Häagen-Dazs Chesnut Mochi Ice Cream: This is another Japanese-exclusive Haagen-Dazs flavor featuring white bean paste (shiro an) flavored ice cream topped with mochi and a chestnut sauce, all topped with powdered sugar. I found the texture of the mochi to be not quite as good as the soybean flavor I had previously – a little too sticky and not quite as chewy. The flavor overall was also generally sweetener and less memorable. That being said, without the soybean powder, it was definitely much easier to eat. The same unique c... (read more) 3.0/5.0
icecream japanese hagendazs chesnut mochi ice cream 3.0
Bandai Sumikkogurashi Taberareru Mascot: I stumbled upon these extraordinarily cute treats at my local Family Mart convenience store and couldn't resist getting this special Halloween offering. It came in the refrigerated aisle and features Sanrio characters from a series I'm unfamiliar with called Sumikkogurashi. Each character has a bean paste filling (according to the website, these two characters were milk and maple flavored) and the exterior is a slightly firmer but also generally soft marzipan-like coating. I've had this t... (read more) 3.0/5.0
familymart japanese bandai sumikkogurashi taberareru mascot 3.0
Frito Lay Pizza-La Ebimayo Chips: Pizza-La is a takeout pizza chain in Japan second in popularity only to Domino's. While I haven't actually had their pizza before, I have had pizza in Japan several times from chains like Pizza Hut, takeout at grocery stores, and acclaimed pizzeria restaurants, so I've experienced some of the regional specialties tailored to Japanese tastes. In particular, it's common to see mayonnaise drizzled across the top of pizza pies, giving the pizza a creamy, tangy, and sweet flavor (the sweetness ... (read more) 3.0/5.0
chips japanese fritolay pizza-la ebimayo 3.0 queensisetan
Venus Delites Fig Filled Cookies: I purchased these cookies at Seijo Ishii, a grocery store specializing in imported products. I haven't seen Fig Newtons, or similar equivalents, since moving to Japan, and seeing them made me crave the flavor of the humble cookie. These were about 2/3 the size and had more of a crumbly rather than soft cookie exterior, but I found the chewy fig center to be more satisfying in texture and concentrated fig flavor than Fig Newtons, or the Newman's Own version. But I still prefer the softness... (read more) 3.0/5.0
cookies turkey venus delites fig filled 3.0 seijoishii
Nissin シスコーン BIG strawberry shortcake corn flakes: Nissin BIG is a popular brand of frosted flake cereal, the equivalent of Tony the Tiger frosted flakes. In Japan, there are much fewer cereal options, always in bags rather than boxes, and less than a handful are aimed specifically towards kids -- in the grocery stores I've been to, the cereal takes up a small fraction of the aisle compared to an entire side that you'd normally find in the states. I've had the standard frosted flakes flavor before, which tastes exactly as you'd expect, but... (read more) 3.0/5.0
japanese nissin シスコーン big strawberry shortcake corn flakes 3.0 cereal nissinworld
Haldiram's Kashmiri Mixture: I had Haldiram's a bunch of times growing up on playdates and have fond memories of eating Lachha potato sticks, mini match-stick like potato straws, deep fried and seasoned with a robust blend of spices. This was my first time having the Kashmiri Mixture, consisting of mung beans, potato sticks, and cashew nuts, though there are a few other types of textures, including small crunchy "noodles" (they remind me of miniature ramen noodle snacks) along with fried pieces resembling halved rice c... (read more) 3.0/5.0
indian haldirams kashmiri mixture 3.0