Tea Era Apple Seed Green Tea: Got to visit an old favorite with old friends on my last trip to the South Bay. Tea Era is a bubble tea shop on Castro in Mountain View that always has an expansive menu of uniquely-flavored beverages. I wasn't quite sure what to expect from the apple seed green tea, which is why I decided to purchase it. The least amount of sugar they could do was 50%, and I purchased the tea hot on a brisk evening (though you could also get it cold). Half sugar was the right amount, as it had a somewha... (read more) 3.5/5.0
mountainview california recommended drinks chinese teaera apple seed green tea 3.5
Nihonbashiya Apple Mochi: This shop adjacent to the Akihabara station has mini fruit-shaped mochi that are incredibly cute. I bought two to try: apple and persimmon. This apple one was my favorite with a surprisingly concentrated apple-flavored paste at its center. I didn't realize it would actually taste like apple, and it was well balanced and not too sweet, even though it's covered in sugar. 3.5/5.0
recommended confectionary sweets tokyo akihabara japanese nihonbashiya apple mochi 3.5
Asahi Mitsuya Apple Cider Soda: This Japanese apple soda tastes really similar to one of my favorite Taiwanese sodas, Apple Sidra. It has a crisp and refreshing apple juice flavor, is well carbonated, cheap, and readily available at convenience stores. Solid staple. 3.5/5.0
recommended sodas japanese asahi mitsuya apple cider soda 3.5
Trader Joe's Mango Jalapeño Apple Fruit Snacks: These strawberry shaped dummies are shaped as if they've been stamped rather than molded, a straight extrusion of a 2d profile. They have a dense rather than chewy texture similar to a thick piece of fruit leather. Its flavor combines several concentrates, including apple, mango, and lemon, and it's finished with jalapeño pepper powder. You can definitely taste all of those individual ingredients – there's a pleasantly spicy aftertaste and the lemon juice helps balance out the sweetness of... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended traderjoes mango jalapeño apple fruit snacks 3.5
Nezu No Pan Apple Ginger Bread: A warming mix of apple and ginger that reminds me of autumn back home. The ginger is pleasantly spicy and candied, and the bread is spongy and moist. Eating these mini loaves maes me feel like a giant, as they're about the size of bread you might see in a kitchen playset for kids. I liked this flavor but I would rate it as third behind the mugwort and lemon poppy bread I had tried previously, probably because the apple and ginger flavor combination is not quite as unique. 3.5/5.0
recommended tokyo bread nezu nezunopan apple ginger 3.5
Mighty-O Donuts Apple Cider Donut: I miss the apple cider donuts you can get on the east coast in the fall, so I decided to try the PNW version of it at the local vegan donut shop. This one had icing rather than a powdered seasoning but has a similar cakey texture that was quite moist for a vegan donut. The apple cider flavor is comfortingly spiced but definitely on the sweet side. High on yummy impact. 3.5/5.0
seattle mightyodonuts apple cider donut 3.5