Browsing the shelves of Seiyu, a major grocery chain, I happened upon キュビオ (Cubio) made by Lotte. I was attracted to the pink grapefruit flavor, and I couldn’t leave grape behind since I enjoy the cough syrup flavor way too much. The bags didn’t really say much too me other then “Hey, look! I’m a gummy candy with a gooey center!” After a further inspection I gathered that there was some sour, some crisp, and a whole lot of collagen. Japan is one of many cultures that wants to look it’s best, and like other cultures, they believe that eating collagen will improve your skin, hair, and nails. Wikipedia says otherwise, but there could be some benefits from the amino acids collagen breaks down into. All I know is that these are definitely not suitable for people who don’t eat gelatin type products (and while we’re talking about it, I doubt they’re kosher).
The candy is formed into half inch cubes that I think are really cute. I haven’t seen many geometric gummies and the unique shape is a selling point for me. The gummy is very bouncy and doesn’t rip easily. There is a light dusting of something on the outside of the cubes, but it’s not enough to add to the texture or flavor. So here’s the weird thing about Cubio; thought they’re advertised as having a liquid or gooey center, there is nothing in the middle. All the gummies had one side that was a little softer and could have been made out of something different, but it wasn’t in the center and I could barely tell the difference in the two types of candy. I’ll admit to being disappointed because I’ve always liked liquid filled candies since I was a kid.
Grape smells strongly of artificial grape and tastes similar. The flavor isn’t as intense as other grape flavored products I’ve had in Japan. It’s not bad, it’s not good, it’s not strong, it’s not weak. This flavor is the picture of mediocre. 2/5
The whole reason I bought these candies because I really enjoy grapefruit. The candy smells like real citrus; similar to lemon with a little bit of bitter. They taste intensely sweet and a little sour. Like the grape, the grapefruit flavor is mild. The grapefruit has a little more to like, but I’m still not impressed. 3/5
Buy Grapefruit Cubio from J-List.
