Trader Joe’s Watermelon Jerky: These compressed and dehydrated watermelon jerky strips are disorienting - they have a chewy texture reminiscent of Fruit Roll Up, yet maintain the fibrous quality of fresh watermelon as it lingers on your tongue. It instantly gets stuck in your teeth. But it does have a remarkable watermelon flavor - sweet and a little bit tangy. I enjoyed it but am not sure I’d purchase it again. The bag is single serving, but it’s sweet enough to want to spread across a few. 3.0/5.0
organic traderjoes watermelon jerky 3.0 fruit
Mateo's Arrayan Paletas: Mateo's is a chain in Los Angeles that has a rainbow assortment of ice creams and fruit bars, or paletas, featuring tropical flavors from Central America ranging from yellow cherry, mamey, and sapote (a type of ash-colored persimmon fruit). The popular shop had a short line out the door, with two groups allowed in the store at a given time (and no samples during the pandemic). Their arrayan pop features fresh fruit from the arrayan guava, which reminded me a lot of Taiwanese guava I had wh... (read more) 3.0/5.0
losangeles tropical fruit mateos arrayan paletas 3.0
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
Calbee Frugra fruit granola cereal: This is a Japanese cereal that contains dried strawberries, raisins, granola, almonds, and pumpkin seeds. The strawberries give it a pretty prominent sour flavor. Fairly standard as far as granola goes otherwise. 2.5/5.0
cereal japanese naniwaya calbee frugra fruit granola 2.5
Hokunyu Fruit Yogurt: Combining peach and pineapple with nata de coco (coconut pieces), this is sort of like a fruit cup combined with yogurt. It has a sort of tropical, Continental breakfast fruit cocktail flavor which is not really great but not bad either. Not a yogurt I would go for again, though it's not bad per se. 3.0/5.0
japanese Daiei hokunyu fruit yogurt 3.0
Ginza Ginger Kiwi ginger kakigori: Ginza Ginger is a kakigori shaved ice shop in downtown Ginza. They specialize in ginger-milk-flavored syrups that are served alongside fruit computer that you add to the shaved ice to your taste. I shared the kiwi kakigori (I think it would be too much to eat on your own and could possibly serve 3-4 people even). It came in an impressive mound with the ginger syrup already added and a small jar of kiwi fruit compote. The shaved ice was airy and light and impressively held its texture until ... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended japanese shavedice dessert ginza fruit ginzaginger kiwi ginger kakigori 4.0