Let's dip into my stash and see what I've got.
Apparently I bought not one, but two tiny bags of orange themed gummies. (I guess I was feeling particularly zesty that day.) It will be more fun to compare them rather than write up two separate posts, so let's see which one is worth a re-buy.
Bourbon - Puru Puru Tsubu Tsubu Gummi - The name implies wobbly texture and chunky bits, like pulp. First impression, these are super weird. They're dusty, opaque, oddly shaped, and they immediately remind me of the lumps of fake human fat that are used on weight loss shows. Touching them, they feel like a pencil eraser. The pink dusty kind, and yet...something about them feels oddly natural. Which is what they're going for, The concept is successful, but I am not sure how much more natural or "good for you" this is vs. normal glossy gummies.
Popping a matte-blob into my mouth, the texture is bizarre and completely unlike any other gummy candy I have ever had. It's soft, but stiff. Almost like the pith and pulp in actual oranges, mixed with gummy jerky. Inside, there are little nubby textural pieces, but they're not juicy like I expected. Judging by the visuals I thought there would be more of a bursting juicy aspect, like a Gusher, but these are dry. They just taste juicy. Like a fairly authentic orange.
It's so hard to convey this texture. It's kind of like an unsuccessfully freeze-dried clementine wedge. It's dry enough to feel kind of old, but it's still soft, bouncy, and chewy. Just less so. Kind of like a gummy candy with an exoskeleton? It's so strange, but not in a bad way.
As far as flavor, this is zesty, slightly tart, and a little bitter. Almost like a real segment of citrus fruit. Just a lot drier. I don't like looking at it, but I can't stop eating it.
Meiji - We have a shiny, perfectly molded orange wedge. A lot more appealing and conventional than the Bourbon candy, but these tiny fruit snacks are kind of boring by comparison. (Even though they are cute.)
There's no textural gimmicks here, we have a smooth, juicy, orange flavored gummy made with concentrated fruit juice. I popped a teeny wedge into my mouth, and it has a smooth bouncy chew, similar to Trolli but slightly stiffer, and a bright, tangy, orange flavor. The flavor leans more zesty than the other candy, and it has a bold orange juice concentrate flavor. It makes the sides of my tongue water slightly, in a good way, and it's very delicious. But kind of heart burn-y? Like when you sip a glass of juice and it tastes like they put the whole orange, peel and all, through the juicer. That is what this aftertaste is like, mixed with sweet apple filler fruit.
If this were a beauty contest, Meiji would win, but as far as interest, enjoyability, and snack ability goes...Bourbon comes out on top.
If you see either of these around, I would say they're both worth trying, but for the sheer textural experience alone, if you're only getting one? Get Bourbon.
Fans of these would also like: Blood Orange Sodas, Orange Sherbet Laffy Taffy, Orange Crush Pop-Tarts, Herr's Orange Cream Pop Balls, or Aldi Blood Orange Greek Yogurt
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