Caramel Corn Curls - 2 Flavors! : Peach Nectar & Honey Lemon

Tohato Caramel Corn, 2 Flavors - Hung Vuong Food Market

Tohato Caramel Corn is not at all like American Caramel corn.

In America, "caramel corn" refers to popped popcorn kernels covered in a thin shell of caramel. They retain their popped-corn shape, and typically only come in one flavor, caramel. 

Tohato Caramel Corn is more like a corn-based snack with a sweet flavored coating. Think dessert-Cheetos, or like, giant curl-shaped breakfast cereal. It's corn-based, and sweet, but just because it says "caramel" doesn't necessarily mean that the overall flavor has anything to do with caramel. 

I've had a few flavors, but only one one has ever made it to the blog. Why not check out some more? 

Today I have Honey Lemon, and Peach Nectar. 

LOOK Choco Mint Ice Sand

"Ice sand?" Looking at this product's name, some of you may be a little confused.

"Sand" is short for "sandwich."  Or, "sando." Which is also short for sandwich. Basically, Japan doesn't have time for your long, not-cute, words. (Joking.) Reading manga and watching anime, I'm pretty familiar with this shortened term, but even if you weren't I think the context clues make it rather obvious that this is ice cream sandwich themed. In this case, a chocolate mint one.

Variety Hour- with Tirol!

Tirol Chocolates 

I've reviewed a lot of Japanese candies over the years, but they've mainly been fruit based and more often than not, they're gummies. (My favorite kind of candy.) Japanese chocolate is an area I haven't really explored, and from what I can tell it's quite different than what we have in America. 

I've seen Japanese candy bars, like Meiji or Crunky, but it doesn't seem like they have the wide variety that we have here. Just off the top of my head we have Snickers, Milkyway, 3Musketeers, Skor, Crunch, Heath, 100 Grand, Charleston Chew, BabyRuth...the list goes on and on. From what I can tell, that is not the case overseas. They may not have all that, but they do have Tirol.

Does this count for Vitamin C? - 2 Orange Themed Gummies from Overseas!

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. 

Just keep Chewing - Yogurt3 Hi-Chew

Yogurt Drink Hi-Chew - Hung Vuong Market

I want buffalo chicken and Yakult flavored everything.

Yakult, is a tiny, sweet, yogurt-based probiotic drink popularized in America by the, "To All The Boys," series of movies. (Which I haven't seen.) They are easy to find in any Asian market, and there all all kinds of brands with their own takes on the drink and fruity flavor variations.  

It's typical for me to go through foodie-flavor-phases, meaning I'll get really into something and consume it until I get absolutely sick of it, but this is a particularly unique combination. To satisfy my cravings I have made buffalo chicken dip, buffalo chicken soup (which was especially delicious), a buffalo chicken casserole, and I went to H-Mart and grabbed several packs of Yakult and these candies from Hung Vuong Market.  

That said, these are not technically "Yakult" flavored candies, but we all know what they're going for.

Aldi's Journey to Japan - Take 2 - Ponzu Ginger

Journey to Japan Ponzu Ginger Chips -Aldi

Aldi likes to release "around the world" products, with a particular recurring focus on India, Germany, Italy, and Japan. These were the flavor companion to the Wasabi flavored chips I reviewed a little while ago, and the newest addition to the "Journey to Japan" line.

If you haven't already read my wasabi review, spoiler alert, they're good, but not great. I am on a mid to high tolerance range for wasabi/horseradish, it takes a lot for me to feel the burn, and I wanted those chips to pack a punch. They didn't. Here's hoping that this flavor is a bit more unique and flavorful.

Puccho, is that you? - Puchao

Puchao

Lookie what I found at Walmart! Puchao, or really, Puccho, just repackaged and rebranded for international audiences. Over the years Hi-Chew has gotten far easier to get in the states, with various flavors available at places like Walmart, 7-Eleven, and Five Below. I guess Puccho realized they have a similar enough product, so why not make it look similar and target the same audience? 

But, will it taste the same? Or did they reformulate? 

When Did I Buy This? - Shiranui Citrus Puccho

Puccho Shiranui Citrus

While doing more of my obsessive New Year's cleaning, I found these! And I have no idea when I bought them. Whoops, first world food blogging/hoarding problems, am I right? 

We all know I am not above eating ancient candy, my Spice Girls Lollipop review is all the proof you need, so let's give this a try!

So Freaking Cute, I HAD to have it

Sumikkogurashi Puccho (with Washi Tape!) - Hung Voung Market

Hello, my name is Maria, and I am a sucker for cute packaging and a craft supply hoarder. It's like this product was made for me.

I am not a San-X fan, in fact, I had to google these characters to even know what they were, but I couldn't resist a tiny roll of (potentially) adorable washi tape. 

For those interested, these characters are Sumikkogurashi, pretty much adorable little animals/objects/anthropomorphic food who prefer living a solitary live in the corner of a room. An oddly specific interest for sure, and their bios indicate that each character has their own issues, like body insecurity, being generally fed up, and being discarded. The concept seems like a downer at first, but...same. 

See for yourself: 

Starburst on Steroids

Sweet & Sour Hi-Chew  - H-Mart

If you've never experienced a Hi-Chew, you're missing out. These are Starburst on steroids. I introduced my fiancee to these candies when we started dating, and since he loves all things chewy, they quickly became one of his favorite candies. 

Thankfully they are getting more traction here in America. A few years ago I could only find them in Asian markets, but now big chains like Target, Walmart, and 7-Eleven regularly keep them in stock. It's beautiful. Still, for the more unique flavors and mixes, the Asian markets can't be beat. I grabbed these at H-Mart and I'm excited to give them a try since I have NEVER had a bad flavor of Hi-Chew, but you know what they say? Never say never.

Pocky: Salted Caramel vs Blond Chocolat

Blond Chocolat Pocky

I bought this a LONG time ago, and I am 100% sure it's "expired," but I'm going to eat it anyway. I like to live dangerously.

Kari Poké! - Confessions of a Pokemon Hoarder

Kari Pori Pokémon Candy Sticks - Empty Boxes Being Sold HERE on eBay

Confession time, I haven't played a Pokémon game since the original Gold and Silver on Gameboy Color. Well, I have played a bit of Pokémon Stadium (love those mini games) and Pokkén, but I don't think those really count. 

I still consider myself a fan of the franchise, and I keep up with all the new Pokémon being released, but I just don't have time to play games like I used to. In spite of my lack of integration in the bread and butter of the fan-base, I still buy tons of random Pokémon merch! I have all of these boxes you see above, some regrettable gum that came with collectible stickers (as seen on my Instagram), some laser cut Pokémon seaweed sheets, and a box of pouches containing (what I believe to be) children's curry in my pantry. I just can't help myself. I see that sweet little electric rat's face and into my cart it goes. (I'm also hype for Detective Deadpool Pikachu.)  

I have a lot of Pokémon stuff piled up in my home...and I am running out of places to put it. A lot of it sits forgotten in bins that never see the light of day, and that is a shame. So, to fix all that, and to get hype for the upcoming movie, I decided to review it all and get rid of it. Time to Marie Kondo this b*tch! But...in true hoarder fashion, I don't want to just get rid of it all, instead I'll be putting all the packaging up on eBay so it'll hopefully find a new, loving, home where it can be displayed proudly. If that fails...I guess it'll go in the recycling bin, The circle of Poke-life and all that, but at least I tried!~

First up, these Kari Pori sticks. The candy is expired, but I'm going to review it anyway! 

Frieza is Cool, but His brother is Cooler, Just Saiyan - Dragon Ball Beverages

Dragon Ball Beverages

I love Dragonball, especially Dragonball Z, but you know what I don't love? Their novelty products. I've had a few in the past, both snacks and beverages, and they were mediocre at best and inedible at their worst. One of these days I'll finally wise up and ignore the nostalgia pangs in my heart when I see these characters on the grocery store shelves, but that day is not today!

The Good, The Bad, and The Regretful - Japanese Kit-Kats

Japanese Sweets  - Gift

These fancy Japanese Kit-Kat bars were a gift from my awesome co-worker Nicole. (Thanks, Nicole!)   

A friend of hers recently traveled to Japan and came back with some goodies that she, so graciously, shared with me. We have four different varieties: Iyokan Mandarin Orange, Sake, Strawberry Tiramisu, and the classic, Matcha, along with a few adorably packaged Geisha candies. 

Let's kick things off with those Kit-Kats!

Moguchuu? I Barely Know You!

Yaokin Moguchuu Cola  - Rocket Fizz $1.49

These came from Rocket Fizz, which is a nifty chain of novelty shops that sell candies, wacky gifts, and tons of weird sodas. In fact, I think they carry pretty much every novelty soda there is, from Buffalo Wing to Apple Pie, to Grass. I was very temoted to get a bunch of weird drinks but, as fun as that is, weird sodas usually aren't that good. They're great for a, "wow! That was weird," moment, but after the initial novelty wears off, the drinks are rarely worth repurchasing. So, I opted for some quirky snacks instead.

I can barely keep my eyes open ('cause I'm getting old dying) so let's get right into this quickie review!  

I've Got Grape News! (Seriously)

Senjaku Pione Grape Gummies  - ???

No need to hear it through the grape vine, I'm engaged! 

My boyfriend fiancé whom you may remember from such posts as The Week My Boyfriend Went Keto, or driving me crazy at the end of THIS youtube video, proposed to me on Valentine's Day inside the Dunkin' Donuts from our very first date. (This donut review is actually from that date!)

After 3+ years of having him try all kinds of weird foods, it seems he's in it for the long haul. We've got a lot of planning ahead of us, but in the meantime....let's eat some candy!

Carbonated Matcha Soda?

Matcha Ramune - Rocket Fizz

We went to brunch the other day (which is the preppiest white-girl thing I have probably ever typed), and right next-door to our hipster brunch-oasis was a Rocket Fizz. In case you don't have them in your area, Rocket Fizz is a quirky candy and novelty product franchise that has all kinds of sodas, sweets, and squirrel underpants? Yeah, it's like the Spencer's gifts of snacks. All those crazy Chicken Wing flavored sodas and stuff you'd seen the guys on Wreckless Eating and Cult Moo drink? (Which are two of my favorite Youtube-foodie channels.) They've got it!

I wasn't too adventurous with my selections, so if you want to see some gross sodas, check out these videos, but I did pick up this matcha ramune. I've had tons of match flavored sweets over the years, but I've never had a matcha soda. This could be interesting...

A Candy Farewell Toast! - Goodbye to My Beloved Asian Food Markets

Tokachi Wine Candy - Asian Food Markets 

Two weeks ago, the Asian Food Markets, arguably, the best Asian grocery store in South Jersey, broke my heart by closing it's doors. 

According to articles online, their lease was up and they are currently looking for a new location, but as of now, they haven't found one. I'm a little nervous that this could be goodbye forever...

(Before I get too dramatic, these are a chain and there are other locations, but there are none within reasonable driving distance of my home.)

I couldn't let my favorite store disappear without one last hurrah, so the day before they closed, I stopped by and took advantage of their 30% off everything sale. Normally I stick to a simple hand cart, but if this was (potentially) a "good bye forever" situation, I was going to go out with a BANG. I grabbed a full-size cart and filled it with all kinds of goodies. We're talking candies, tons of tea, snacks, curry cubes, wasabi tubes, and tons of cooking ingredients. Pretty much I grabbed everything I had always wanted to try and knew I couldn't buy at H-Mart or the other Asian markets here in South Jersey. 

When I got to the check-out, my cart was pretty heavy and practically overflowing with stuff, and the total? Only $109.76 for 50 items! The frugal part of me was stoked, but it ultimately a bitter sweet victory. 

To celebrate my love for the oddly pluralized "Asian Food Markets," (and to get my butt back into blogging semi-regularly) I'll be reviewing a bunch of the stuff I purchased there, starting off this these wine flavored candies. 

A crunchy candy farewell toast!

Puccho Fruit Chews - Grapefruit & Yubari Melon

Puccho, Grapefruit & Melon - Asian Food Markets

Even though I have reviewed a BUNCH of different Puccho flavors, there is only one other Puccho review here on the site, and it's the Banpeiyu Da Mon Puccho. 

All the other posts are still in my Tumblr archives, and we both know I'll probably never get around to transferring all those posts over....so let's start fresh with a little information about this candy. 

Puccho is a fruit chew candy produced by UHA. At a glance, the fruit chews look similar to Hi-Chew and many other dense fruit chews from Asia, but this particular variety has some different mix-ins that make it unique. Usually those mix ins are small, stiff, oval-shaped gummy candies with their own unique flavors, but I have had some in the past that used fizzy candy as well.  

Unlike Starbursts, which are more like a stiff taffy that dissolves as you chew it, Puccho has a denser, bouncier, almost gum-like chew that dissolves more slowly. It's a texture I have only experienced in Asian candies, like Hi-Chew, and it's something you really need to experience for yourself to truly appreciate. 

There are tons of flavors available, pretty much every fruit you can imagine, as well as localized specialty items, cola, ramune, and even a mystery fruits flavor. I've tried every flavor I've come across and even though I do have a few favorites, I have never been disappointed.

Will today mark the end of that winning streak? We shall see. 

March-a-Ween? Taste Test Video(With Boyfriend Shenanigans Outro)

It's like I blink and a whole month goes by! I'm scheduling posts for the rest of the week, in the meantime, enjoy this off-season Halloween taste test and stick around until the end to hear my boyfriend's impressive vocal skills. 

 © Maria Smith http://poison-and-antidote.net

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