Akagi Gari Garikun Ice Candy Soda Popsicles: These are popular soda-flavored popsicles that taste like a combination of Sprite and Ramune, with a slight pear flavor but mostly tasting of sugar. It has an ice-blue color and is sized just like fruit popsicles in America. Overall, it's so-so - something you might like as a kid but not particularly interesting or delicious as an adult. 3.0/5.0
dessert japanese Daiei akagi gari garikun ice candy soda popsicles 3.0
Cheerio Melon Cream Soda: Got this bottle from a 100 ¥ vending machine in Tokyo. The flavor is sort of like a fruit-equivalent of Mountain Dew in that the sugar and flavor concentration is shocking, but I actually kind of like it. It strikes a really good balance of fruity and creamy and does taste like (an extremely sweet) version of a fruit soda float. In that way, it's exactly as advertised. But I can't drink much of it in a single sitting because it's so sweet. 3.5/5.0
recommended drinks japanese vendingmachine cheerio melon cream soda 3.5
Hakkaisan Purple Amasake: This is a sweet drink made with fermented purple rice, giving it its distinctive color. I tried the regular version made from white rice rice previously in Brooklyn (by way of Japan), but without trying both side-by-side, it's hard for me to say if the flavors are different. I can say that this beverage has a nice acidity and natural sweetness that comes from the koji rice itself (no sugar is added), and it's a fresh refreshing drink. I don't know if most people would enjoy the acidity, b... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended japanese drinks rice koji Daiei hakkaisan purple amasake 3.5
Meito Hokkaido Pumpkin Pudding: This is a pudding 3-pack from Japan, which is really more like flan or panna cotta compared to American pudding. It has a rich golden color from the pumpkin squash it's flavored from, which gives it a unique nutty flavor and takes away a bit of the guilt of eating dessert, though it's definitely sweet. It has a sweet syrupy caramel base, like traditional Japanese pudding you buy from the store. I liked it a lot, though, and would purchase it again! 3.5/5.0
recommended pudding japanese meito hokkaido pumpkin 3.5
福丸饅頭 Kusa Daifuku : This mochi is from a small confectionary shop in Yanaka, Tokyo that serves a variety of fresh, seasonal mochi. I purchased this green mochi thinking it was matcha-flavored, but it’s actually made of mugwort, a type of medicinal plant of Chinese origin. It has a slightly bitter flavor that’s not at all sweet, like a mix of spinach and peppery parsley. It reminds me of a green smoothie in that people would enjoy it as a dessert, but it’s mostly savory. The texture of the mochi was perfect ... (read more) 5.0/5.0
exceptional japanese mochi kusa daifuku 5.0
Megmilk Snow Matcha Pudding: This is a delicious green tea pudding with a panna cotta-like texture (that is, much softer and looser than most store-bought pudding). It comes with a brown sugar packet so you can add as much sweetness as you'd like, but I preferred it without any additional flavoring. The matcha flavor is very distinctive, with its characteristic bitterness rounded out by the dessert's creaminess. Will definitely be purchasing again! 4.0/5.0
recommended japanese Daiei matcha megmilksnow pudding 4.0