Calbee Sukiyaki JagaRico: I love the crunchy Japanese potato snack JagaRico, which is a staple in any convenience store and comes in many different flavors. I hadn't seen the Sukiyaki one before, though, and found it especially addictive. It has a meaty, roasted flavor reminiscent of soy and shiitake, inspired by the hot pot dish typically consisting of sliced beef, mushrooms, onions, and other vegetables. JagaRico more generally is a nice option when you're looking for a potato snack with more bite than a crispy po... (read more) 3.5/5.0
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Calpico White peach drink: As a kid, I used to drink Calpico when visiting family in Taiwan. A Japanese “soft drink,” Calpico has a milky-white color but is much thinner in consistency. I remember it being very sweet but probably haven’t had it in over a decade until I came across this white peach flavor. My memory ended up being pretty accurate, though, as the drink was far too sweet and tasted like liquid peach gummies. It’s hard to imagine a situation when it would be desirable to drink this. 2.0/5.0
drinks japanese calpico white peach drink 2.0
Calpis ぐんぐんグルト: I haven't been able to write snack reviews consistently because about a week ago, my back gave out (a relapse with my herniated disc), and I had to go to the hospital to be treated, where I still am now. The meals at the hospital have been nutritional if not exactly tasty, and there are no snacks. Lying horizontally for several days, I saw little of the floor I'm staying on until a few days ago, when I was able to progress to a wheelchair and them a tall castered walker. After taking a tour ... (read more) 3.0/5.0
drinks vendingmachine japanese calpis ぐんぐんグルト 3.0
Calpis Taste Calpis Melon Drink: Melon is a very popular flavor in Japan not just for candies but also for drinks like fruit sodas. This drink is the melon-version of the popular beverage calpis, a milky yogurt-flavored drink common enough to find in most Asian supermarkets in the US. This line of products is part of their low-calorie offerings, and it contains the artificial sweetener aspartame. It tastes like a slightly milder version of liquid candy, definitely with an aftertaste I'm familiar with from drinking diet so... (read more) 3.0/5.0
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Chanmery Peach Soda: Chanmery is like the Japanese equivalent of Martinelli's, meant to be a celebratory champagne-equivalent drink for kids. Its main innovation is a "twist and pop cap" that's both threaded and depressed such that opening it leads the built-up pressure of the bottle to push the cap upward, emitting a satisfying pop sound not unliking uncorking a bottle of champagne. The bottle has just enough for about 2 servings, which is to say quite small. The peach soda has a strong fruit flavor that is ... (read more) 3.0/5.0
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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