Blueberry flavor is great no matter where it comes from. However, I’m a stickler for authenticity when it comes to blueberries. I’ll let fake strawberry slide, and will even welcome the chemical tang of “grape” soda. Just don’t mess with the blueberry. Will Meiji continue its streak of epic wins, or will it lose its mega points over blueberry gone wrong?

Packaging

Meiji’s made it to first base with this classy gold, cream and blue box. The tiny blueberries and picture of the product let buyers know what they’re investing in. The cute postage stamp in the corner and the pic of Hokkaido in the background are also nice imagery and convey the inspiration for the treat. So, are blueberries native to Hokkaido and what makes Hokkaido blueberries so special…?

Each goodie is individually wrapped and is easily accessible through the lift-top, resealable tab on the box.
Score: A+

Appearance

I’ve seen Apollo before, in its mini choco/ strawberry incarnation, but blueberry is far more impressive than its minute sibling. The pretty, purple topped white chocolate confection is about an inch high and has tiny flecks of authentic blueberry embedded inside. It looks like the real deal, i.e. real blueberries (and reading the ingredient list confirms it)!
Score: A+

Texture

The texture is more chewy than melt -in-your-mouth, and reminds me of a very soft caramel melt instead of a chocolate. While smooth, the choco is still oddly chewy. The flecks of blueberry add interesting mouth feel.
Score: A

Flavor

Apollo Blueberry rounds home base with its fantastic true blueberry flavor. The first thing that hits the senses is the fruity, berry aroma. One bite backs up what the nose is saying: this is real blueberry! The white chocolate is almost insignificant compared to the berry-ness but the two are a great combo and taste like berries and cream, a real win for Meiji.

There isn’t an overwhelming sweetness to Blueberry, but it still satisfies the sugar cravings while avoiding knocking a person out from sugar shock. Too much sugar would have drowned out the natural flavor of the berries and the balance in Apollo is just right. Score: A+

Verdict

Apollo Blueberry is a delish, berry-ific offering from Meiji and has made it onto my list of “Get Your Own!” candies. The real blueberries are what made the difference in making this a home run instead of a foul. While it may be seasonal, I’ll be thinking longingly of this goody way after Hokkaido’s blueberries are gone.

Meiji is one of the big Japanese candy companies; up there with Glico, Kasugai, and Morinaga. They’re the creators of such famous candies as “Poifull” jelly beans and “Black” chocolate. Meiji is also the maker of the adorable, chocolate-topped, mushroom-shaped crackers, “Kinoko Chocolate”.

Today’s offerings are:

• Apollo Chocolate
• Choco Baby
• Coffee Beat
• Hi-Lemon Candy Tablet
• Yogurt Candy Tablet
• Marble: Chocolate
• Marble: Strawberry
• Poifull

Since there’s a lot to review, let’s get down to it!

Apollo Chocolate

Meiji has always had good design sense in regards to how their products look and these candies are no exception. Every one of these samples is a mini version of their originals and sport the same colors and designs on the packaging. Each box has a cutesy animal mascot pimping the product.

Packaging:
Apollo Chocolate has a smiling strawberry bunny with choco-dipped ears on the front, offering the consumer a strawberry. Good colors and design usage. Way to go Apollo bunny!
Score: A+

Appearance:
These lil’ candies are miniature versions of the original Apollo Chocolates-so named for their resemblance to the spacecraft of yore. They also look like candy versions of the famous Rocket Pops, also of yore. As minis, Apollo Chocolates are adorable and easy to eat by the handful.
Score: A+

Texture:
Apollo Chocolate, Apollo for short, has great texture. The ridged exterior gives the candy an extra “oomph” in the crunch department.
Score: A+

Flavor:
The chocolate itself is smooth and has a rich chocolate/ strawberry flavor. These guys are excellent!
Score: A+

Apollo Chocolate: A+

choco baby

Packaging:
The colors are compelling and the bear is sorta cute. But maybe it wasn’t such a keen design choice to put a picture of the product on the packaging; especially since the product looks like a cross between goat turds and feed pellets. At least the bear seems excited about the way they look.
Score: B-

Appearance:
Choco Babies don’t look appealing at all, since they resemble something I would avoid stepping in.
Score: B-

Texture:
The size of the candy is perfect to give added texture to what would be a block of chocolate. They have a crunch, because of their design, which adds interest to the candy.
Score: A

Flavor:
Rich and smooth are what I would say about the chocolate. Choco Baby has an almost nutty flavor, but not quite.
Score: A+

Choco Baby: B+

Coffee Beat

Packaging:
Sepia and warm brown tones make the packaging for Coffee Beat a winner. Coffee bean stencils inform the consumer Meiji means business about the coffee flavor. The blue mouse dancing on the front looks like he drank one cup of java too many…
Score: A

Appearance:
Damned if these don’t look exactly like chocolate covered espresso beans. Meiji really means business about the coffee flavor!
Score: A+

Texture:
If I didn’t know these weren’t chocolate covered espresso beans, I would swear by their crunchy texture they were. Coffee Beat has a layer of medium-hard chocolate candy-coating surrounding slightly softer chocolate.
Score: A+

Flavor:
These beans have an unbeatable combination of chocolate and coffee. The coffee flavor is strong and authentic mixed with the rich chocolate. Coffee Beat tastes exactly like- you guessed it-chocolate covered espresso beans!
Score: A+

Coffee Beat: A+

Hi-Lemon and Yogurt Candy Tablet

Packaging:
The packaging for both seems looks like it came from the 1950s era by the colors and style. The lemons and bowl of yogurt(?) in the corner tell the buyer that this product uses lemons and a bowl of white stuff in some fashion. Each box features a strange, little lemon/ yogurt alien mascot thing. Hi-Lemon’s alien is holding a deformed lemon as a sign it comes in peace, while Yogurt- who looks like it partied way too hard the night before- is holding a jug of yogurt.
Score: B

Appearance:
Hi-Lemon is pale buttercup yellow and Yogurt is a shiny white. They look like any other shiny, candy-coated, round tablet candy and aren’t remarkable.
Score: B

Texture:
Both candies’ outer candy shell is almost too hard. After biting into one, I thought I made a mistake in thinking the candy was chewable. Hi-Lemon isn’t a hard candy, but I initially thought it was. Inside the tough exterior is a mealy bit of powdery candy which dissolves on the tongue.
Score: C+

Flavor:
Hi-Lemon’s strong lemon flavor, which instantly dissipates, reminds me of candy-coated SmartiesTM. It’s not a bad flavor but the texture is off-putting.
Score: B+

Yogurt has an interesting, tart flavor which doesn’t taste remotely like yogurt, until it dissipates. Then, the tang on the back of the tongue says “Hey, this kinda tastes like yogurt, FYI.” Yogurt is a good flavor, but not one that makes me think of actual yogurt.
Score: B

Hi-Lemon and Yogurt Candy Tablet: B

Marble: Chocolate and Strawberry

Packaging:
Both varieties of Meiji’s candy-coated chocolates are packaged similarly with minor differences. The font is well done in a rainbow gradient which adds to the visual appeal. I’m confused as to why there’s English on these boxes. A parade of critters celebrate Marble-written in English- by playing instruments.
Score: A+

Appearance:
There’s nothing special about round, candy-coated chocolate. In fact, they look just like M&M’s, but without the “m”. Marble does contain interesting colors and the Chocolate colors differ slightly from the Strawberry ones.
Score: B+

Texture:
Marble has a good amount of crunch due to the candy-coating, more so than the M&M’s™ they resemble. The chocolate is dense but smooth in the center, adding further texture.
Score: B+

Flavor:
The chocolate flavor is good but not as good as Choco Baby. The strawberry has a strong strawberry flavor, which dissipates quickly.
Score: B

Marble: A-

poifull

Packaging:
Happy, happy, happy!! Is the message I’m getting from these cheery colors. The product is once again featured on the packaging-good job- and various fruits declare this to be a fruity candy. A guilty looking beaver on the packaging seems to be hiding something. Did that beaver eat all my Poifull?!
Score: A+

Appearance:
Poifull look like translucent, elongated jelly beans. All the beans are soft pastel hues representing the flavors: yuzu (which tastes like grapefruit), muscat (grape), apple, and green grape.
Score: A

Texture:
This candy is much chewier than American jelly beans, with a slightly harder exterior.
Score: A

Flavor:
Poifull have a very strong flavor. They taste almost as if they’ve been flavored with fruit liquors. Each fruity flavor tastes exactly like it should, unlike their Western counterparts.
Score: A+

Poifull: A+

The Verdict

Out of eight different candies, only three made it onto my “will-buy-again” list: Apollo Chocolate, Coffee Beat, and Poifull. The other five aren’t horrible, but if I was going to spend $1.50 on Japanese candy, it would be on any of the former three.