new developments in the exciting world of japanese candy!



i went to the zoo this weekend and rather than pay those crazy prices for subpar zoo food, i stopped at Mitsuwa and bought some junk food instead.

first, i picked up perennial otaku favorite Pocky in "brazilian pudding" flavor. what exactly is brazilian pudding, you ask? i haven't a clue. a quick google search turned up this recipe, which sounds like a very basic milk-flavored concoction. the Pocky themselves were pretty tasty, although i find myself at a loss to describe the flavor. i guess it could be milk-ish, but i noted a subtle hint of coconut. i guess that makes it more tropical? anyway, two enthusiastic thumbs up on the taste and addictiveness, if not exactly hunger-satiating.

i also got my latest delivery of japanese kit kats over the weekend, including watermelon and brown sugar. i thought the watermelon was only so-so, basically because i couldn't actually identify the flavor as being watermelon. there was a faint aftertaste of something melon-y, but it was barely there. my friend found them much more enjoyable.

the brown sugar one... well... maybe i'm misunderstanding the description, because i love brown sugar but these were kind of rank. it could be a strong molasses flavor, but really they just... they're... uh... they really don't taste right at all. and i have a whole bag of them. d'oh. still, an interesting addition to my ridiculously huge assortment of kit kats from around the globe...

so while it's not a particularly great deal, i finally broke down and purchased some M&Ms Premiums at the low, low price of $3.50 per 6oz package. since i only bought one (see, i am cheap!) i went for the mint variety (not pictured). normally i'd go ahead and type up the crazy marketing copy off the box, but that's already in the trash (why do i keep putting things in parentheses? hmm.)

anyway, these consist of solid white chocolate on the inside, covered in a thin layer of dark chocolate, and then painted a splotchy (slightly metallic?) green. the real thing to note here is that these are IMPOSTOR M&Ms. they don't have a candy shell. how can you call something an M&M if it doesn't have the candy shell to help prevent it from melting in your mouth, but not in your hand?

there's still some kind of coating on the outside, something waxy and very vaguely unpleasant. after the first one, i was kind of disappointed-- i think it was the shock of not having a shell. because then i got down to serious snacking and i found these to be pretty tasty after all: they have a very smooth melt, a pleasant buttery aftertaste, and just enough mint to make you stand up (or sit down) and take notice.

would i buy these again? probably not when you can still get a big bag of mint crisp M&Ms for the same price as 6oz of these. and really, i think i'd prefer it if these had a shell; i just find the whole M&Ms branding to be sort of loosely applied here. but they are tasty, and if someone else decided to foot the bill, i'd be happy to enjoy them again :)

well, it appears i haven't written in a while. i have excuses, of course: i've been on the road a lot, away from the computer, etc etc. and to be honest i haven't even been eating much in the way of exciting new candy. the closest i've come is a couple flavors of fudge from quaint little Cambria, California, a resort town "gift shop." so, let's talk about fudge.

i really like fudge, but it can't be too soft or moist. i prefer it when the fudge is hard with a little bit of a crumble, but readily melts into the sweet essence of heaven on your tongue. i have no problem with cheater's fudge, although this recipe is not as amenable to wacky variations as a standard recipe is. the taste and texture is still fantastic, and the recipe really could not be easier.

but the fudge in Cambria was the real deal, butter and sugar and cream in a big ol cauldron. we picked up two varieties, Chocolate Mint and English Toffee.

the Chocolate Mint was an appealing chunk of deep, rich, chocolatey fudge with a thick swirl of green throughout. the mint flavoring was not confined to the green fudge, though-- that was apparently for aesthetics only. nonetheless, this stuff was delicious if not a bit too soft for my liking (it was better after spending a little quality time in the fridge...)

the English Toffee was a creamy white fudge with chunks of heathbar sprinkled throughout. now this stuff was AWESOME. the texture was thicker and more crumbly (still, this was also better after being refrigerated) and the little crunchy bits of toffee helped give some contrast. my friend thought this fudge was too sweet (duh! it's fudge!) but i really, really liked it and will have to figure out how to recreate in my home kitchen.

anyway, that's all i've got for the moment. i'm still holding out for a sale on Premium M&M's... :)