Kasugai Kajitsu No Sukasshu Fruit Sweets

There are few things that say great candy like a cartoon of a snorkeling dog. And this dog has quite a lot to say about this candy from Kasugai.

There are four flavors of this unusual boiled sweet: grape, lemon, pineapple, and strawberry. Candybowl had the strawberry.

The initial taste impression is artificial, slightly cloying strawberry flavor. It has a pleasant sourness on the tongue that intensifies as the candy is sucked. The shell is rough, beckoning you, dear eater, to the sugary rocks.

The crunch is the game changer. Out pours a sour, fizzy center, bathing the mouth in candy delight. Bicarbonate is among the ingredients, and Candybowl surmises it combines with the sour shell to create fizz.

Candybowl recalls that when he was a child there were candies that might have been called Zingers. They came in a long chain of individually wrapped candies. Candybowl was not allowed to have them. But did have a chance to taste one or two, and recalls that the inside kind of sizzled. Not pop rock explosions, just a shimmery sizzly happening in your mouth.

Like that.

Kanro Sugar Free Fruit-flavored Candy

Kanro has made a strong move into sugar free candies with this bag of mixed sweets in four fruit flavors -- green apple, lemon, strawberry, and grape. Candybowl tried the apple candy.

The confection started with a pleasant and realistic green apple flavor. After some sucking, the green apple flavor receded, and odd notes began to develop. Candybowl has been admonished about the frequency with which he describes candies as tasting like cleaning products, and will not do so here. At least it doesn't taste like menthol.

The outer package boasts "Does not contain menthol." This, no doubt, is a response to Candybowl's comments about Kanro's candies tasting like menthol or like Halls Cough Drops. The Kanro flavor meter describes this as below-average sweetness, and above-average sourness. In the words of a great poet, "well, I guess."

The crunch is very nice, similar to sugar free Life Savers. On chewing, the apple flavor reintensifies, but so does that odd note described above. Perhaps because this is a sugar free candy, it left only a small amount of residue on the tooth and even that dissolved quickly.

A nice try, Kanro, but you I know you can do better.

Haitai Crunch Ball Crispy Candy

This peanut candy comes to us from Korean snacks manufacturer Haitai.

Like its compatriot, Lotte, Haitai made its name as a manufacturer of knock-off snacks. But its creativity and skill should not be underestimated; in Candybowl's humble opinion, Haitai also makes some of the best saltine crackers on earth. While this candy does not quite live up to the saltine standard, it is nevertheless a treat.

The confection is rough-hewn and irregularly colored. On sucking, it yields flavor notes of mild peanuts and sugar. In fact, it does not release its flavor until crushed, which is unsurprising for a candy with the words "crunch" and "crispy candy" in its name.

The crunch is, in a word, fantastic. Thanks to the small pieces of peanut embedded in a fragile ball of sugar crystals, it crunches, and then it crunches some more. It leaves a bit of residue on the tooth (and a slight aftertaste on the tongue), but that can be forgiven.

A nice effort, and well worth trying.

Postscript 7/23/08: An apt comparison was made to Butterfinger (not the chocolate, the inside).

Kasugai Cafe au Lait Season

Japanese confectioners' affinity for coffee candies goes back decades. Not content merely to produce "coffee flavor," manufacturers produce a range of flavors , like Blue Mountain and Sumiyaki charcoal roast. Kasugai is no exception although, as here, their reach sometimes exceeds their grasp.

This mixed bag of candies contains four coffee varieties -- Austria, France, Italy, and "Barugi" ( バルギー). Being that sort, Candybowl tried France, with a taste of Barugi to round out the picture.

France started with pleasant notes of cafe au lait, but delivered more complexity neither with the passage of time, nor upon chewing. Barugi tasted almost the same, but sweeter, almost like a sweetened Turkish coffee.

These candies are big, in the same league as Flower's Kiss or the oafish Hirano candies. Candybowl does not say a candy has failed the crunch test lightly, but this one most certainly did. Kasugai should be proud to associate itself with gummy candy, but not this kind of gummy. If you have fillings, eat at your own risk.

The slogan on the bag says "the taste makes me sense the season." Perhaps Candybowl now knows what the season of discontent tastes like.

Ujinotsuyu Kyo-Ame Green Tea

These handmade green tea candies come to us from Japanese tea manufacturer Ujinostsuyu. So they ought to taste like tea, especially since they contain just three ingredients: sugar, millet jelly, and tea. And they do taste more like tea than any candy that has graced the candybowl (althugh the insipid red tea candies came close).

The confections come in four tea varieties, each a popular type of Japanese tea.

Candybowl tried Genmaicha, a blend of tea and roasted rice. Perhaps Candybowl was expecting some variant of the buttery green tea flavor found in green tea ice creams, and in Kasugai's green tea candies. Whatever was expected. this candy delivered something different: a dry, slightly bitter, green tea flavor with distinct leafy notes, along with cereal notes (probably the rice). While the flavor is certainly more reminiscent of real tea leaves than most green tea candies, one might question whether it is a flavor well suited for a confection.

These candies are hand made. The human touch ends only after the candy has been poured and kneaded by hand (see step 3). As a result of all of this loving care, the external appearance is alluring, with a tight ball-of-twine appearance similar to nama ume ame candies.

The crunch is excellent, with each bite fracturing off a piece from the whole without undue effort. It is here, with the sugar fully extended across the palate, that the natural tea flavor finds its purchase. The candy leaves a bit too much residue on the tooth, but that is not a disqualifier.

Altogether an interesting and tasty candy.

Lotte Drink Mix Candy

Candybowl first encountered Korean snack company Lotte in the early 1990's. They specialize in making knock-offs of famous candies, crackers, and cookies. It is therefore fitting that Lotte should be the ones to manufacture (apparently licensed) candies based on famous Japanese soft drinks.

Candybowl tried the CC Lemon, Bikkle, and Dekavita flavors.

CC Lemon should taste sour and lemony. But the candy version lacked real lemon flavor, and had an off note that Candybowl could not identify. Abrasive cleanser? Lemon Joy? Not good. And not sour, either.

Bikkle is a yogurt drink, The sweet's initial flavor, however, is of cotton candy. And although there was a slight sourness suggestive of yogurt, every time Candybowl tried to think of yogurt, memories of cotton candy rushed to the fore. The yogurt flavor did make a strong showing during the crunch test.

Dekavita had a nice citrus tone to it, but more off notes. Further citrus-scented household products came to mind. But the flavor was pleasant enough, and had a kind of sparkle on the tongue that compensated for some of the strange flavor notes.

None of the candies fared well in the crunch test. These boiled sweets fractured nicely, but then left an excessive amount of goo on the tooth.

These sweets have received good reviews from certain eaters, but Candybowl is not feeling a whole Lotte love.

UHA Cucu Jiyugaoka Pudding Candy

This candy, has two names. In English, it's "Cucu Pudding". In Japanese, it's自由か丘 which, according to online translation, means "Freedom Hill." (Candybowl can say for sure that "自由" means freedom.)

The package promises the flavors of "custard pudding and bitter caramel" and it delivers. The first taste will be familiar to those who fondly recall Hunt's Pudding Cup. But no hint of artificial flavor, or any of the play-doh notes that can afflict even confections made with real milk.

The excellent fracture reveals the slight bitterness promised by the package. The cube is slightly smaller than other candies but, since this is part of UHA's Cucu line, the rest of the crunch test basically writes itself. A bit of gum on the tooth, but otherwise this is a very refined candy.

One more thing. This candy contains caffeine extract.

Which all leads to the question, why "freedom hill"? Anyone?

Postscript 6/25/09

Jiyugaoka is a neighborhood in Tokyo's Meguro district. There is a theme park called the Jigukayoka Sweets Forest, from the people who brought you the Curry Museum, Osaka Noodles City and Gyoza Stadium. Sweet.

Kanro Natury Berry

Followers of the Candybowl (the blog, not the person) may be excused for thinking that far too much praise is heaped upon Kanro. Yet denizens of the Candybowl (the bowl, not the blog or the person) realize this is because their candies are so delicious. Hirano may deliver bulk, and Kasugai certainly has the distribution network. But Kanro can-do.

This is a soft candy, and the form factor will be immediately recognizable to those who chew Ice Breakers gum.

The initial taste impression, without chewing, is of light fruit perfume. Like smelling a peach (which, as an aside, would be a great title for a collaboration between the Allman Brothers and Spinal Tap). But this is a soft candy, not a boiled sweet, so pre-mastication flavor is hardly the end-game.

Biting into the candy, the perfume continues, but augmented by sour cranberry and general sweetness. This may be because the candy contains chips of dried cranberry and globs of real honey. And real cream. The finish is clean -- to quote Shelley, "nothing beside remains."

A sublime candy. Try it while they last.

Kanro Yuzu Tea Candy (Hachimitsu Yuzu Cha Ame)

This delightful treat is made from yuzu, a citrus fruit peculiar to Japan. Candybowl has never had real yuzu, but is informed that its peel is often used as a garnish, or steeped in water to make a tea.

Unsurprisingly, the initial flavor notes are of citrus, reminiscent of lemon zest. The candy also has a very slight menthol flavor, which Candybowl found very slightly off-putting. Overall, however, the flavor is pleasant.

The center has a more intense flavor, probably because it is made with genuine yuzu peel. It has some solids in it, but the texture is still quite clean. Like most of Kanro's candies, the candy shell has a good crunch with an acceptable amount of residue on the tooth.

Ever-innovative Kanro printed a sweetness/sourness gauge on the package. This confection ranks neutral on sweetness, but "+1" sourness. Sounds about right.

This morsel made Candybowl feel like the Japanese candy industry will never run out of new and delicious ideas. Maybe it will do the same for you(zu).

Kasugai Black Candy

Candybowl is calling it -- the Japanese candy market has become obsessed with brown sugar. And Kasugai is riding the trend with this pleasant morsel.

This candy contains sugar and brown sugar and, it seems, very little else. For reasons which should mostly be clear, it tastes like slightly burned brown sugar. This is a double-edged sword -- on one hand, the caramel flavor is deliciously reminiscent of foods ranging from creme brulee to toasted marshmallows, but on the other hand, it tastes a little burned.

The piece is large, crushes nicely and does not leave an undue amount of residue on the tooth.

The back of the package removes any doubt about what this candy is and how come it tastes so good (like a Black Sugar Candy should).

If you could see this clearly (apologies), you would see the entire process, from sugar cane to boiler, to factory, onto a Kasugai truck, and into the mouths of happy children.

Cedrinca Sicilia Citrus Candies

These candies come to us from the Italian confectioner, Cedrinca, who makes the espresso candies Candybowl recently featured.

The package, roughly translated, says "candies filled with natural citrus juice." The ingredients are all-natural (if you count glucose syrup as natural), and include both fruit pulp and 20% juice. They come in three flavors: tangerine, lemon, and orange.

Candybowl tried the tangerine candy. The shell is very nice, with subtle but well defined citrus notes. It is scallloped, like the espresso candy, but not as rough on the tongue.

Chewing revealed a marmalade-like center, with citrus notes as well as odd notes that, while pleasant, do not immediately suggest natural citrus flavor. If anyone can place them, please feel free to comment.

A very nice candy, and the all-natural credentials seal the deal.

Kasugai Cabernet Sauvignon Candy

Another candy from Kasugai, with a hardness somewhere in between the gummies and the milk candy. Not halfway in-between, however, for how can one be halfway between 1 and infinity?

The appearance is very nice; a striated candy shell reminiscent of the preserved plum, wrapped around a barely-visible gummy center.

Flavor notes? Wild Irish Rose, or MD 50/50. But without the hangover or blackouts. Seriously. For those who do not know the delights of the 'Rose, the shell has a nice natural grape flavor, not at all artificial. The center has some artificial grape notes, but this does not detract.

The outside crushes nicely, leaving an acceptable amount of residue on the tooth. And then the chewing begins. And continues. The center is not a gummy, so much as a gum candy -- like a Rowntree blackcurrant fruit pastille. So you'll have to work out your jaws a bit.

Of the soft center, a denizen of the candybowl remarked "A bit of a choking hazard. Only for ages 6+" One might question why a wine-flavored candy would need warnings aimed at children, but it seems sensible -- after all, candy cigarettes were sometimes consumed by children, too.

Once again, Kasugai has proven themselves as a reliable source of candy delight. Not soaring as high as Kanro, but producing consistently nice candies. Well worth a try.

Kasugai Milkland Candy

This milk candy comes from Kasugai, the folks who fill our world with gummies. But comparisons end there. Not only is this candy not soft, it's unbreakable. So don't be misled.

The package is absolutely adorable. Not that silly-cuteness that can sometimes afflict Japanese stuff, but just cute. Happy cows (or perhaps bulls -- no visible udders, and a red ring through the nose) standing in an idealized field of trees near a windmill and a farmhouse.

So it was quite a surprise to find the candy rough-hewn and misshapen. Perhaps as ugly a candy as has graced the pages of this blog since that Jolly Rancher incident. Yet this is no Jolly Rancher, my friends.

The candy, for all its ugliness, is smooth and slippery on the tongue. Milk and cream notes cascade and even seem to intensify as the candy is sucked. None of the play-doh flavor that can afflict milk candies. Mmm....

Candybowl thinks he has jaws so strong they could chew through the spine of a small animal (thankfully, this exigency has not arisen). Yet biting into this milk candy proved impossible. At one point -- or was it just a dream -- a small chip broke off, but then the fracture healed over and it was bulletproof again. Don't eat one unless you have 15 minutes or so.

Putting it all together, the hardness may provide a clue to understanding the ugliness. Perhaps Kasugai lacks tools hard enough to polish this candy once it is formed.

Altogether, a nice effort. Come for the adorable cows, stay for ... well, for as long as it takes to dissolve deliciously in your mouth.

Life Saver Mints

Readers and denizens of the Candybowl would be forgiven for thinking that it tries to be a kind of elitist feed trough, and that nothing ordinary could possibly be good enough. So it may come as a surprise that Candybowl has always had a soft spot for the humble Life Saver mint.

Although it does not claim to be "curiously strong." this is no timid mint. It is just sweet enough, and it gives off a good flavor and mentholation without burning the tongue.

After a while, the flavor gets a little cloying, and the surface gets a bit furry-feeling on the tongue. So the candy simply begs to be chewed. And it's good. It fractures easily, and while it breaks down into a bit of a paste (trying to avoid using the word gritty....) it doesn't gum up at all on the tooth.

In short, nice from start to finish.

Don't bother looking in the Candybowl for these; this is a guest candy. Four doors down.

Kishiri C Lemon Candy

The Japanese can be a tad obsessive about vitamin C. Head into 7-Eleven or Lawsons and you might find dozens of soft drinks, gum, and candy containing the stuff. So it should come as no surprise that the Candybowl came across another novel Japanese Vitamin C candy.

This treat comes to us from the candy superheroes at Kanro. Although the packages say VC3000, this candy is neither a mouth-puckering 3-gram lump of ascorbic acid, nor a harbinger of Vietnam's tri-millenial plan for world domination. Instead, it refers to the total quantity of vitamin C, in milligrams, in the entire bag of candies.

Each morsel is comprised of two layers. The outer ring is lemon candy, a simple boiled sweet. The center (labeled "Kishiri C Candy" -- anyone?) is a bit more chalky and has a slight medicinal flavor.

The initial taste impression is sweet lemon, followed by a flavor reminiscent of Halls lozenges. It's a very suckable candy, and Candybowl really didn't want to bite into it. But duty calls. The boiled sweet breaks away first, leaving little residue. The center is not so easy on the teeth. Meessage to readers: suck it!

One more good thing about this candy; no high fructose corn syrup. It's mainly millet jelly and palatinose, with some xylitol and lemon juice mixed in for good measure. And some herb extract, which may account for the medicinal flavor.

Kanro has done it again. Candybowl is unsurprised, but deeply impressed.

Cedrinca Caffe' Espresso

Denizens of the Candybowl know that Japanese and Korean candies have tended to dominate the selection. So it's a pleasure to say that the bowl now includes several candies from Italy, of which this is one.

The first thing you'll notice is that this candy is huge. As big as the oafish Hirano candies (like Flower's Kiss). It also has a nice, sculpted exterior, which is at odds with the rough feeling on the tongue.

The initial taste is almost imperceptable. So mild that Candybowl is at a loss for words to describe the flavor. It's as if the candy makers at Cedrinco needed to cut some flavor from the candy shell to make budget.

When you bite, you will see where the food chemists spent their flavor lira. Each morsel is filled with coffee paste -- not a liqueur, not a gummy, but a thick and slightly gritty paste. The coffee flavor is earthy like real espresso. The shell is delicate, leaving little residue.

Don't be put off by the comments about mouth feel -- this candy may be a bit unrefined but it certainly is delicious. Overall, a nice candy, and worth a try while they last.

Cucu CaffeLatte

What? Another review of a Cucu candy? Yes, Candybowl is nuts about Cucu candy and wants you to be too.

The initial taste is caramel, possibly even caramel corn. Yes, there's also milk flavor, but the overall taste impression is not of coffee.

That changes when we get to the crunch. Each bite off the cube (and yes, dear readers, this candy fractures like Blondie's heart of glass, in the sense that what I find is pleasing) yields a burst of milk coffee flavor. Not exactly Starbucks -- more like a cup of coffee that is laden with condensed milk -- but coffee nonetheless.

Still not convinced? Then you haven't, to use the patois of Chicago's Mayor Daley, gone Cucu.

Kyoto Brown Sugar Candy

Followers of this blog know that Candybowl is a big fan of the Cucu candies produced by Japan's UHA Candy company. This candy, while apparently not part of the Cucu line, will be familiar to anyone who has eaten one of those candies.

The flavor notes are intense caramel throughout. Although Candybowl rarely eats molasses, this candy tastes like what Candybowl believes molasses tastes like. The burnt sugar flavor is a little off-putting, but the overall effect is quite impressive.

As seen in the photo, this candy is a marbled cube. The bite is just what one would expect from UHA -- a nice fracture, with an impressively clean finish.

If you want a really nice candy, eat a Cucu butter caramel. If you want something special, eat one of these.

Rings Vitamin C Fruit Candies

This treat comes to us from a company that is new to Candybowl, the Pine company.

According to the package, each of these candies contains 50mg of vitamin C. While that's not going to rock Linus Pauling's world, it would be a much-needed addition to a hypothetical diet of soda, pretzels, and gummy candy.

The vitamin C seems to be the small colored pellets within each candy. As you suck the candy, the pellets are exposed giving little bursts of sour. When you bite into the candy, the little sour pellets break apart and create a severe risk of pleasure. The crunch is excellent, and leaves little residue.

These candies have proven very popular among those who have tried them. They come in three flavors -- the white ones (pictured) are lychee, the pink ones peach, and the yellows are lemon.

Konami Candy

This konami, or soy flour, candy comes to us from Kasugai, the makers of the ubiquitous gummy candies. But comparisons must end there, because in contrast to the gummies' almost-premature explosion of flavor ecstasy, this candy holds back until the end.

It's an attractive two-tone candy, with a white stripe that is identified as "miruku" candy (you figure it out). It has a slightly textured outside that seems to be by design. The fracture is nice, although it leaves an unacceptable amount of residue on the tooth.

The initial flavor notes are caramel, toasted grain and nuts. But they float gently behind a pleasant, shall we say, candyness that makes it hard to discern the flavors. Don't expect a big flavor burst at the crushing finale -- this candy is just that way.

In the 1970's, Kraft made a line of flavor-boosted peanut butters called Koogle. This candy tastes like Candybowl thinks a flavor-inhibited peanut butter would taste like. Inscrutable.

Long ago, Candybowl knew someone who drank Postum, a coffee substitute made out of roasted wheat. This candy tastes like what Candybowl thinks Postum must taste like. Earthy and delicious.

Konami candy comes in a mixed bag with green tea and red bean flavors. All highly recommended, though Candybowl feels compelled to say that the red bean flavor has been an issue for a denizen or two.

Scorched Rice Candy

A recent visitor to The Candy Bowl (the blog, not the candybowl) said to me "You know what ones I like? Those burnt rice ones that are supposed to taste like the rice at the bottom of the rice cooker."

Chinese call it guoba. Koreans call it nurungji. If you have a decent modern rice cooker, and use it correctly, you probably will not get it at all. But make rice in an old/cheap rice cooker, with too little water, or too much heat, or too much time, and you will get a tasty brown crust on the bottom that has flavor to die for (and I'm sure some kind of naturally occurring chemical to die from. But I digress).

This candy is meant to taste like scorched rice, and has a good approximation of that flavor. Some liken it to burnt popcorn. Not charred popcorn, but popped kernels with golden brown around the edges. Some people like it a lot, including me. Others, including a certain high-level functionary, do not like it at all.

It's a spheroid boiled sweet, with creases and lumps on the outside. But it has a nice fracture, sometimes cracking in half. It leaves a bit more residue on the molars than a candy this good ought to. But that's all the more reason to suck it. And although some think the flavor at the center is different from that on the outside, Candybowl can assure you that he has proven them wrong beyond doubt.

Despite its long tenure in the candybowl (with fresh stock added at reasonable intervals), you people have not been eating enough of this candy. Candybowl says to eat this candy. Or else.

CubyRop

This is one cute candy. Two small cubes, each of a different flavor. And the name -- CubyRop -- shimmers with Asian linguistic mystique, suggesting a malapropism that one simply can't put one's finger on. Not only that, but this bag of mixed fruit candies also promises interesting flavors -- Pasionfruit, Boysenberry, Muscat, Grapefruit and Lime.

Sadly, the fruit flavors not only are cloying and unrealistic, but also are overwhelmed by menthol notes that will be familiar to consumers of Hall's cough drops. There are five different flavor options, to be sure, but none of them taste like any fruit that Candybowl has eaten.

Moreover, considering that this candy is all about form, the number and variety of structural issues are surprising. First, the cube is rough-hewn, with rippled edges. Second, some of them have cloudy centers indicating, perhaps, that the sweet was not properly cooled, or they are damaged when they are cut into cubes. Finally, the cubes tend to stick together making many of these candies distinctly non-cubical (for these, RectangularprismRop would be a more accurate, if unwieldy, moniker).

The crunch test yielded mixed results. One cube was tough and gummy. The other disintegrated into a sandy paste, like a sugar cube. And this was two cubes from the same package!

Despite all these flaws, this is no tomato candy -- it's flavors are pleasant enough, and sweet like a sweet should be. But like so many things in life, the package makes promises that the contents can't keep.

Kanro Fruits & Milk, Fruits & Yogurt

Once again, the confectionary wizards at Kanro have delivered candies worth blogging about.

As the name implies, these are fruit candies with milk or yogurt added. The fruit flavor is realistic, although, as is common in mixed fruit candies, some (e.g. Mango) are more realistic than others (e.g., Grape).

Kanro's attention to detail extends to the candy's appearance as well. This boiled sweet has a good shape, and is two-toned, indicating that the milk/yogurt is separate from the fruit.

It releases a lot of flavor without biting, but like the tootsie-pop owl, Candybowl simply can't resist for long. The crunch is refined, fracturing nicely, and leaving just a small amount of residue on the tooth.

These sweet morsels have proven quite popular, and new supplies have been added to the candybowl. Just the thing to get the taste of Korean Red Ginseng Red Bean jelly candy out of your mouth. Try it now!

Korean Red Ginseng and Red Bean

Denizens of the candybowl will recall that the last red ginseng candy disappeared a number of months ago. The store from which they came stopped carrying them. It was therefore a pleasant surprise when Candybowl happened upon these at a local Korean superstore.

This candy overflows with flavor. From before opening the package straight through to the aftertaste, the dominant taste is fresh potting soil. All that, plus pleasant notes of musty ginseng and white lithium grease, make it a must try.

It's a jelly candy, stiffer than a gummy. Since it's quite a large piece, it's good to have a candy that holds together after one bite. Leave it behind at a crime scene, and you're bound to be identified from your bite marks (an especially stupid move if the crime itself involves bite marks).

With so much going for this candy, Candybowl finds it hard to believe anyone wouldn't finish it before fleeing from justice. So flee to the Candybowl and try one before they run out.