Casali Choco Banana

Specialty grocery stores are kind of dangerous for me, as I have a tendency to buy things I don't need. These Austrian banana sweets were one of those impulse purchases. I'm not normally a fan of banana flavored things, but these sounded interesting.

To be honest, part of the draw was that they reminded me of Japanese souvenir snacks. These particular candies are Austrian in origin, and it looks like strawberry and orange versions are also available.


The chocolates smelled slightly of banana, but mostly of a sweet, inexpensive chocolate. The banana center tasted a little sour and almost lemony, but I liked that it didn't have the rotten sweetness that I detect so often in banana candy. According to the package, they were made with real bananas, and it was reflected in the fairly authentic flavor.

The chocolate coating was a little crunchy, but the quality of the chocolate didn't seem great. Even though it was real chocolate, it was a little grainy and chalky in spots. The texture of the banana was soft, sticky, and spongy, like a marshmallow fluff. These were certainly unique, but not something I'd seek out again.

Here is another review of the Choco Bananas.

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Choco Banana website

Morinaga Watagashi Hi-chew

This candy was sent to me by the lovely Kelly of Tasty Japan! I participated in and won a contest that she held in October, winning this pack of Hi-chew. It got a little bumped around during its long journey from Australia to the US, but arrived in good shape.

This summer, Morinaga put out a line of seasonal Hi-chew flavors, showcasing treats commonly sold in Japanese festivals. This flavor is called watagashi in Japanese, which is pretty much the same thing as cotton candy or candy floss. Here is a review (by Kelly) of another festival flavor Hi-chew, toffee apple.


Cotton candy flavored treats in the US often have a very distinctive sugary and slightly fruity taste. I was a bit surprised when the Hi-chew didn't smell or taste at all like that. Instead, the flavor was more like mild butterscotch with a just a hint of molasses. It was surprisingly rich and caramel-like!

The small sugar crystals inside the chew were crunchy and gave the feeling of spun sugar. The texture of the chew itself seemed a bit softer than normal Hi-chew. It's been a long time since I've had cotton candy, so I'm not sure if it's made differently in Japan or if this candy is just a better approximation of the flavor than I normally experience.

CandyBlog and Pocky Watch also reviewed (and enjoyed) this flavor.

Thank you again, Kelly!

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Morinaga website

Kanro Pure Shikwasa Gummy

Okinawa is on my list of places I must visit before I die, but until I get there, I will sustain myself with Okinawan candy. After trying these gummies, I think it might be possible.

Before trying these, I had no idea what shikwasa was, other than a citrus fruit. According to Wikipedia, it is also known as Citrus depressa, and because of its sour taste, shikwasa can be used in cooking like lemon or lime. Because it is native to Asia, it doesn't show up in my local supermarket.


Since I have never tried the actual fruit, I can't comment on the authenticity of these candies, but they did smell like a sweet citrus fruit without smelling like floor polish. The gummies were quite sour with a hint of a tropical flavor that distinguished it from lemon.

Of course, the texture was like that of all Pure gummies - firm and chewy, sort of like a thick fruit leather. The sour sugar coating gave a nice crunchy and extra punch of flavor. I could have eaten the whole bag at once! I hope that I can try the real fruit in the near future, because these candies were delicious.

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Pure website

Bissinger's Peppermint Chocolate Bar

Peppermint bark is a classic holiday treat. It's pretty easy to make, too. Usually, it's a layer of milk or dark chocolate, followed by white chocolate, topped with crushed peppermint candy. With all that white chocolate, it can often be cloyingly sweet.

This bar pretty much solves that problem. I picked it up at Whole Foods for about $3, drawn in once again by the swirly design. There's no white chocolate here, just dark(ish) chocolate and peppermint candy bits.

The bar had a mild and pleasant minty scent. The first thing I noted was that the dark chocolate had a nice snap and was sweet and velvety on the tongue. The peppermint pieces added a good level of crunch, and the mint/dark combination reminded me of a peppermint patty.

I liked it much better than the other Bissinger's bar I tried (key lime), but chocolate and mint is a much safer combination. I bought another bar to give away as part of a gift, since it seemed like a decent value for the quality of the chocolate. Did I mention how pretty it looks?

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Happy New Year + Plug

Happy New Year! During the holidays, I took a bit of a break from blogging, but new reviews are on the way for 2010!

I wanted to take a moment to mention one of my favorite blogs, Japanese Snack Reviews. For anyone with even a passing interest in Japanese treats, it doesn't get any better. Living in the US, I am at the mercy of importers when it comes to Japanese snacks, but reading one of Orchid64's witty and thorough reviews is vicarious snacking at its best!

Although I am a fan and link Japanese Snack Reviews fairly regularly (when our reviews overlap), I must mention that this isn't a spontaneous plug. She's having a contest to draw readers, and really, who wouldn't want to win this sweet pentagonal KitKat mug? So, please, stop by her blog and if you have a blog, enter the contest yourself!