the these colorful puffs is akin to biting into a sugar coated foam packing peanut, except not as dense. The internal structure of these heavy looking sugar bombs is filled with air pockets. The air pockets would give the snack a lighter feel if the dough itself wasn’t so chewy. Pansy are lighter than styrofoam but not by much.
The flavor is all about the sugar at first; it almost made me gag, it was so sweet. Actually, there’s a bit of salt in that sweet, which comes as a surprise. Then as I worked it down, there was a strange, buttery after-taste. Looking at the ingredients, I don’t find butter, but I do find corn. Corn and rice and corn syrup.
After eating a handful of Pansy, I find that there’s something very familiar about this snack. Trying to figure why this Japanese snacks is giving me savory déjà vu vu, I eat another two. Then I figure out what’ s causing the sensation: Pansy reminds me of a cross between cheese puffs and Fruit LoopsTM but without the cheese or the fruit!
They also make me think that this is a snack much like our American circus peanuts. Just like that sickening sweet candy treat of yore, eating three Pansy is satisfying, five or more is sickening, and ten on up is cause for emergency dental work and a stomach pump.
After splitting the rest of the bag between friends, all that’s left is a pile of salty sugar and a stomach ache. I don’t have any regrets eating Pansy, and I, in fact, enjoyed ‘em. However, the next time I purchase a bag of Pansy won’t be for a long time and I’ll make sure I have helpers on hand to assist in its “disposal”.
I recommend Pansy for people who like karinto or people who like Fruit LoopsTM and CheetosTM. This is good stuff and a great example of dagashi!
TEXTURE: 
FLAVOR:
APPEARANCE: 
PACKAGING:
Pansy gets a overall.
Omgg, doesn’t really look that appealing to me XD It reminds me of fluffy Styrofoam XD
I dunno…I think they’re upping the sugar in the yogashi. Some of the doughnuts are just as sweet as American ones, unless they have very specific Japanese flavors.
I hit submit too soon… ^ compared to stuff found in 1993.
Lenners – Yeah, it’s texture is pretty much like styrofoam. With sugar all over. I love sweet snacks, but this was kinda gross, even for me!
griever – Interesting. Do you think it’s an attempt to ‘westernize’ it, since Americans looove sugar?
@Lenners, I thought it was pretty T_T. (one reason I bought it -.^) It was a weird texture, initially, but it grows on you.
@griever, what I’ve been reading also points to higher red meat and poultry consumption than usual for the traditional Japanese diet. The higher sugar content, and higher meat and fast food consumption is probably an all over trend towards a more Westernized diet.
@David, you didn’t seem too grossed out ^^!
@David: I don’t think it’s an attempt to Westernize it (how can you Westernize a Western doughnut?); rather, it’s an attempt to keep up with the demographic that will eat it – kids. And these kids are getting more candy and sugar than their parents and especially their grandparents did.
@Rachael: Yes, and milk and milk-based products too, like ice cream. My observations is that Japanese love to snack (here and at colleges is a cup noodle a snack x.x) and their attention is now being diverted. Even among males, who are traditionally supposed to like sour over sweet, Western-type snacks including chips and chocolates are popular. The convenience stores near the JHS and the high school are often swarmed with kids around 4-5 PM and they’re definitely not reaching for the traditional stuff.
Rachel – Maybe not ‘grossed out’ – just ‘too sweet’. ^_^
griever – They could always ‘Wild Westernize’ it, couldn’t they?