Lotte Drink Mix Candy - Vending Machine Assortment

 Lotte Drink Mix - 5 Flavor

If you walk through the Japanese candy aisles this summer this is one product that really stands out. Not only is the packaging very appealing but the soft drink flavors are very well recognized throughout the nation. Upon looking at the package more carefully you find that there are 25 individually wrapped candies inside, five of each flavor.

The blue plastic package is designed like a Japanese vending machine. There is a clear window at the bottom of the bag so you can see the inner candy wrappers. Each oval, marble-sized candy is 3.1 grams and colored according to its flavor.

I am familiar with 4 of the 5 drinks so I can compare them to the original. The Acerola berry flavored drink is something I will need to try in the near future. It is a new addition to the Lotte candy mix so let's start with that.

Acerola Refresh - Acerola is a berry native to central and southern America that is known for its power as an antioxidant. The smooth red candy has a sour cherry flavor but still plenty of sweetness that children would enjoy too.

Dakara Fresh Start - This is a popular sports drink that has been around for years in Japan. This is the new 2011 version. I was surprised how accurate the flavor is to the beverage. It is much more condensed in flavor though so the sweetness factor is elevated. It has a lemon/grapefruit flavor.

C.C. Lemon - This is a carbonated lemon soda that contains Vitamin C. Again, the flavor is very accurate and the fizz is even present. The candy is a little rough while it melts down in your mouth.

Natchan! Orange - Similar to Tang or any other non-carbonated orange drink, this candy is the most flavorful of all. Smooth and glassy finish with a light orange color.

Dekavita C - The most bizarre flavor of the bunch. Fizzy energy drink flavored with subtle lemon and herb flavors. Again, because these are meant to be carbonated the candy finish is rough.

I recommend these for the nice variety of flavors to sample. With Halloween and Christmas just around the corner these would make unique candies to hand out as gifts. We also carry the full line of Mitsuya Cider Candy too. Click HERE to enter napaJapan for a delightful candy shopping experience.

Happy Snacking!

Guimauve Mango & Pineapple Gummy Candies

Guimauve Mango & Pineapple Gummy Candies

Kabaya is a large-sized candy maker not too well known outside of Japan. Even domestically their brands are not so well advertised or promoted as compared to the likes of Glico's Pocky or Morinaga's Hi Chew. If you visit Japan you may have trouble finding their full line of candy products as many stores do not give them much shelf space, especially convenience stores. Not to worry though as napaJapan will give you the opportunity to purchase their popular products.

What I like about Kabaya is that they offer very original products. Guimauve is one of these. The traditional gummy is known as a smooth, translucent, specifically shaped morsel with a consistent chewiness often flavored in grape, cherry, apple, cola, or strawberry. The Guimauve gummy is best described as a dense, cubed marshmallow. A perfect name since it happens to be the French word for marshmallow.

When I opened the resealable foil pouch for the first time a sweet and fruity tropical breeze rushed up my nose. It was almost overwhelming and had kind of a sickly sweet fragrance. Most of the 14 cubes (half orange colored mango and half yellow pineapple) were perfectly shaped with 1.5 cm sides. There was no powdery residue on the surface however they did leave an slight oily stain on a piece of paper when left sitting for over a minute. These cubes are much harder than a marshmallow on the outside but can be easily stretched and re-shaped.

A handful of the fruity gummy cubes

Biting into them reminded me of a cross between meringue and a camp-fire roasted marshmallow (without the heat.) The center of each cube is softer than the outer skin. The pineapple flavor hit me right away and was so strong that it left an aftertaste in my mouth for some time. The mango was milder and seemed to even have a pineapple taste. Perhaps I didn't clean my palate well enough or there was some cross-flavor-exchange going on inside the sealed bag. I preferred the mango over the pineapple but the real exciting aspect for me was the texture.

These gummy candies are fun to eat and popular with children. Guimauve has been released in a variety of flavors over the past two years including: Yogurt, Strawberry, Lemon, Red Grape, and Green Grape. This most recent flavor duo offering is my favorite of the lot. The only negative I came across was that they don't suit any other food or beverage. Chocolate is great with coffee or milk. Chips and crisps suit beer or soda. Maybe I will try to roast them on the camp fire this summer. Let me know if you have an interesting match for Guimauve or if you prefer them straight up.

Happy snacking!

Pepsi Caribbean Gold White Sapote Flavor Cola

Pepsi White Sapote - Released July 25, 2011

Yet another wild and wacky flavor from the good people at Pepsi, Japan. Just when we thought the recent Pepsi Energy Cola was going to be it for summer releases, they threw us a curve ball. The Caribbean Gold name is used in a year when the popular Pirates of the Caribbean - On Stranger Tides was released in Japan. So to keep with that theme, Pepsi dug down deep in the fruit charts to find White Sapote (Casimiroa edulis) which is native to Central America and has been known to cause drowsiness. I suppose the caffeine in this cola will counter that claim. The flavor of Sapote is very unique so many describe it as a cross between mango, persimmon, peach, pear, and vanilla. Oh boy, this should be an interesting test.

I cracked the seal with a nice loud pop and within seconds hundreds of small yellow/gold bubbles were rushing towards the neck of the bottle. Pouring it on ice created a lovely, refreshing looking beverage. There was a definite fruity fragrance to it with some ginger overtones. Cola was the last thing I smelled. Once the foamy head on the Pepsi subsided I raised the glass.

 

Seconds after the Pepsi was poured on ice. Notice the lovely gold bubbles.

The taste surprised me. Having just tried the Pepsi Energy Cola for the first time weeks ago I knew I had discovered its mate. Though not as strong as that aforementioned Pepsi, this one contains the same energy drink taste you would expect in a smaller, hipper, and expensive steel can. I suppose if I had to identify a fruit flavor it would be closest to peach, but hardly. Come to think of it this really tastes like Guarana which is a small fruit the size of a coffee bean. In Hokkaido, where I am located, Guarana cola is very popular and there are a few different brands. I was not expecting this at all but in no way am I disappointed. 

This is a very refreshing drink which is ideal for summer. It would probably mix well with alcohol if you like to experiment with cocktails. Pepsi White Sapote is quite sweet and contains 47 Calories per 100 mL. This is a 490 mL PET bottle and would be a perfect addition to any Pepsi bottle collection.

By the way, here is a picture and link of the Pepsi Energy Cola that we also offer:

Click HERE to see more details

I want to hear some of the strange Pepsi flavors you have tried in the past and a review. Please feel free to post your comments below.

Have a refreshing week!

Meiji Fruity Lemon Chocolate Sticks

 New July 2011 - Meiji Fruity Lemon Chocolate

I couldn't help to find this new edition to the Meiji Chocolate Stick line-up. I mean, the package was practically glowing on the store shelf! The last yellow lemon flavored chocolate I had tried was the Kit Kat from a few years back and I loved that one. This one looked very promising since it contained 26% real lemon juice. Also, I figure Meiji makes the tastiest mass-produced chocolate in all of Japan.

This flavor is the fifth in a series of chocolate sticks by Meiji. Previous tastes included: Earl Grey Tea, Cinnamon, Feel Mint, and 72% Cacao. We list all of them HERE if you are interested. All boxes from this series are the same size (11 x 7 x 2 cm) and each contain 6 foil wrapped sticks that measure 8 cm.

Simple style with thin channel design on one side

As soon as the chocolate is removed from the foil there is a very pleasant and strong smell of lemon. This is a white chocolate based product so it is more delicate than standard milk and bitter chocolate. It is very easy to melt the chocolate with your fingers so it is best to be popped into your mouth immediately.

The taste hit me right away. Plenty of lovely, sour lemon flavor escaped as the chocolate explored my entire mouth. You really don't need to chew this as the heat of your mouth will melt it quickly. One stick contains 30 Calories so there is plenty of sweetness too and that really goes well to balance the sour lemon juice that is contained inside the chocolate. I really needed more than one stick because these were just delicious.

Try Meiji chocolate in many forms. We carry the classic Choco Baby and Kinoko No Yama too. All of the new release chocolate we offer as a best before date of at least 6 months. In summer months it is best to put your chocolate in the refrigerator for an hour upon its arrival just to firm it up so it easier to handle. 

Have a sweet week!

Hi Chew "Henshin" Orange + Banana = Soda??

Hi Chew Henshin - 3 Flavor (Banana+Orange=Soda)

Morinaga has been making Hi Chew (ハイチュウ：Hai Chuu）since 1975. This candy is usually fruit flavored, chewy, and rectangular in shape. Of late, the long Hi Chew ropes have been becoming increasingly popular. These are long and stretchy candy sticks that are about the diameter of a pencil. Kids (and even adults like me) enjoy twisting and reshaping the candy while breaking off whatever portion is needed for a quick chew.

Well, just this month a new Hi Chew product called Henshin (へんしん) meaning transforming, became available which offers two flavors within the same pack. The twist is (no pun intended) that when the two flavors are mixed in your mouth a new flavor is formed. I decided to test it out for myself and see how accurate the taste would be.

There are 2 types of Henshin available at present:

• Banana + Strawberry = Melon
• Banana + Orange = White Soda (Ramune)

I went with the latter mixture since I thought it would be impossible to get a soda flavor out of two fruit flavors. When I tore the foil wrap open I was greeted by two thin, approximately 15 cm candy sticks, one yellow (banana) and one orange (orange - duh!) The sticks must be produced on the same manufacturing line because they are melded together with a seam. Pulling them apart is easy and clean however some of the orange transferred to the banana stick.

This product is very pliable and stretchy. I can see how kids would have a lot of fun with it. Braiding the colorful sticks or making shapes would be a hit. Or even stretching them to double the length is possible.

Anyhow, I tried a small piece of each flavor in succession and found the flavors extremely accurate. Then I broke off a piece of each to combine in my mouth. They were chewed up real good to create the mystery flavor. I was surprised how much this tasted like Japanese White Soda ( ラムネ：Ramune) and felt there may have even been the slightest carbonation feeling in my mouth. Perhaps I was imagining that due to the lovely soda flavor.

What is really neat is that a mega-mystery flavor (energy drink) can be created by combining banana, strawberry, and orange. Note that you will need to get 1 pack of each to do this.

Although I do not eat Hi Chew on a regular basis I found this creation very interesting and tasty. If you are tired of regular products such as Starburst and Jolly Rancher I recommend trying Hi Chew from Japan. At napaJapan we always stock at least a dozen fresh flavors and varieties.

Check out some of the current flavors available at >>> this link  <<<

Happy Snacking,

Pepsi Cola - Dry

LINK to this product

Name: Pepsi Dry

Maker: Pepsi/Suntory, Japan

Flavor: Kola Bean

Size: 490 mL

Release Date: May 2011

Best Before Date: Winter 2011

Packaging - I was so excited to pick up this shimmering silver PET bottle from my local convenience store on the morning of its release: May 24, 2011. The caps differ from store to store as some have the Pepsi logo and others are plain white. The latter was due to a shortage of caps influenced by the March earthquake. The PET bottle is curvy and fits in my hand snugly for easy drinking. Can't wait to crack it open!

At First Glance - Having not eaten breakfast I figured my senses would be in top form at 9 am. I cracked the cap off with a satisfying burst of carbonation escaping the neck. Immediately I took a whiff of the soda and found it to be exactly like regular Pepsi. Oh-oh, I thought. The color wasn't even different which added to my disappointment. Did past flavors such as Ice Cucumber and Azuki Red Bean Pepsi raise my expectations? I just had to drink it and find out...

What's Inside / The Taste - During the first second the Pepsi Dry hit my mouth I thought I had been duped. Was Pepsi just taking out a flavorless ingredient and calling it something different? tick...tick...THEN...second two came! Pepsi hit the back of my tongue where the bitter taste-bud receptors live and I forgot about all the other odd Pepsi products I have sampled in the past. This Pepsi Dry is bitter, adult bitter. Not only that but the sugar content is much lower than in regular Pepsi. Even after swallowing you can still taste that wonderful, almost black coffee-like flavor, in the back of your mouth. Surprisingly it is very refreshing too and filled with tons of carbonation. I absolutely LOVE this product and expect it to be a huge hit.

Extra Details - Pepsi wanted to design a traditional cola soda which contains Kola Bean, a very bitter African nut with a higher caffeine content and low sugar.

Nutritional Information (per 100 mL):

Energy - 21 Calories

Protein - 0.0 grams

Fat - 0.0 grams

Carbohydrates - 5.3 grams

Sodium - 8 milligrams

Ten Star rating - 10/10 My first perfect rating. Great job Pepsi! Too busy to type any more as I am drinking a Pepsi Dry.

Thank you for your continued business and if you have any product requests or questions feel free to contact us anytime!

Happy Snacking!

Fujiya LOOK Chocolate Parfait - Almond

  LINK to this product

Name: LOOK Chocolate - Almond Chocolate Parfait

Maker: Fujiya

Flavor: Vanilla and Chocolate Ice Cream with Almond and Waffle

Size: 14 cubes - 3.8 grams each (53.2 gram)

Release Date: April 2011

Best Before Date: Winter 2011

Packaging - This LOOK release is a non-standard size pack. Typically LOOK chocolates are packed loose on a tray within a thin box. The Parfait versions are individually wrapped cubes in a square box that opens from the top for easy sharing. The photo on the box is very glossy and captures all of the flavors stuffed within each chocolate cube. The individual wrappers are a brilliant red color and tear open easily for quick snacking.

 Box opens from top for easy sharing.

At First Glance - The chocolate cubes (actually trapezoids) have a very smooth milk chocolate finish and measure 2 cm at the bottom and 1 cm at the top. They are 1.5 cm tall. The chocolate seems quite delicate as it melted slightly on my fingers after a few seconds. They do have a very nice dessert aroma to them.

What's Inside / The Taste - The cross section of these chocolates is quite sophisticated. The top contains an accurate vanilla whip cream filling. Just under that are crunchy sugar coated almonds which remind me of Ferrero Rocher. Under that layer we find a delightful chocolate whip cream with bits of waffle embedded throughout. Fujiya really added a lot of taste into such a small space. I really enjoyed the texture of the crunchy almonds and the vanilla cream made it actually taste like a parfait. The waffle bits were hard to recognize however they did add to the eating experience due to their crispiness. I really enjoy the milk chocolate coating too as it is similar to a chocolate pudding. Maybe that is why it melted so easily.

Extra Details - Fujiya is a very old and famous Japanese confectionery company and they offer a vast array of chocolate products. I have even tried their real parfaits at their restaurants and was very impressed. LOOK is a fantastic brand that everyone should try at least once. This parfait version also comes in Green Tea flavor with sweet Azuki bean. Plus we carry a half dozen flavors of other LOOK products. Check them out!

Nutritional Information (per 3.8 gram cube):

Energy - 23 Calories

Protein - 0.3 grams

Fat - 1.6 grams

Carbohydrates - 1.8 grams

Sodium - 2 milligrams

Ten Star rating - 9.5/10 I was extremely satisfied with this product since it captured so many flavors and textures within one cube of chocolate. It was easy to polish off a half box with a cup of coffee.


Try these other LOOK flavors:

  LOOK Green Tea Parfait

  LOOK French Strawberry Dessert

We are back to blogging after a long absence. Despite the recent earthquake and tsunami in Honshu, napaJapan has been operating as normal. There have been some new product release delays but things should be getting back to normal soon. In fact, we will be seeing a lot more stuff in this month (May 2011.) Thank you for your continued business and if you have any product requests or questions feel free to contact us anytime!

Happy Snacking!