Sugar Savvy

Reviewed this week: Morinaga Milk Caramel and Brown Sugar Caramel candies, imported from Taiwan

J. Winslow previously reviewed the brown sugar version.

For me this is a bit of a retro Asian candy. My pops used to buy this for me when I was kid, and he used to eat it as well. Although it’s imported from Taiwan, this is a Japanese candy with a 100 year history. I purchased both and thought a comparison might be appropriate.

Brown sugar caramel ingredients: sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, hydrogenated palm kernel oil, full cream condensed milk, D-sorbitol, lecithin, flavor

Plain milk caramel ingredients: glucose syrup, sugar, full cream condensed milk, full cream milk powder, hydrogenated palm kernel oil, flavors, lecithin

Taking a look at these ingredients, it’s interesting to see the different forms of sweetener and milk used. It gives insight into how they produce different flavors and different levels of milkiness. The brown sugar caramel contains D-sorbitol, an artificial sweetener unlike the plain caramel; the brown also uses condensed milk instead of milk powder.

Packaging copy and appearance (plain): Yellow box. The inside slides out to reveal a white tray with a cow prancing through a meadow with flowers in its hand and two crabs.

Tasting notes: The brown sugar caramel has a musty smell of old Asian food markets. The flavor is slightly bitter and reminds me of Chinese herbal medicine. The brown sugar lends a molasses flavor. The plain milk caramel has a powdered milk taste to it with a hint of orange. Both tend to have stronger milk tones rather than burnt sugar flavor.

Verdict: The Morinaga caramels are different from American caramels. The complete lack of salt tips the balance toward unmitigated sweetness. The brown sugar caramel is not nearly as sweet, and the herbal flavors do make for a unique taste. These flavors make sense for a candy that originated over 100 years ago.

The plain milk caramel would be a good treat for someone who enjoys dulce de leche. Compared to each other, the plain milk caramel would be the blond boy next door, while the brown sugar would be his mysterious, quiet, kinda hot cousin.