Jun 13th, 2010
by Gregory.
I love trying new Japanese candies, especially ones with great names. Today’s is スキッピー, or Skippy in English, which is a perfect name for a peanut confection. Skippy are mainly milk chocolate, mixed in with peanuts and dried crepe—which looks and tastes a bit like corn flakes. They actually look a bit like pre-baked cookie dough, and they taste just about as good. They come in a large black and gold box, which opens to reveal silver foil, which holds a surprisingly small amount of the candy. I was expecting fifteen or twenty, and instead I got no more than ten, which is quite disappointing, because the box cost about two hundred yen.
But they are really delicious. Fujiya never skimps on the chocolate, and the stuff found here is first-rate. The peanuts aren’t too bad, either. The important thing is that the chocolates are really packed full of the ingredients, which makes each bite enjoyable.
As I’ve mentioned, the big let-down here is that you get hardly any in each box. I went through the entire thing in a couple minutes, and I could see doing it absent-mindedly in half that. They melt really fast, too. Unlike, say, Pocky or M&Ms, Skippy are not the sort of candy you want to eat on a hot day. They’ll leave chocolate all over your fingers, and force you to rush through your box.
But on the whole, I’d mildly recommend Skippy. I’ll certainly get another box or two, mainly because they remind me of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. I’m not sure they’re worth importing, though, especially as I’m sure they’d melt to a solid clump by the time they reached the States.
3/5
Posted in: 3/5, Candy, Chocolate, Fujiya, Reviews.
Jun 10th, 2010
by Gregory.
There’s nothing better for a sick day at home than to write a review for Pocky Watch. Sure, the sugar isn’t good for my immune system, but it’s great for my morale. And today’s morale booster is a new Kit Kat I spotted at the convenience store the other day: Bitter Almond. It’s apparently the result of a collaboration between Nestlé and Japanese hair salon chain Tokyo Beauty Center (TBC エステティック). Sort of the opposite of ‘For Men’s’ branding, I guess.
Whatever the source, Bitter Almond Kit Kat is pretty delicious. Rather than trying to incorporate whole almonds, Nestlé has crushed them up and mixed in the bits with 44% dark chocolate, which goes over your normal Kit Kat wafer. I’ve only seen these in the 99 calorie x2 packs, which have a nice brown pyramid design, and actually a pretty golden wrapper on the inside.
You guys know what’s up with Kit Kat, so let me go into the particulars of this one. I can’t say that the almonds add too much to the flavor. Even examining the wafers closely, I can only see a dozen or so bits in each. For actually almond candies, I prefer larger chunks, as in M&Ms or Meiji’s various ‘Almond’ products. But what is there does add a bit of nuttiness. The dark chocolate is what I really liked about these. It’s a dull sweetness that doesn’t overpower the almond or the wafer. I really could eat a bunch of these, and I think if you’re even slightly a fan of bitter chocolate, you should check them out too.
4/5
Buy Bitter Almond Kit Kat from napaJapan.com.
Posted in: 4/5, Cookie, Kit Kat, Nestlé.
Choosing this Pocky to review was a no brainer. Even with my recent conversion to Toppo, I still love love love Pocky, especially crushed almond kind. I also love coconut—yep, I’m one of those people; if you don’t like coconut you should just stop reading now—in all shapes and sizes. Almond Joy and Mounds ranked among my most treasured halloween candies. Seattle’s Trophy Cupcakes has a triple coconut cupcake that makes me die and I love coconut milk in savory sauces. I’ve heard that there might be some positive health effects to eating coconut products, but really even if the stuff made you gain thirty pounds I’d probably eat it anyway and be fat and happy. 夏のココナッツ (Summer Coconut) Pocky is one of the best Pocky flavors I’ve tried.
The box for this Pocky is quite cute and reminds me of Hawaii. The background is a brilliant blue water design, and the name is written over red hibiscus flowers. I like the break from traditional Pocky colors and I think the design is very fresh for summer. Even though the box is the same size as original Pocky there are only sixteen sticks! On top of that, the sticks aren’t even full length, they’re about a quarter of an inch shorter then original Pocky. This is a travesty and a bit of a rip off. Is flaked coconut really so hard to come buy that they can’t at least make the sticks full length? I like the look of the Pocky even if there isn’t enough of it, the chocolate is nice and shiny, and the coconut flakes are stuck on quite well.
The taste is pure pleasure. The chocolate is sweet and milky and the coconut is smooth and flavorful. I’m not completely sold on the pretzel, but it adds a really nice crunch which compliments the chocolate and the coconut well. I think this Pocky has one of the best combinations of flavors and textures on the market. If you like coconut, you will love this Pocky.
I’m really happy that I bought this Pocky, and I think it’s one of Glico’s best offerings. I’m a little sad that it’s limited edition, but I think I might stash some in the freezer to save for a rainy day. I think this tropical twist on an old favorite is a great way to kick off summer. For those of you unable to get your hands on Coconut Pocky, I bet you could make something very similar with original Pocky, coconut flakes, and a blow torch.
5/5
Buy Summer Coconut Pocky from napaJapan.com.
Posted in: 5/5, Cookie, Pocky, Reviews, glico.
