Monday Munchies: Japan’s Kooky Candy
These bites will turn your sweet tooth on its head.
Japanese Kit Kats – “What’s
so special about Kit-Kats?” you may be asking. Well, a lot, if
you happen to live in Japan. Kit Kat consumption is basically a
national pastime and for good reason: there is a seemingly
endless variety of flavors and “special edition” Kit Kats on Japanese shelves. The odd offerings include flavors such as strawberry,
pear, soybean, sweet
potato,
green tea (the perennial favorite) and even wasabi!
Give us a break…
Takoyaki Drops – Hard
candies are not just for the elderly, but this fried octopus-flavored
treat is definitely a uniquely Japanese snack. While takoyaki
is a popular culinary delight, we’re not sure a mayonnaise and
octopus-flavored sucking candy will pass muster with Western mouths. But, then again, we created the Doritos Locos Taco, so anything’s possible.
Sweet Corn and Soy Sauce Drops – This
one we might be able to mess with. Like the aforementioned
takoyaki drops, these traditional hard candies (a.k.a. Sakuma drops) come in a very
untraditional flavor:
sweet grilled corn
with soy sauce. It’s like a picnic in your mouth! Just watch out for ants.
Every Burger Imaginable – A
bourbon-flavored chocolate cookie that comes in the shape
of a mini hamburger? Makes sense. This isn’t the only saccharine slider in the candy game as
there are gummy
burgers
and even a line of burger-shaped hard candy. Finally, there’s something that both vegetarians and carnivores can agree on.
Grilled Lamb Caramels – They’re
grilled. There’s at least some part of a lamb inside them. They taste
like caramel. Other then that, we’re as terrified of these
things
as you are.
Coffee Chewing Gum – Because
nothing beats the smell of coffee breath better than coffee-breath-flavored candy. This gum is definitely for those with a discerning palate…or an
intense caffeine addiction.
Ika – Maybe
it’s called “Ika” because calling it chocolate-covered dried squid might
not be the most appetizing thing in the world. Or maybe not – the
candy is a staple of Japanese convenience stores. Like the old saying goes, “One man’s old dried
squid is another man’s tasty chocolate-coated snack.”