Umebachi is the name of this delectable looking dagashi. To briefly recap what dagashi are: Dagashi are cheap, inexpensive Japanese candy and snacks which are similar to American “penny candy” in price point but not always quality. In fact a few dagashi are of very good quality; however, the majority of dagashi don’t go that extra distance are mainly composed of sugar and corn syrup. Many Japanese equate dagshi with fond childhood memories, similar to the manner Americans equate candy like “root beer barrels”, “Bull’s eyes”, and “Sugar Daddies TM” to their own fond memories of youth.
The name “umebachi”, is in reference to its appearance. Umebachi is a variety of kamon. Kamon, or mon, are Japanese heraldic symbols used as family crests and as decorations for kimono. The umebachi kamon can be seen at the left and is representative of a plum blossom within a circle. When turned on end, the umebachi dagashi does look very much like the kamon. This particular dagashi brand, Maruisuzuki, likes to name and manufacture their treats in the likeness of flowers, an idea which is novel and quite inventive in execution.
Each of these treats are individually wrapped. After tearing open the wrapper I understand why; the white exterior is a candy coating and if the umebachi weren’t wrapped individually, they’d become tacky, sticky, and no longer individual. Umebachi don’t have much aroma, but there’s a hint of molasses. Hmmm, smells like molasses on the inside yet has a candy coating on the outside; interesting. I have no idea what’s in store as I take a bite.
After two crunchy, sugar coated bites, I don’t yet have a sense of what this dagashi is, only that it’s sugary and tasty. After three bites, the realization dawns on me: This is sugar coated karinto! Sweet jeezus, have you been eavesdropping on my sugary fantasies? On the outside is a generous layer of hard candy coating. The inside is made up of bits of karinto- a molasses and brown sugar wagashi made by deep frying dough and rolling it around in molten brown sugar- mixed with crisp, molasses kurosato, Japanese black sugar. Ohhhh, ssooooo freaking gooooddd! I can see the mountains of Sugar Paradise! Wait, wait, that’s a candy coma coming on, never mind.
The white outer layer is reminiscent of Jordan Almonds. It’s not too hard, and has good flavor for a candy shell. The sugar is sticking to my teeth, but if this is wrong, I don’t want to be right. I can hear the fillings in my mouth scream in protest at the gooey abuse they’re enduring. Suck it in guys, here comes one more! Bwahahahahahahahahahha! It’s a good thing these are individually wrapped or the entire bag’d be gone by now. This is like a Japanese chik-o stick, in texture if not in flavor, with its crispy outside, and sugar filling which sticks to the teeth.
This is much better than the Pansy candy this dagashi company also produces and I’m upset that I’ll need to wait nine months before I can re-purchase this treat. I bought Umebachi along with Pansy, at the LA Mitsuwa during Anime Expo this year and know I’ll have to wait for the next AX for my hookup.
Umebachi is one of the most creative, delicious and addictive Japanese snacks I’ve reviewed to date. I highly urge any and all who are able to purchase this dagashi to do so immediately, but don’t tell your dentist who tipped you off to Umebachi!
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Umebachi gets an overall .
My dentist would cry if I told him I was eating that. Every time I go in, even for routine cleanings, he always cautions me about my love of sweets.
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@griever, Mwahhahah, don’t tell him then! This stuff is sooooo goood. I’d love to see what else this company produces in the way of dagashi. I bet Maruisuzuki, the company, is local or regional. So you love the sweets too? Are you a wagashi fan?
I am and my guess is also that the wagashi sweets tend to be local. A good portion of them that I’ve found are local or prefecture businesses in my store, but again, that might be simply location. My favorite is this soft cookie type thing…I forget the name at the moment, but it’s covered in a white mint icing. If you can find it based on description alone, try it. ^_^
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[...] C-T Japanese Gifts. Being a huge fan of Japanese strangeness – the odd and inappropriate toys, the unusual snackfoods, the unfamiliar social customs and attitudes – I ventured [...]
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Ms Rachel: Technically, the principal umebachi kamon does not have a circle around it though some variata do. Umebachi is kamon of my family, the Kanke (House of Sugawara), who bear the myoji (family name) Sugawara, Suga and Kan. It includes the Maeda that claim descent from us. Our ancestor of the late ninth century, Sugawara Ason no Michizane, was posthumously delared the god of learning and literature in the Shinto religion because the superstitious imperial court concluded greatgrandpa+’s angry ghost was kicking the snot out of the capital because they had done him wrong. There are over 10,000 shrines dedicated to him (deified name “Tenjin”) all over Japan so the chance of seeing the umebachi kamon is relatively high.
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[...] Japanese strangeness – the odd and inappropriate toys, the unusual snackfoods, the unfamiliar social customs and attitudes – I ventured [...]
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