Purin! Purin! Custard Pudding: Sugar, egg, milk, and cream are the basic ingredients of Purin, Japanese creme caramel / flan. It’s the flavor of “pudding” add ins for your bubble tea, with a firmer texture than American pudding yet softer and creamier than Jello. This particular product is made in California and was purchased in Berkeley at Tokyo Fish Market. It represents a simple deliciousness - classic, but not average, with a layer of sweet dark caramel at its base. Small plastic spoons included. 3.5/5.0
recommended japanese tokyofishmarket purinpurin custard pudding 3.5 sweets dessertUegaki Beika Co Matcha Uguisu Balls: Uguisu Balls are a classic Japanese snack of bite-sized rice and wheat balls whose appearance is meant to mimic plum blossom buds. To me, they looked more like the shiny round acorns the two sisters chase after while exploring their new home at the beginning of Totoro. In this case, a sticky sugary coating envelops each piece, making it possible for green tea powder to stick to its surface. Slightly soft yet crunchy, sweet and bitter, this snack blends opposites to mixed success; the matcha... (read more) 2.5/5.0
tokyofishmarket matcha japanese uegakibeikaco uguisu balls 2.5Shrimp peanut snack: Despite my best effort at detective work with Google Translate and Reverse Image Search, I wasn’t able to track down the exact brand of this senbei snack. Too bad, because it’s one of the best ones I’ve had before. Purchased from Tokyo Fish Market in Berkeley, the snack consists of baked hollow balls filled with peanuts. Unlike the traditional crunchy glazed rice crackers I’ve had before, this one had a crumbly, buttery exterior that melt-in-your-mouths. The shell is well seasoned with a rob... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended tokyofishmarket japanese shrimp peanut snack 4.0T-Pops Tarako Salted cod roe popcorn: Purchased from Tokyo Fish Market, this small bag of popcorn from T-Pops contains dense miniature kernels with a seasoned but not easily identifiable flavoring. It doesn’t taste like seafood, which I expected because of the salted cod flavoring and it’s dressed with a noticeable amount of oil. Not particularly good popcorn, or unique flavor. 2.5/5.0
tokyofishmarket japanese tpops salted cod roe popcorn 2.5Inaba Irodori Mix: A mix of classic senbei glazed rice crackers, including irregularly-shaped, textured shoyu nuggets; glazed sweet and savory crunchy balls embedded with strips of nori, each surrounding a single peanut; airy crisps resembling puffed shrimp crackers; and a surprising addition of dried anchovies, providing a concentrated salinity that balances some of the sweeter bites. Contained five individual-sized packs portioned well to be satisfying snack for grown ups. Purchased from Tokyo Fish Market in... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended japanese tokyofishmarket ricecrackers nuts inaba irodori mix 3.5Riska Cheese Corn Snack: This flavor of umbaibo has a cheese flavor familiar to Asian snacks. It tastes a bit like the cheese powder from boxed mac and cheese but with a creamy, milky flavor that's mild rather than tangy. Very different than the bolder cheese taste of American cheese snacks like Cheetos. Like other Umaibo, the texture is crispy and light. In this particular package, they're cut into mid-sized rings. 3.0/5.0
umaibo japanese riska cheese corn snack 3.0 tokyofishmarket berkeley