Saturday, July 24, 2010

Kopan - Tuna & Onion Toast Rusks

 Click HERE to view the product at napaJapan

Name: Copan (Kopan)
Maker: Meiji
Flavor: Tuna & Onion
Size: 47 grams
Release Date: July 2010
Best Before Date: December 2010 (and beyond)

Packaging - Colorful green foil bag that opens from the top like any ordinary chip bag but has a flat bottom so it can sit upright on its own. There is no reseal on this package so you better eat them all in one sitting. Italian writing on the bottom of the bag but everything else is written in Japanese.

At First Glance - Each toast rusk is the same length (4.5 cm) and have an oval shape with pointed ends. They are about 0.5 cm thick. There are no broken pieces in the bag, probably because of their thickness. A wonderful aroma of buttered onion escapes the bag upon opening. If you hold your nose closer you soon pick up the tuna smell. The toast rusks do not look seasoned but have what looks like some butter soaked into them.

What's Inside - The rusks have the same crunch from one end to the other. This crunch is just perfect for me. I was expecting a hard product but these are light and crispy. They do seem a bit oily when handling them over a few minutes. I had to wipe my hands a few times.

The Taste - Meji hits a home run every time when they flavor their products. From the first bite to the last your mouth is swarmed with such an accurate taste of onion, tuna and butter. I would say onion is the strongest of the 3 flavors. The rusk flavor is mild which probably exaggerates the seasonings. The aftertaste is very prevalent though very delightful. I ate these 'sans beverage' and I am glad I did because it made me appreciate the flavor more and the crispiness was bolder.

Extra Info - I recommend these as an alternative to any potato or corn chips. Copan is spelled Kopan if you follow Japanese Romaji rules however Meiji advertises them as Copan which is translated as small bread. There are about a half dozen flavors out each year which include 3 standards. Check out the Copan we carry at napaJapan.


Nutritional Information (per 47 gram bag):
Energy - 253 Calories
Protein - 3.7 grams
Fat - 14.3 grams
Carbohydrates - 27.4 grams
Sodium - 270 milligrams

Ten Star rating - 9/10 Great crunch, satisfying amount for a snack, and accurate flavor. I wish the tuna had stood out the most.


If you like this product, or what you read in the review, I recommend the following products:

                    Copan Ham & Cheese          Doritos Air - Consomme

Happy Snacking!

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Tohato Caramel Corn - Ramune Flavor


Click HERE to view the product at napaJapan


Name: Caramel Corn
Maker: Tohato
Flavor: Ramune Soda
Size: 75 grams
Release Date: July 2010
Best Before Date: November 2011

Packaging - Cute and appealing light blue foil bag with the classic Tohato eyes and nose adorning the package. The traditional Japanese Ramune (white citrus soda) bottle pokes out of a tub of ice cold water signifying summer has arrived! Opens from the top like any ordinary chip bag. There is no reseal on this package so you better eat them all in one sitting.


At First Glance - I didn't expect these to be so white though if they were blue I probably would have been reluctant to try them. Each corn puff curl is about 1.5 inches (4 cm) if they were straightened. A sweet Froot Loops® cereal aroma escaped the bag upon opening. The quantity of product in the bag was surprising and impressive so I was looking forward to munch away during my daily snack time (until I looked at the nutritional info...we will get to that later.) Anyhow, these are very sturdy despite the light weight and there was no breakage at the bottom of the bag.

What's Inside - These contain light and crispy corn with a thin layer of flavoring. The consistency from the outer coating to the center of the corn curl is very even.

The Taste - Caramel is in the product name but caramel is not what you are going to experience with this flavor. All I found was a light citrus flavored coating which was VERY sweet. The corn curl is sweet to begin with so a lot of sugar was used. The package claims these to be fizzy however it was very hard for me to pick up any carbonation. All I got was a tangy and sweet flavor though the ramune flavor was quite accurate. The crunch can be described as when you eat cheese puffs though the outer coating is slightly harder. No real aftertaste except for the sugar.

Extra Info - Ramune is a popular Japanese white soda that is usually consumed in summer. The uniquely shaped glass bottle has a glass marble under the cap to seal it. To open, the marble is pushed down into the pinched neck of the bottle creating a fizzy back-flow of soda. Check out the Ramune candies we carry at napaJapan.


Nutritional Information (per 75 gram bag):
Energy - 400.4 Calories * we told you there was a lot of sugar!
Protein - 1.7 grams
Fat - 22.4 grams
Carbohydrates - 49.1 grams
Sodium - 125.3 milligrams

Ten Star rating - 6.5/10 Too sweet for me!


If you like this product, or what you read in the review, I recommend the following products:




Happy Snacking!