Meiji Horn whipped chocolate snacks: Tall chocolate treats with milk chocolate on either end, an aerated chocolate coating over the middle, and a chocolate biscuit-like interior. Some ingenuity here is in the shape itself, as the snack is meant to be paired with coffee - it's tall enough to dip into a hot beverage and get the combination of crunchy milk chocolate with a whipped chocolate center that melts in your mouth. For me, this was a theoretical exercise as I don't drink coffee and ate these individualky-wrapped snacks on... (read more) 3.0/5.0
japanese meiji horn whipped chocolate snacks 3.0 familymartGari Gari Kun Kyushu Mikan mandarin orange popsicle : I am a fan of Kumamon, a popular black bear mascot representing Kumamoto prefecture in Japan. He's kind of everywhere, so I wasn't surprised to find him on ice cream packaging for this mandarin flavored popsicle with citrus from Kyushu . The rectangular ice brick reminds me of Sunkist, with a tangy slightly too-concentrated-to-be-natural orange flavor, though it is enjoyable for what it is. Purchased from Family Mart. 3.0/5.0
familymart japanese garigarikun kyushu mikan mandarin orange popsicle 3.0Toppo Caramel and Butter Sticks: Toppo is sort of like Lotte's response to Pocky, with a very similar stick-like form factor but with the flavoring on the inside. The exterior is a sort of pretzel / cracker hybrid, and this particular one has a strong buttery flavor and a salted caramel-flavored filling inside. Sweet and savory, like chicken and waffles, this snack could have been good in theory but is somehow both too sweet and too savory at the same time; in other words, not well balanced. This standard size you can fi... (read more) 2.0/5.0
familymart japanese toppo caramel butter sticks 2.0Morinaga Hi-Chew Momotaro Grape and Goyomitsuhime Fig: I used to love eating Hi-Chew fruit chews as a kid, which have a texture somewhere between a gummy and chewing gum. They come individually wrapped and usually have a milky, translucent color and are initially firm but become much softer and chewier the longer you eat them. I hadn't felt the need to buy this snack since living in Japan, but I also hadn't come across two-flavored Hi-Chews before this week and made this purchase for grape and fig flavored Hi-Chews at a local Family Mart conve... (read more) 3.0/5.0
candy japanese familymart morinaga hi-chew momotaro grape goyomitsuhime fig 3.0Bandai 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 3.0Sangaria White grape soda: This beverage comes in an aluminum bottle with a twist of top. It contains 20% real fruit juice and probably 80% sugar water, along with what appeared to be slightly chewy pieces of grape. Overall, it was extremely sweet and not something I could drink much of in a single sitting. Purchased at Family Mart. 2.5/5.0
familymart japanese drinks soda white grape 2.5 sangaria