Muscat Fruit Cocktail Candies - H-Mart: Cherry Hill, NJ
I have a few posts written up and added to the queue, so I'm back in business! (Of daily reviews that is.) Since my last item was something pumpkin-y, today's post will be another random item from my candy stash. Let's get right into it and open up this adorable package of muscat candies!
I found these at H-mart, and I'm not too sure if these are characters from a franchise, or if they were made just to sell this candy, either way they're really cute. The little girls remind me of a more polished Crayon Shin-chan, mostly due to the chibi-like cheeks, and the fact that the mascots are shown in different outfits and poses makes me think that they are from something else, maybe a children's book? Do any of you recognize these characters? Are they for this specific brand? Or are they from some anime series I've never heard of?
Other than cute characters, the packaging is fun and whimsical. The bright cyan background really stood out from the other packages on the shelf, and the layout is attractive and dynamic. Even if this is some kind of novelty candy for an anime, I'd say the design is pretty well done.
Inside the bag, there are individually wrapped candies with the same little mascot girl on the packaging. Again, the packaging makes these very easy to toss into your bag, or to share, but it does make a lot more waste and these wrappers aren't recyclable (at least not in my area). I wasn't sure what kind of candies these would be, I was hoping for more gummies, but these feel like some kind of spherical hard candy.
Yup, unwrapped they are some kind of hard candy, although I'm not sure if it was always meant to look like an imperfect sphere, or if this is an older candy that's been on the shelves for a while (a lot of the candies from the Asian markets here in NJ tend to be older).
I popped the hard candy into my mouth, and the outside was tacky and soft, so I'm guessing this might have been on the shelves a bit too long. The immediate texture of this candy is a little stale, but the flavoring is very bright and enjoyable. I can't say that this tastes exactly like muscat grapes, but it is incredibly similar to concord grapes. (Which are purple and used as the base of most grape jams and jellies.) Although this a bit on the sweeter side, more like concentrated grape juice than authentic grapes off the vine, I really liked it! This grape flavor is a lot more authentic than any American counterpart, and there is just enough tartness to keep me interested.
I'm still not sure if this is a novelty item made to advertize an Anime, or a brand that made it's own mascot, but either way the candy inside this package was really refreshing and enjoyable. I will definitely be tossing these into my purse for a sugary pick-me-up at work, although I might not re-buy them due to their staleness. If I had access to a fresh batch, I would definitely re-buy.
© Maria Smith http://poison-and-antidote.net
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