Toms Heksehyl Haxvral Danish Salty Licorice: This was another Danish snack that I received as a participant for a virtual conference. It comes in rope form and features a cylindrical piece of black licorice filled with salmiak salt (which is essential ammonia). I've heard that licorice is popular in Nordic countries, and I think this must be an acquired taste that I do not have. It had a surprisingly sharp bitter and salty flavor (mostly from the filling) that my taste buds had an immediate visceral reaction to, and not in a pleasan... (read more) 2.0/5.0
avoid danish tomsheksehylhaxvral salty licorice 2.0
Sunny Mart まじめなおかし Yuzu Biscuits: Purchased from Natural Lawson, a popualar convenience store, these round biscuits with scallop edges are thick and crunchy, rather than flaky like Ritz crackers. They have a glazed coating that has a sweet tangy citrus flavor. But they are also heavily seasoned, probably the saltiest snack I've had in Japan, so I never wanted to eat much of it. Not recommended. 2.0/5.0
japanese avoid crackers biscuit naturallawson lawson sunnymart まじめなおかし yuzu biscuits 2.0
Trader Joe's Oven-Baked Cheese Bites: This small 2-serving packet of imported Italian cheese bites consists of baked rounds of "aged cheese" (not specifically identified in the ingredients list) as well as grana padano cheese. That's pretty much it - the ingredient list is literally two items. The bites are crispy, but because of the high fat content, they dissolve in your mouth quickly, leaving a bit of an oily aftertaste. The cheese is tangy and a little funky, definitely not your typical cheddar snack. I didn't really car... (read more) 2.0/5.0
traderjoes oven-baked cheese bites 2.0
Luna Isey Skyr: It's rare to see greek yogurt in grocery stores in Japan; this version of icelandic skyr was purchased at Seijo Ishii and is strawberry flavored (though the packaging also shows peaches). It's noticeably thicker than other yogurt options, but it pales in comparison to Siggi's yogurt, which I miss a lot. Overall, I found this particular brand to be unpleasantly sour as well, despite its fruit flavoring. 2.0/5.0
yogurt japanese seijoishii luna isey skyr 2.0
Frito Lay Cheetos ゴチパ Party Combo with Popcorn: Frito Lay has different flavors for American classics available in Japan, which I had already experienced with Doritos. This was my first time seeing Cheetos in Japan, and while the shape of crunchy Cheetos was familiar, the cheese flavoring and combination with plain popcorn was a departure. Using a combination of cheddar, gouda, and parmesan, the cheese powder has a milky more creamy flavor that I personally do not like, reminding me of powdered milk. And the snack overall is much less ... (read more) 2.0/5.0
japanese junkfood fritolay cheetos ゴチパ party combo popcorn 2.0
Morinaga Chestnut Cake: The Japanese snack aisle is full of seasonal items, and it looks like we're now in chestnut season, with a variety of chestnut-flavored cakes and desserts. I purchased the Japanese version of Choco Pies from popular brand Morinaga, consisting of a circular cake base filled with a layer of creme and covered in chocolate. Overall, I prefer the texture of Choco Pies, whose cake is less crumbly (most of the individually wrapped cakes in my Morinaga box were not in one piece when opened), and t... (read more) 2.0/5.0
japanese inegaya morinaga chestnut cake 2.0