Sometimes Foodie: Tohato Nameko, Chocolate Mushroom Snack

Tohato Nameko, Chocolate Mushroom Snack - Asian Food Market: Cherry Hill, NJ

Is this mascot cute? Or creepy? I can't decide.

These mushroom shaped biscuits were a new item at my local Asian market, and they were on sale. (Three boxes for $2.00.) The packaging was really detailed and interesting, but I was a little afraid to commit to three boxes of a product I've never tried before. I really wanted to photograph the packaging, so I decided to take the plunge and buy the cookies. (Pretty packaging always suckers me in.)
After a quick internet search I found out THIS awesome video.
(WARNING: This song is incredibly addicting.)

Nameko even has it's own Youtube Channel!

Nameko mushrooms, also called Pholiota nameko, are a popular mushroom in Japan which is commonly used in miso soup. This sweet snack resembles it's mushroom namesake (~~it totally doesn't look like a penis~~), and comes in a few different flavors. My shop only had the chocolate variety, but I have seen strawberry versions available online. Have any of you seen other versions?

Similar to Hello Panda or Golden Bear, the packaging is 6-sided and it is made of cardboard. The packages shape comes in pretty handy, it can be stacked and displayed vertically as well as horizontally, plus the shape prevents the items from rolling off a shelf or counter. At first glance this design is really busy. The large image on the "front" takes up two panels and features a bunch of different mushroom characters. Some of the characters are freaking adorable (just look at the little hydrangea mushroom), while others are creepy (that purple one with the little growths/tentacles? No thanks). Although I can't read the packaging, there are enough context clues to tell me that these are chocolate snacks shaped like a mushroom with a surprise sticker inside. It might be a little busy, but I like this packaging a lot! (Plus, free sticker!)

There is a little pull tab, so opening the box is very simple, and inside there are two pouches. A large brown bag filled with your snacks and a separate little pink pouch that contains your sticker.

I opened my snack filled bag first and the aroma instantly reminded me of Cocoa Puffs. These little mushroom snacks were a lot larger than I thought they'd be, but you still have quite a few of them. This is a perfect portion for one person.

When it was time to finally eat one of these, I was pleasantly surprised, they taste delicious! The texture reminds me of the Kuai Kuai Corn Snacks I reviewed this summer, but the flavoring was just like a chocolatey breakfast cereal.

Delicious, chocolatey, and addicting, I ended up going through 2 boxes of these yummy little mushrooms this week.

Check out my awesome free stickers! I got the cutie hydrangea mushroom and a laid back mushroom enjoying a martini? (Or is it just juice?) The stickers were surprisingly high quality too. They have a thick plastic coating and a slight texture, so they seem fairly durable. The images on the box suggest decorating a mug or cellphone with them, or maybe starting a collection. I don't really know what I'll do with these stickers, but they are really freaking cute.

I'm so happy I took a risk and bought this product! The packaging photographs beautifully, the snacks are delicious, and the little stickers are surprisingly fun. If you see this product around you should give it a try! I promise you won't be disappointed.

HERE'S ANOTHER VIDEO!