Marunaga 焼きおいももなか Roasted Sweet Potato Ice Cream Sandwich: This ice cream sandwich is shaped like a roasted sweet potato using potatoes from the Kagoshima prefecture. It is impressively textured to mimic the wrinkly skin of a sweet potato using monaka, a thin rice-based wafer used in many Japanese treats. The monaka doesn't have any flavor on its own, but inside the two halves of the potato are a white sweet potato ice cream and a yellow paste, almost like a cross between a jam and a mash. Overall, I found the dessert to be too sweet, especially ... (read more) 3.0/5.0
icecream japanese santouka dessert sweetpotato marunaga 焼きおいももなか 3.0
あわしま堂 Mandarin Orange Daifuku: I've had surprisingly little mochi in Japan, even though it's one of my favorite snacks, but the orange-themed packaging of this individually-wrapped snack stood out to me, and since I had never tasted orange-flavored mochi before, I decided to give it a try. The mochi itself is dyed pale orange and is much more plump and pliable than any store-bought mochi I've had in the states. The filling is almost like an orange pulp, slightly stringy in texture, and is notably acidic, rather than tas... (read more) 3.5/5.0
recommended mochi tokyo daifuku mandarin orange 3.5
Capi Spicy Ginger Beer: According to my records, I have reviewed 39 different ginger sodas on this site, so whenever I come across one I haven't seen before, I'm especially excited. I made a trip to National Azabu, a grocery store in Tokyo featuring many international items, and they had a brand from Australia called Capi that was new to me. Their spicy ginger beer has a yellow-tan color, with ginger sediments you shake to distribute before opening. While I did find the spiciness level to be decent, the soda had... (read more) 3.0/5.0
drinks gingerbeer soda nationalazabu australian capi spicy ginger beer 3.0
根津のたいやき Taiyaki: One thing I will sincerely miss when I leave Japan is the little mom & pop stands selling traditional Japanese treats like imagawayaki and taiyaki. This little stand in Nezu always seems to have a line, even in COVID times, and serves anko (red bean) filled fish-shaped pancakes. They cost just about $2 USD and they take care to snip off the burnt edges with scissors before placing your pancake in a to-go pouch, meant to be eaten quickly after it comes from the grill. Their red bean paste ... (read more) 4.5/5.0
exceptional japan nezu anko redbean tokyo taiyaki 4.5
Toms Heksehyl Haxvral Danish Salty Licorice: This was another Danish snack that I received as a participant for a virtual conference. It comes in rope form and features a cylindrical piece of black licorice filled with salmiak salt (which is essential ammonia). I've heard that licorice is popular in Nordic countries, and I think this must be an acquired taste that I do not have. It had a surprisingly sharp bitter and salty flavor (mostly from the filling) that my taste buds had an immediate visceral reaction to, and not in a pleasan... (read more) 2.0/5.0
avoid danish tomsheksehylhaxvral salty licorice 2.0
Toms Giant Chocolate Turtle: This chocolate turtle was sent to me from Denmark as part of a conference "goody bag." Its shape is much more realistic than the pecan-caramel chocolate turtles I've had in the states and features a hexagonal shell pattern, paws for its legs, and two extrusions for the turtle head and tail (but with no discernible face). The chocolate shell is pretty thick and about 50% dark chocolate, and inside is a caramel and rum creme that's fairly molten and viscous in texture. I'm not really one fo... (read more) 2.5/5.0
chocolate danish toms giant turtle 2.5