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.