Sugar Savvy

The school year is starting up, which means many people are getting ready to hit the books again. I’m particularly nervous and excited for this year, not because I’m returning to school, but my youngest sister is. She’ll be starting her junior year of college… in Japan. Yes, Japan, land of the magical KitKats!
It seems […]

Some Japanese candy fun, thanks to my friend Michael, in the form of Gummi Sushi. The Japanese are quite good at coming up with cute (Hello Kitty much?) and clever things, and they certainly haven’t skimped on cuteness and cleverness in their gummis. Better yet, unlike the gummi hamburgers or pizzas that you can find […]

I got a box of Meiji Porte Hokkaido Milk candies (available from Amazon or J-list) along with several other Japanese candies courtesy of my friend Michael. They were so delicious that I immediately thanked him for bringing them into my life.

I would call these candies vanilla creme over a light chocolate cookie with a thin […]

When I tasted Hi Chew for the first time, I really couldn’t believe it. With one bite, they easily became my favourite candy. Literally the best tasting candy I’ve ever eaten. These Starburst-like chews from Japan come in several different flavours, all of which are remarkably authentic.
Blueberry tastes just like blueberries. Strawberry tastes mostly like […]

Pocky is a delicious, sweet treat from Japan. The original version is a thin cookie stick dipped in chocolate. It’s a delightful little snack as there are several sticks to a package, meaning more time can be spent enjoying the taste. According to Wikipedia, Pocky eventually got it’s name from the sound it makes when […]

I found a new candy a few weeks ago at one of my favorite Vietnamese grocery stores. It’s brown candy. That’s what it’s called: “Brown Candy”. So simply stated, so classy. It’s candy. And it’s brown. It’s Brown Candy.
Needless to say, I bought it. But […]

Reviewed this week: Collon, green milk tea flavored from Nishimoto Trading Co., Ltd.
Ingredients: sugar, wheat flour, shortening, whole milk powder, dextrin, lactose, whole milk powder, cheese powder, corn syrup, green tea powder, potato starch, cream powder, brandy, palm oil, salt, nonfat dry milk, high fructose corn syrup, artificial flabor [sic], sorbitol, soya lecithin, baking soda
Package […]

Reviewed this week:  Strawberry and Mango Hi-Chew, from Morinaga & Co., Japan
Ingredients (strawberry):  Glucose syrup, sugar, hydrogenated palm kernel oil, gelatin, flavors, strawberry concentrated juice, DL-malic acid, citric acid, emulsifiers, lactic acid, ascrobic acid (vitamin C), natural colors (beta-carotene, carmine) may contain traces of milk and soy bean
Package copy and appearance:  Hi-chew in big blue […]

Reviewed this week:  Yan Yan Strawberry Cream Snack, from Meiji Seika, Singapore
Ingredients:  Wheat flour, vegetable oil & shortening (palm & canola oils), sugar, lactose, whole milk powder, leavenings (ammonium bicarbonate & sodium bicarbonate), yeast, cheddar cheese (contains milk, cheese culture, salt), salt, strawberry powder, emulsifier (soya lecithin), natural colorings (beet red E162, beta-carotene E160 & […]

Reviewed this week:  Peanut Cake from Hurng Fur Foods Factory Co. LTD., Taipei, Taiwan
Ingredients:  Peanut (66.7%), Sugar (20.7%), Maltose (7.5%), Salt (0.1%)
Package Copy and Appearance:  clear packaging, a little red seal in the upper left saying “nice choice” and information that the product has won “excellent food golden award.”  This is probably a one packaging […]