Check out My Fruity Gum Blog

It's called Fruity Gums of the World, and will feature (ummm....) fruity gums I come across in my travels.

Check it out.  http://fruitygum.blogspot.com

Kabaya 5-Flavor Umami Candy (Sozai no Umami Ame)

If you listen to the Splendid Table on NPR, you may loathe hearing the words "Umami is the so-called fifth taste."  Umami is the indescribable flavor found in mushrooms, tomatoes, meats, soy sauce, and yes, MSG.  So it was quite a surprise to find a bag of candies with the words "umami candy" on the front.

This candy, from newcomer Kabaya, has five flavors: soy sauce, matcha (green tea), ginger, brown sugar, and sesame.

Searching for the Umami, Candybowl dove in straight for the Shoyu flavor.  The initial flavor note is reminiscent of a red tea candy.  But after a moment, the soy sauce flavor kicks in.  Oh baby.  Put soy sauce on a sugar cube, and this is it.  On crunching, the flavor gets more complex, with notes of brown sugar and even pecan pie.  Complex and yummy.

Next, Candybowl went for the Matcha. Earthy, grassy, and delicious, almost the equal of the Ujinotsuyu tea candies featured on the candybowl oh-so-long ago.  A bit less complex, but very very nice.

Sesame was just as delightful.  The initial flavor notes are reminiscent of the black sesame soup sometimes served as a dessert in Hong Kong.  But chewing brings in flavors of toasted sesame seeds (there are real black and tan sesame seeds).  And -- dare I say it -- the fifth flavor.  Mmmmmmm!

The crunch is excellent, dissolving quickly and leaving a small amount of delicious gum on the tooth.

How can you possibly go wrong with this candy -- lovely, realistic flavors and an excellent texture?  And soy sauce to trick the unwary!  Candybowl is in love.  (Also riding a bit of a sugar high, but in love nonetheless.)

Asahi Cheesecake and Peach Tart Milk Candy

This pastry-flavored sweet comes to us from Asahi, a company better known outside of Japan for its beer.  In Japan and elsewhere in Asia it is also known for a variety of foods -- sugary drinks, mostly -- that are anything but super-dry.

Candybowl tried the peach tart flavor first.  The initial flavor is intense peach, slightly more realistic than the insipid peach schnapps but not by much.  There is a slight cream note, but the dominant flavor is peach.  On chewing, the cream flavor emerges, along with a chemical note not unlike an odor Candybowl remembers from 5th grade industrial arts.  The overall impression, however, is not at all unpleasant.

The cheesecake flavor is much more realistic.  Not only a good creamy flavor, but also that slight lemony tartness that one gets in a good, dense cheesecake.  After the crunch, the sourness intensifies and a note of graham crackers emerges, coating the mouth in a lovely, cheesy grunge.

Grunge.  This candy leaves a significant amount of gum on the tooth.  Too much.  Add to that this candy is slightly rough-hewn, and one is left with the impression that Asahi does not think we will notice form and texture.  We do.

The verdict?  Buy a bag, eat the cheesecake ones, put the peach ones out for your guests.  And brush well after consuming.