Let's start with something simple: fruit jelly candies. Sweets are an important part of the Japanese lifestyle; just look at my prior post on Valentine's Day for a small example.
While the malls here are very much like the malls in America, there is one store in two of the nearby malls that is my favorite. It carries lots of toys and goodies, and resembles the kids toy stores of the 1900s and before (just with modern toys). I'll spend a whole post talking about the store, but it will be the source for many of the goodies I bring to you here.
Sitting on the counter were these rectangular jelly candies that look to be similar to the Sunkist candies back I America that I love so much. At ¥21 each, they weren't terribly expensive so I grabbed one of each color to see what they taste like.
First, green. The texture is gummy, different from any of the American gummies I'm familiar with. It's not terribly chewy and honestly it's not that sweet either. It has a mild apple taste and isn't too sticky. Pleasant but not the Sunkist replacement I'm looking for.
Pink is a little sweeter, with a strawberry flavor. Again the texture is kind of odd, and unique. The yellow is lemon, unsurprisingly. As I eat these, I feel like I'm eating something very chalky, like Necco wafers or those Valentine's Day candy hearts, but with a somewhat gummy feel and no chewiness to them.
I save the orange-flavored orange for last, hoping for some awesome explosion of citrusy goodness, but I don't get the satisfaction I expected to receive. And I realize the texture is not unlike that of a boiled potato. With, of course, the hint of fruit flavoring while chewing and the distinct aftertaste of powdered sugar.
The verdict: while these aren't a bad candy, they aren't what I'm looking for. I'll pass next time I see them.
What do you want me to try? What food do you want to hear about (sweet or savory)? Leave a comment!
My favorite Japanese candy is the Botan jelly candy that's wrapped with the rice paper that melts in your mouth.
ReplyDeleteHmmm... what should I have you try? Have you eaten the "deadly if prepared incorrectly" blowfish yet?
I used to eat the rice paper candy too, as a kid, when I lived in Santa Clara. No blowfish yet, though I might get the desire to go for it at some point. Meanwhile, I have a cabinet full of snacks to try!
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