Kirin Afternoon Tea Special Milk Tea

Kirin is a beverage giant in Japan. Aside from alcoholic drinks (Kirin beer in particular), they have large lines of soft drinks as well. This tea comes from their popular Gogo no Kocha (Afternoon Tea) line, and was a "special" version of their regular milk tea.

The back of the bottle (mostly obscured by the label with the translation of the ingredients, as I bought this in the US) said that it was made with Assam tea and milk. I read online that the "special" version here had creamier milk and a more robust tea base. It's been a little while since I had the regular version, so I can't make a comparison.

The tea was very refreshing, with a complex, slightly floral flavor. It wasn't too sweet or too rich, and did taste special. The Assam tea was present, but not strong, which I enjoyed. It definitely worked well as an afternoon tea for that reason. Of course, no matter what time it is, my father likes his tea black and almost over-steeped, so those with tastes like his would not care for this.

The drink certainly wasn't sickeningly sweet by any means. I assume that it was a limited edition release in Japan, but I would certainly drink it again. I will have to try the regular version to see if there are any detectable differences.

A-

Kirin Website

Chuao Chinita Nibs

Here we have another bar I picked up at the fancy grocery store. It was in a bin of 50% off chocolate, and the original price was $5.99 US. I love nutmeg, and couldn't remember having a chocolate bar with nutmeg before, so it called to me.

I love dark chocolate, and the last Chuao chocolate I had was made with excellent dark chocolate. This one also said it contained "caramelized cacao nibs" so I wasn't sure what to expect from those. Sometimes, spices can be overpowering, which was a bit of a concern, too. I made nutmeg brownies once and used way too much, and they were nearly inedible.


The bar smelled like a good dark chocolate, with lots of nutmeg. In my first bite, the nutmeg was the first thing I tasted. The texture was crunchy from the cacao nibs, and the dark chocolate only brought flavor after the nutmeg had subsided. The chocolate had a good snap, and felt cold on my tongue (maybe from the spices).

The crunchiness of the nibs gave the chocolate a good texture throughout, even as the actual chocolate melted. The nutmeg was almost too strong, but thankfully, there was no spice burn. I almost thought the cacao nibs were almond pieces, and they had a nice toasty flavor. Because of the strong nutmeg flavor, I wouldn't want to eat a lot at once, but it was very tasty.

B+

Chuao Chocolatier website

Glico Matcha Collon

It's no secret that I am a huge fan of matcha (green tea) flavored snacks. I'm afraid my ratings tend to be a bit biased when it comes to matcha, but I try to give an idea of how strong the flavor is so that those who don't care for matcha can relate to the review. I know matcha isn't everyone's cup of tea (har har).

It's hard to review Collon without pointing out how silly the name sounds in English-speaking countries. Also, I feel I must mention that this is a heavier snack. One box (60 grams) is about 326 calories and contains 18.3 grams of fat. Collon is definitely something to be enjoyed in moderation, but most snacks are, anyway.


Upon opening the bag, I was treated to the smell of cream, with a faint trace of matcha. Collon is fluffy cream inside a crunchy wafer cylinder, like dessert Combos. These didn't survive the trip from Japan all that well, but the flavor hasn't been compromised.

The flaky crust was a little buttery and delicate, and very tasty. The cream was light and whipped, but didn't have a very strong matcha flavor. They definitely tasted different from regular Collon, and the matcha flavor was present, just not dominating. I didn't like how they left my mouth feeling oily, or the slight preservative-laden aftertaste. However, they were still enjoyable, and I think they could please both matcha fans as well as snackers who aren't as enamored with green tea.

B

Glico Collon Website

Nestle KitKat Cookies+ with Whole Grain

I ordered these from JBox (aka JList) because it's getting close to summer and the don't ship chocolate in summer. Unfortunately, they still melted, but that's not their fault. The weather has been quite warm where I live, so I expected it.

I really enjoyed the last Cookies+ with chocolate. This one was made with whole grain, giving it a graham cracker feel. The whole grain craze that swept America must have happened in Japan, too. One of these bars is still 100 calories and 6.3 grams of fat, at which point the whole grain doesn't really matter.


The bar smelled of milk chocolate, and the chocolate was simple and tasty. The graham cracker was nice and crunchy and the texture went almost perfectly with the wafers in the KitKat. As KitKats go, it wasn't very sweet, which was a welcome change.

I didn't like it as much as the chocolate Cookies+, but still liked it better than many other KitKats I've tried. Something about it was just a little bit bland, and I wish the cookie part stood out a little bit more. Of course, the melting may have contributed to this, so I can't fully rate it. For another take, have a look at the review at Japanese Snack Reviews.

A-

KitKat Website

UHA Orange Soda Puccho

Puccho may not be as well known as Hi-chew, but it's another Japanese chewy candy, only with a more kid-oriented look. Please note the cute character on the package. Also, Puccho has little gel drops inside the chew, giving it an added texture.

A big reason I bought this was the fact that it was advertised as fizzy. I really like fizzy candy, and I had liked Puccho in the past. The stripes on this variety were quite fetching, and I rather like the texture of the gel drops inside, so I was interested to see how the fizzing would work in.


The candy had the aroma of vitamin C tablets, and the jelly part tasted like an extra-citrusy creamsicle. Along with the normal firm gummy pieces (which don't seem to carry much flavor), the fizzy pellets were crunch and reminded me of chewable vitamins.

The fizzing was cool and did give the effect of an orange cream soda when combined with the slightly creamy chew. I don't think I will be able to eat the whole package, as they were very sweet. I would recommend these to fans of Starburst or Hi-chew as a nice twist on a standard chew.

B

Puccho Website