Are you a candy lover? Do you have a sweet tooth? Last time we took a look at the Dagashi Bento Pack, chip-style snacks and a bit of everything Japan has to offer.
Today, we’ll be taking a look at the summer-themed June issue of JList’s Japanese Snack Subscription.
The card in the picture below reads:
In Japan, the Summer brings images of Okinawa, summer festivals, and fireworks, so we’ve selected some great summer flavors we think you will enjoy.
June Japanese Snack Subscription
Umaibo: Tonkatsu (Pork) Flavor
I always love having the chance to try different umaibo flavors. Last time I got to try the teriyaki hamburger flavor, and today I got to try the tonkatsu (pork) flavor. Umaibo is a popular corn based snack which you can see very often in Japanese convenience stores. Notice the cat mascot, Umaemon? His name is a pun of the popular anime character Doraemon.
Umaibo’s consistency is similar to a Cheetos, and this one tastes very strongly of pork and is quite well seasoned. If you ever have the chance to try a umaibo, I would definitely recommend it!
Okinawa Kamukamu Shikuwasa Cirtus
These are based on the Citrus depressa (also known as the Taiwan tangerine, flat lemon, hirami lemon, or thin-skinned flat lemon) fruit. They have a very fresh taste, soft but chewy and have a sour flavour to them. I would recommend giving these a try if you love sour candy.
Milk & Coffee Flavored Mugipon Puffs
These are a cereal-like snack: you can either eat them alone, or with milk like I did. They aren’t strong in taste compared to other coffee candies/snacks I have tried in the past; the taste is mild like a milk coffee. They remind me of the cereal brand golden puffs/sugar puffs. Why can’t other countries have cool cereals? I’m a huge coffee addict and I would love to eat a coffee-based cereal every morning.
No-Sugar Hananodo Sokko Clear Candy
Believe it or not, these have no sugar in them. These are hard candy, a lot like boiled candy. They aren’t sour or really sweet, and they taste fairly mild; they remind me of the Sakuma Drops I tried last time. They’re perfect if you want a candy that has taste but isn’t overwhelming. The vibrant colors are especially pleasing to behold.
Uguisu Kinako Traditional Sweets
I’m going to be honest, I did not like these. I only tried a little bit because I couldn’t bear the taste. It tastes overwhelmingly of toasted soybeans, and the texture is fudge-like and melts in your mouth. You’ll need a unique palate to conquer these.
Spicy Senbei Rice Cracker
As you can tell from the picture above, this is a giant HOT rice cracker. It is well seasoned and extremely hot (I may be overreacting but I’m not good with spicy food). I’ll be sure to finish it soon with a few beers, because beer solves everything. If you love spicy food and rice crackers, make sure to try this bad boy out.
Mukashi Rando Traditional Candy
These are a lot like throat pastilles, they clear your mouth/throat and have a unique taste which makes breathing in feel very cold. The packet comes with two different flavours, lemon mint and herb mint. The taste is mild but they work great for clearing your throat.
Traditional Ramune Candy
I’m sure you all know what ramune is, right? The refreshing, fizzy and fun Ramune Soda. You know, the bottled soda that has a marble in it? These candies are based on that, but are slightly different. They look like a candy that ought to be hard, but its appearance is deceptive. The moment they touch your tongue they instantly fizz up and melt in your mouth, leaving you with a sweet, bubbly soda taste.
Okinawa Mango Hi-Chew
These are a soft chewy candy with a sweet mango filling. They’re very chewy and have the succulent taste of a real mango. If I saw these in a store I would have to stock up on a few packets – if you’re a fan of mango you should definitely give these a try!
Penguin Soda Lollipop
The mascot of this cute penguin soda flavored lollipop reminded me of Elizabeth from Gintama. The flavor is as the title states – minus the penguin. It has a soda-like taste, and is very sweet.
Well that wraps up the June Japanese Snack Subscription from JList . What candy from this post do you now want to try? and if you’ve tried Japanese snacks/candy before, which have you tried? Let us know in the comments below!
