Lion Cola BagPhoto Copyright © The Anime Blog

The Japanese, however, share my affection with cola candy, and how. Lion Confectionery Company is a Japanese candy manufacturer which churns out a delightful array of sweet cola offerings. To get the most bang for your buck, especially in these fun economic times, Lion has a fantastic product, Soda Kid’s Candy, which gives consumers six great cola flavors for their hard earned.

Packaging

Lion did a great job catching my eye with this loud, colorful bag. A teal background makes the other colors pop off the bag, and the shiny silver diamonds scattered through the graphics makes me think of sparkling things, like cola. Ramune Man offers me a stylized bottle of ramune, yet he looks more like he’s taunting me with it than giving it to me. Jerk.

I know exactly which flavors are nestled within the rainbow-hued foil thanks to prominent product pictures proudly presented (say that ten times fast cola- lovers!) The candies looks to be shaped in the manner of grinning, vacant-eyed chibi. Cute? Maybe. Intimidating? Slightly.

Each candy is individually wrapped, unlike Lion’s other cola candies. And thank the cola gods for that, since otherwise the candies would lump together in a mass of colorful, sticky, half melted grins.

The bold kanji and slightly threatening gang of cola mascots is meant to entice youngsters, and since it’s delighted me to no end, what precisely does that say about me? Score: A+

Lion Cola Attack! Photo Copyright © The Anime Blog

Appearance

On the bag, the candies look like marginally cute, but deformed, lil’ people, smiling vapidly, awaiting death by consumption. In reality they look more like satiny, colorful and cheerful skull and crossbones. Eat me if you dare! Score: A

Texture

The texture is at first hard, but then slowly releases frothy effervescence. The candies tingle and refresh as they dissolve at a quicker rate than other hard candies.

Score: A

Flavor

Lion is generous in their variety, giving the buyer six fun cola flavors: Grape, Apple, Lemon, Ramune (isn’t Ramune redundant if Lemon is already involved?), Cola, and Orange.

1. Grape: The grape flavor is an intense, and artificial, grape, but it definitely nails the fakey grape twist of cheap grape cola- the best kind. Perfect. Score: A+
2. Apple: Apple is like sparkling juice- clear, true and refreshing. It has a slightly bitter aftertaste, however, that quickly dissipates. It’s good, but could be better without the bitterness. Score: B
3. Lemon: Lemon is tart and very flavorful. I imagine this is what freshly squeezed lemon juice mixed with sweetened seltzer water tastes like. Score: A+
4. Ramune: Lion’s ramune (romanji for lemonade) has a strong lemon-lime kick. It tastes just like lemon-lime colas such as Sprite™, 7-Up™ and Ramune™, original. Score: A+
5. Cola: Lion makes a good cola flavor. They put enough xylitol (a natural, minty sugar alcohol) to take away the heaviness actual cola can have, which leaves a fresh taste behind. The cola doesn’t nail any major name brand cola players like the Ramune flavor does, but it still embodies cola flavor. Score A
6. Orange: Orange just isn’t doing it. It tastes marginally like orange, but it has a stronger aftertaste than even the apple. The flavor is weak and unpleasant and burns the back of my throat. This is the worst flavor of the lot. Way to bring the assortment pack down Orange. Score: D

Verdict

Except for that letdown, Orange, Lion’s Soda Kid’s Candy is a winner. The candies are strong and refreshing. And seeing as how six different flavors are packed within one inviting package, everyone will find a flavor they can enjoy!

Morinaga is the company responsible for the odd bird mascot thingie, and the products it fronts: Choco Ball Peanut, Choco Ball Strawberry and Choco Ball Caramel. Morinaga also produces the perennial favorite, Hi-Chew, among other tasty goods.

Choco Ball!

Morinaga doesn’t get much review time here on the site since they don’t pimp their goods in St. Louis nearly as much as Meiji and Glico do. In fact, this box of Choco Ball Peanut actually came from Canada, not the STL area. What gives Morinaga? No love for the Midwest, or is it just St. Louis? Let’s see if Choco Ball is all it’s cracked up to be….

Packaging
Meh, I wouldn’t look at the box twice if I were looking for a J-snack to satisfy a sugar crave. The browns, orange, yellow and red all sort of blend together- nothing pops out and says “BUY ME DAMMIT!!”. In fact, the box looks dated, as if it’s still the original design from when the candy was first introduced in the 1960’s.

This lil’ box was a gift from a friend, but I probably wouldn’t have noticed it in the store. However, the bird-thing gives me the willies in that it’s kinda uggi and not cute- a must for Japanese mascots (being cute that is). I might have noticed the box just for that.

Although the product is displayed on the box, one would be hard put to guess the halved Choco Ball is actually the peanut variety. Not good for someone with food allergies who doesn’t read kanji. So it’s okay to put “Kyorochan Fan Club” in English on the box, but not a potentially fatal food allergen? Score: C

Texture
This candy has a one-two-punch crunch in the form of a wafer coating and the peanut itself. The slightly hard chocolate coats a nice, crisp cookie layer, which has a great bite. The peanut follows up on the wafer action and delivers the final crunch. Score: A

Flavor

Choco Balls Detail

Choco Ball Peanut has a good pea-nutty flavor with a mild chocolate lead. The chocolate envelops a wafer which in turn coats the nut. Choco Ball’s chocolate isn’t as milky as I thought it would be, and is a bit waxy. It tastes a bit…cheap, but combined with the wafer and the peanut, its lack isn’t as apparent.

The wafer doesn’t add much in the flavor department, aside from adding more sugar, but it enhances the flavor of the peanut and takes the bitter edge off the nut. If the wafer wasn’t there to take one for the team, Choco Ball Peanut might not be as tasty as it is. Score: A+

Verdict
Choco Ball Peanut is a good, satisfying candy but reminds me of American candies in its quality. The wafer is a nice touch, but adding chocolate to nuts is nothing new to one who grew up on Snicker™’s and Peanut M&M™’s, which Choco is reminiscent of. However, it’s still worth buying and snacking on, though I recommend Choco Ball for the mindless variety of snacking, aka- grazing.

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.

There’s this weird phenomena in Japan that, for whatever reason, men can’t be seen eating unsanctioned “female” candy. They can’t grab a box of Milk Pocky or Strawberry YamYam and still be thought manly and mature. This is at least the impression I get from candy makers whenever I see “Men’s Pocky” or “Men’s Bitter Chocolate”. What the heck? Can’t men in Japan get their sugar on? Apparently, Japanese men can only eat candy that’s not too sweet nor too girlish. And the packaging must be manly and mature. Once again, this is my impression, but when I asked a male Japanese friend if my impression was correct, he said, “Usually.”

Another friend went back to Japan and brought me back this Kizami Cacao, by Morinaga. I like Morinaga. They’re not terribly inventive, but they do chocolate fairly well. So I wasn’t unhappy with my pal’s choice of native candy, he was after all, male, and men must buy candy approved by the Manly Board of Japan…

Packaging

The packaging is elegant, masculine even. The black and brown gradient background is set off by the minimal kanji and Engrish: “KIZAMI-CACAO is a real and rich taste bitter chocolate.” The product is prominently displayed life-sized in a corner. It’s a very attractive box, but the spiffy packaging doesn’t stop there. The inside is set up so the individually-wrapped chocalate wafers are handily displayed. Niiiiccce. Score: A+

Appearance

The chocolates are about an inch and a half long by one inch wide. Some manner of topping is sprinkled just below the surface of the chocolate. It’s an elegant touch. Score: A

Texture

These chocolates are super smooth without a lot of greasy mouth feel some chocolates have. The sprinkled bits are hard to identify at first but I discover they’re bits of even darker chocolate embedded within. They give Kizami some added crispness. The chocolates are already a tad crisp due to their wafer-thinness. Score: A

Flavor

Rich, but not cloying is the first impression I get from Kizami Cacao, then I’m socked with bitterness. They weren’t kidding when they labeled this stuff bitter chocolate. 63% cocoa equals really dark chocolate. Dark chocolate must have at least 35% cocoa solids to be dark and Kizami’s got almost double that. The touch of sweetness that makes this stuff “candy” finally makes an appearance and shows the bitterness to the door. My poor tongue is still numb from the first bitter chocolate I’ve eaten as I unwrap a second piece. As a dark chocolate, this is a decent candy, but it’s almost too bitter to be enjoyable. Remember, if you’re a man, you can’t enjoy your chocolate! Score: B

Verdict

Kizami Cacao is definitely a chocolate marketed towards men, but there’s no reason anyone can’t savor the bitter taste of quality chocolate. If they like really, bitter, tongue numbing chocolate, that is.

There’s an incredible variety of sweet dessert-style dango, which makes the amount of savory varieties pale in comparison. Sweet dango can be filled, topped or crafted with all manner of traditional Japanese dessert (wagashi) foodstuffs. A few of these traditional ingredients include anko (also known as an), goma (black sesame) and kinako (roasted soybean flour).

However, dango aren’t limited to just Japanese ingredients. You can get creative like I did and create your own toppings for dango; it’s your wagashi- make whatever you want with it!

If you’ve ever considered making your own dango, either with traditional or personal ingredients, this is your lucky day! Today we’ll explore the possibilities with dango and look at the many varieties of the dumplings. Get your steamers ready guys, there’s more to dango than you think!

First, let’s break down the different ways of making dango, including cooking methods, ingredients, and end with varieties.

Cooking

Technically, all dango are cooked in some manner. There are many ways to prepare and cook dango, varying in degrees of simplicity and difficulty.

Boiling
The easiest way to make dango is:

• Mix together mochiko and water
• Make mochiko dough into balls
• Drop balls in boiling water, soup or other liquid
• Cook for about fifteen minutes

Steaming
The next step up from boiling would be:

• Form the mochiko dough into balls
• Steam the dango
• Skewer the balls (optional)
• Roast the dango (optional)

Twice Cooked
Higher up on the dango difficulty scale is what I call twice-cooked dango. To make this dango:

• Reduce dango batter from a viscous liquid to a solid dough
• Form dough into balls
• Thread balls on skewers and steam

Shiro An Method
This is a complex method of making dango, but will yield unique dumplings with an interesting flavor and texture:

• Mix mochiko with shiro koshian
• Steam mixture and work sugar into mix
• Add additional ingredients
• Form into balls and skewer

Flours

Mochiko, glutinous rice flour, is what gives dango their super chewy, gooey texture. Shiratamako, another glutinous rice flour, is also used to make dango. A dango recipe made entirely from mochiko or shiratamako will result in a very soft dango.

Shiratamako is lumpy, and must be dissolved in water or ground before using in a recipe. I’ve heard mochiko can be used interchangeably with shiratamako with little to no adverse results. I personally have used mochiko in place of shiratamako and haven’t noticed the difference. Mochiko is also waaaay cheaper than shiratamako, especially if it’s bought under the name “sweet rice flour”.

Joshinko, non-glutinous rice flour, can be added in varying amounts to create a firmer dango. I recommend a ratio of no more than 1:1 of mochiko to joshinko for dango which is firm but still has some gooey mouth feel. Anything above that results in a denser, less chewy, harder dango.

Liquids

Water is normally used as in making dango, and boiling water at that. However, nothing’s keeping you from substituting other liquids or semi-liquids (anko, mashed fruit, pumpkin filling, etc.) for a portion or all of the water. Fruit or vegetable juice, rose water, milk, tea, or coffee can all be added to dango to enhance the flavor and change the texture. Also, extracts and concentrated flavorings can be added to alter the flavor.

The more liquid used in dango, the softer and gooier it will be. Less water will create a firmer dango, but will also result in a drier dango. Keep in mind you want the liquids hot, unless you plan on cooking the dango ingredients together anyway. Boiling the liquids will dissolve sugars and help bind the mochiko to the other ingredients, which in turn results in smoother, less gritty dango.

Additives

Certain additives, such as powders, non-rice flours, beans, nuts and seeds can be added to the dough, but it’s important to keep in mind how they’ll effect the texture of the finished dango. Small amounts of powdered spices, espresso powder, cocoa, matcha and powdered milk can be added to the rice flour(s) or dissolved in the water/ juice to create flavored dough. Experimentation with amounts is important in finding a recipe that works with your preferred texture and flavorings.

Toppings

After the dango are steamed and/or toasted, it’s your choice what you top them with, if at all. I personally am a huge fan of anko and goma an (black sesame seed paste) on my plain toasted dango. Drowning freshly browned dango in a sea of beans and sesame seeds is more yummy than it sounds. It’s up to you, though, to choose what to cover your dango with.

Some traditional ideas are:

• Tsubu An: Chunky bean paste
• Koshi An: Smooth bean paste
• Shiro An: White bean paste
• Goma An: Black sesame paste
• Kurumi: Walnut powder
• Kuri: Chestnut powder or paste
• Kinako: Roasted soy bean flour
• Mitarashi: Sauce similar to teriyaki
• Matcha An: Green tea paste
• Zunda: Dango topped with slightly sweetened green soybean paste
• Nori: Savory dango wrapped in seaweed

Dango Varities

Dango are named after their toppings, their added ingredients to the dough and their fillings. The above are a sampling of dango named after toppings (goma dango, an dango) but there are also dango named after what’s in the dough and the finished dango or how they’re cooked:

• Matcha Dango: Green tea powder flavored dango
• Kibi dango: Dango made with millet starch
• Yomogi/ Kusa Dango: Mugwort flavored dumplings (kusa dango were originally flavored with cudweed)
• Gomasuri Dango: Lil’ dumplings filled with black sesame paste
• Zunda dango: Dango filled with green soybean paste
• Sasa Dango: Dumplings filled with anko and steamed in bamboo leaves
• Kushi Dango: Skewered dumplings
• Sanshoku Dango (Three Color Dumplings: Sanshoku (three colors): Dumplings made with three colors. Contrary to popular belief, sanshoku dango does not refer to a specific variety. Any dango with three colors is sanshoku dango, including hanami and botchan dango.

Dango are also named for festivals and even fictional characters!

• Hanami Dango (Flower Viewing Dumplings): Three dango on a skewer. Colors are pink (food coloring), white

(plain) and green (matcha, yomogi or food coloring). Hanami dango are eaten during cherry blossom season.

• Tsukimi Dango (Moon Viewing Dumplings): Non-skewered filled or plain dumplings. Usually presented as a pyramid shaped pile of dumplings, tsukimi dango are eaten during the moon viewing festival. I’ve seen ornate tsukimi dango shaped like usagi (bunnies!) as a homage to the mochi pounding rabbit in the moon.
• Ikinari Dango (All of a Sudden Dango): Don’t know why this is called dango, but this daifuku-looking dumpling is made with satsumaimo topped with anko, wrapped with mochiko dough and then cooked. It’s a specialty from Kumamoto where it gets its name from being so easy to make. If visitors pop by, all of a sudden, ikinari dango is so simple, it can be whipped up in minutes.
• Botchan Dango (Named after a fictional character): Three dango on a skewer made from red beans, matcha and egg yolk.

Hopefully, I’ve inspired you to try your hand at making dango. If I have, keep reading for recipes on basic dango and complete dango recipes!

Arare (hail stones) are made with glutinous rice (mochi kome). They can be either fried or baked, and have a crunchier texture than senbei. I like arare since they’re smaller than senbei and seem to come in more flavors as well. This particular snack, Tsuna Age Arare, is tare, “dressing” flavor.

Bon Chi Corporation is the manufacturer of today’s snack and they make all manner of senbei and arare.

Packaging

Great packaging for this snack. The green is appealing as is the bold kanji and equally bold romanji. The contrast in colors and reflective textures made this bag eye-catching in a sea of other Asian snacks. The actual arare are proudly displayed on the front and the back gives a brief description of the contents: “Japanese crispy snack. Dressing and salty taste. Good quality.” I like it when I’m informed how a particular food will taste. Score: A+

Appearance

Tsuna means “rope” and Age means “fried” in Japanese, it’s a fitting description for a snack that looks like twisted bits of deep-fried rope. The matte texture is a departure from the shiny sugar and shoyu glaze many rice crakers sport. Score: B

Texture

Tsuna age arare has a truly gratifying crunch. However, the crunch quickly melts way and becomes a greasy paste. These arare are definitely different than other rice crackers; they’re really greasy and oily. The oil sticks to the back of the throat and is too cloying. It’s actually disgusting how oily these crackers are.

One of the main reasons I like Japanese snacks is because the majority of them have a light taste and texture, even in the instances they’re fried. The grease in these rice crackers is a major turn off. I keep having to clear my throat or drink hot tea to get the oil out. My hands are also greasy. Gross. This is an unexpected find in a Japanese snack and very, very unwelcome. Score: F

Flavor

Dressing? Tare? These are supposed to taste like dressing? I wasn’t expecting a Catalina salad dressing flavor, but I was expecting some sort of vinegary tang. I’ve made many tare (dressings) and they utilize vinegars, miso, sesame, ginger and shoyu. Tuna age doesn’t even come close to any of those. One of the ingredients is vinegar powder, but it’s the seventh one listed. Vegetable oil is number two on the ingredient list. Oil wins over vinegar in this round.

These lil’ nasties remind me strongly of the American snack, Bugles. They taste like greasy, deep fried corn snacks, but there’s no corn in tsuna age. So there’s vinegar, but I can’t taste it, and there’s no corn and yet I taste corn…Score: F

Verdict

I’m very unhappy with this Japanese snack. It’s disgusting and nasty. This Japanese cracker is just like many American junk foods, right down to the grease and lack of sophisticated flavor. Even prior arare, which have let me down in the flavor department are way, way better than this. I’d rather eat shoyu and sugar then these icky deep fried concoctions.

I’ve wanted to try the pumpkin Pocky ever since I discovered it on the Pocky Gallery two years ago. I silently craved to try this Pocky, only voicing my desire twice. But apparently, someone was listening, and that someone was David. He found “Lovely Halloween” at our local Chinese grocery, of all places. The expiration date isn’t for another year, so I’m not minding this late Halloween treat!

Those unfamiliar with Pocky need only know this: Pocky are cracker sticks dipped in a wide variety of sweet flavorings. These coatings range from authentic Japanese flavors such as kinako, to “odd” flavors such as honeydew, to international ones such as chocolate mousse.

There’s nothing exceptionally spectacular about Pocky besides the interesting variety it comes in. The Decorer varieties are a real treat, however, as this line of Pocky is loaded with thick layers of creamy goodness, and look like cupcakes on sticks.

Trying each variety to taste how well Glico captured the essence of the flavor is the real reason I eat Pocky. Plus the crunch from the cookie/ cracker gives me my texture fix.

Packaging

What clever marketing! Glico took flavors already in their Pocky lineup, and with some creative packaging, transformed them into seasonal sellers! “Lovely Halloween” is what this variety pack was dubbed. The graphics are attractive and beautifully rendered with appealing shades. The strawberry Pocky sports an ichigo jack o’ lantern wearing a witch’s hat, the milk Pocky has a weird marshmallow-o’-lantern-ghost thing, and the pumpkin displays a standard American jack o’ lantern.

Pumpkins, stars, and bats adorn the box on all sides. On the back, there’s even an instant costume in the way of an ichigo o’ lantern mask for kids. Kawaii! Score: A

Appearance

Most Pocky look underwhelming; they resemble edible sparklers or incense. The Decorer (which this particular line-up isn’t) are impressive looking things.

Lovely Halloween is made up of pale orange, white covered, and pink coated cracker sticks. Whoop-de doo. Score: B+

Texture

Pocky has a satisfying crunch tempered by a sweet, creamy coating. They’re fun to eat on the go and are a real pleaser in the texture department. Score: A

Flavor

Pumpkin: What a gyp! Here I was all set to experience pumpkin goodness, but all I got was caramel! Not even kabocha, caramel. Weak. I keep waiting for some hint of pumpkin, or even pumpkin pie spice, but all that’s coming through is caramel. It’s not an unpleasant flavor, but it sure as hell isn’t pumpkin.

Why advertise this as pumpkin then??! There’s a frick’n jack o’ lantern on the box with the word “pumpkin” over it. Am I wrong to expect pumpkin? Maybe the makers of pumpkin Pocky believe American pumpkins (especially Halloween pumpkins) taste like caramel. I can’t think of a better reason for why I was so painfully cheated outta actual pumpkin flavor!!!

However, as a flavor in itself, the caramel for “pumpkin” is smooth without a bite and is not overly sweet. It’s actually tasty, but the bitterness of my pumpkin let-down makes the caramel taste like ashes in my mouth. Score: B

Milk: “Milk” reminds me of “Werther’s” toffee for some reason. It’s good and has a rich creamy taste. Score: A

Strawberry: Strawberry has a full, creamy taste and tastes like a strawberry milkshake. Strawberry milkshakes on sticks; the way of the future? Score: A

Verdict

The packaging for this variety pack makes this a visually appealing product, and at $3.60 for four packs of Pocky, this is a steal. But, don’t expect to be wowed by the flavors, all of which are available as individual flavors year round. If anything, buy “Lovely Halloween” for its aesthetics and the free strawberry witch jack o’ lantern mask.

Mitsuya Cider promises that it’ll taste like cider, at least, that’s what I got from the packaging. “Cider” is not a flavor I see often in hard candy, and Japanese hard candy hasn’t been as disappointing as Western hard candy-at least the Japanese candy I’ve tried so far.

The people who make Mitsuya Cider, Asahi, are part of the same giant mega-corp who manufacture alcoholic beverages, pharmaceuticals, and soft drinks. It would make sense for a huge beverage company to make candy modeled after their own drinks. Mitsuya Cider is an Asahi beverage, which is said to taste like “Sprite”. Mitsuya Cider is also available in white peach, grape, lemon and mikan (orange).

Packaging

The bag has bold fonts, which make it easy to read the giant English words on the front. Good use of colors and transparent materials add interest to the packaging. The apple on the front is further proof the candy is of the apple cider variety. Three balls on the packaging display the candies inside, which are individually packaged.

Each candy is individually wrapped and labeled according to flavor. Interestingly, there are two “cider” flavors, making a total of four flavors, despite the packaging on the front. Bonus flavor? One packet is green and simply says “Mitsuya Cider” and the other is yellow, sports an apple and also reads “Mitsuya Cider”. So which one is cider? And why bother calling both cider, since cider is made from apples and only one packet has an apple? I’ll bet the one with the apple is the apple cider…
Score: A

Appearance

Hard candy only works for me if it’s in ball form. Mitsuya Cider are nickel-sized balls with a satiny sheen. The pastel colors of pink, white, buttercup and peach are attractive matches for the satin glossiness.
Score: A

Texture

Mitsuya Cider takes a page from its beverage pedigree and fizzes in a subtle manner as it dissolves. The effervescence isn’t a violent action, but a steady, pleasant tingling that accompanies the flavor. It’s definitely carbonated in texture (if carbonated can even be described as texture) and is enjoyable. Crunching down on the candy is like crunching on any other hard candy except with a bit more fizz and a quicker dissolve of the candy.
Score: A+

Flavor

Cider rocks. I love apple cider, but I can’t really say that the cider (sans apple) variety of this candy actually tastes like apple cider. “Cider”, without the apple, tastes more like “Sprite”, which is what the beverage the candy is based off is supposed to taste like.

If the candy was to taste like the beverage; mission accomplished. However, if “cider” was supposed to taste like apple cider; fail. “Cider” is still an excellent flavor, as it’s lively, bright and all together refreshing. But, no dice on the apple cider flavor.
Score: A

The cider flavor with the apple on the packaging gets close to tasting like apple cider, but not close enough for me. This cider’s flavor is a light apple, which doesn’t equate with cider. Cider has a deeper and duskier apple flavor. This flavor is more like sparkling apple juice instead of apple cider. Good flavor, but it’s not apple cider.
Score: A-

The peach is another bright flavor and has a crisp taste. It’s very full and reminds me of a warm summer breeze. Americans don’t have any famous, mainstream peach flavored soda to equate the flavor to, but this candy is very tasty and light.
Score: A+

“Grape” is like sipping grape soda. It has that fake grape soda tang which harkens back to my youth, when we kids would pop open a can of Vess grape soda while on picnics. Grape is intense and it really tastes just like grape soda. Mmmm, fake grape…
Score: A

The Verdict

Mitsuya Cider is the tastiest hard candy I’ve tried in a long time. The flavors are all delicious and the fizziness makes them a joy to eat. I highly recommend this candy. At $2.99, you get all the flavor of four tasty sodas without all the sugar.

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.

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!

Texture: Flavor: Appearance: Packaging:

Umebachi gets an overall .