Tohato Strawberry Caramel Corn: Tohato is a Japanese puffed corn snack line with unmistakable cartoon packaging. The puffs are irregularly curled, about 2/3 the size of Cheetos, and with a thin sugar coating that gives it a crisp texture. The strawberry flavor is not too sweet and just a little bitter ultimately artificial-tasting but not in an unpleasant way. This brand is commonly found in Japanese grocery stores; this particular bag was purchased at Sunrise Mart in Japan Village, Brooklyn. 3.5/5.0
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Tohato Matcha milk caramel corn: I've seen these caramel corn snacks at Asian grocery stores over the years but have never tried them until now. They come in a smaller bag containing about 3 or 4 serving sizes (there is no English on the bag for me to tell exactly). The puffed corn pieces are irregularly shaped, kind of like a miniature version of Jaxx cheese puffs, and have a glazed sugary coating that makes them crispy yet light and airy. The matcha flavor is pretty good; it's a little more bitter than most American ma... (read more) 3.5/5.0
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Furano Melon caramel: These melon-flavored chewy candies are from Hokkaido, purchased by way of Jmart in Flushing. I love the packaging, which somehow managed to combine the rainbow lavender fields of Hokkaido with wine, a ball of yarn, and a stormcloud. Inside the box is individually wrapped Starburst-sized candies the pastel-orange color of cantaloupe. They have a concentrated melon flavor that I really enjoyed. I also like that the candy is not so sticky that it gets stuck in your teeth. Would purchase other f... (read more) 3.5/5.0
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Trader Joe's Caramel ginger popcorn: A fresh spin on caramel popcorn, TJ's caramel ginger popcorn has a solid spiced flavor that you immediately identify as ginger. Unfortunately, it is far too sweet, with each piece coated in a thick sheen of buttery sugar. While popcorn is generally a healthier snack option, this one is far from it. Still, if you like ginger, chances are you will like this snack, as long as you don't eat too much in one sitting. 3.0/5.0
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Petitpot Salted Caramel Pot De Creme: Since I found this jar in the yogurt aisle, I picked it up on sale expecting it was yogurt and only discovered that it was pudding when I got home. By now, I have a bit of an allergic reaction when I see "California cuisine" on packaging, which essentially translates to organic ingredients, high marketing / branding expenditures, and consequently high prices. But I am guilty of purchasing it, and I blame that on the cute mascot. The dessert itself is made of simple ingredients: milk, crea... (read more) 3.0/5.0
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Smitten Salted Caramel Ice Cream: The two things I dislike about the Bay Area are 1) almost everything is overpriced, and 2) people see technology as the solution to everything. If there were any type of snack that represented these fundamental problems, it would be Smitten. At Smitten, ice cream is made to order using liquid nitrogen, which, in theory, freezes ice cream faster and produces smaller ice crystals and, as a result, a smoother texture. Because each flavor is produced on its own machine, Smitten can only carry... (read more) 2.5/5.0
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