Kit Kats - White Chocolate Citrus, Pumpkin, Beni-Imo

Now that I've gotten past some of the standard fruit flavored Kit Kats, things are starting to get a little stranger. There's a white chocolate citrus flavor which sounds great and also has a baseball theme to it. Then there's some kind of pumpkin, which is always welcome, and a peculiar purple sweet potato flavor that sounds like it could be a recipe for success.

Oh no, the citrus one is melty! It has been a hot day, but I don't think I expected this. It's a plain white color, but has a distinctly orange smell that's really nice actually. Kind of reminds me of a creamsicle? I could go for one of those in this hot weather.

Despite the meltiness, this one really doesn't disappoint. It somehow creates such a refreshing feeling in my mouth that it's unreal. It's so creamy and orange-y yet feels so light at the same time. I don't even understand how it can be like this. You'd think that something with white chocolate would be so much heavier, but it isn't. This tastes like all those light refreshing orange-y drinks out there, except unlike those it's candy! I hope they hand these out at hot ballgames... except they'd melt. But you feel so relaxed and cool after eating these. Like a fan blowing orange scented goodness in my mouth.

Rating: 10 - AWOOOOOOO!!!

Sankaku Crackers

Not exactly sure what these are, but at a price of 30 cents I couldn't go that wrong right? Okay so they're not a staple Japanese snack or anything, but Sankaku means triangle, so these are going to be triangle shaped, and have a vegetable flavor consisting of broccoli, tomato, and carrot if the package is any indication.

Already I'm liking the packaging of these crackers. They're in a plastic tray so there's no mess in my den and even quite neatly arranged for being jostled around in shipping. They also look quite delectable. Each one has horizontal marks as if they were cooked on a grill, and there is a nice brown on all the edges. I don't see too much of a trace of vegetables, but I do smell them. They're faint but I can pick out hints of each of them in the scent. Does that mean my sniffer is getting better, or that these are well made?

As it turns out they're quite well made. The texture is almost exactly like Ritz crackers - buttery and a crispy outer edge that then breaks away into flaky goodness as it dissolves. You don't taste the veggies at first, but then as the cracker goes down you can get all their flavors. It's subtle but a perfect match for all the other flavors, brings to mind a stir fry where they're covered in a buttery sauce. Really, I can't stop eating these, they have all the addictiveness of some of the best American crackers! While they don't need it, I can imagine putting them in some sort of dipping sauce to up the flavor and texture component even more. But I'm not sure what would be best... ranch? Tonkatsu? Who knows. But these are a steal and quite the surprise at only 30 cents!

Rating: 9 - Arooooo!

Kracie Popin Cookin Bento

Alas, this is the final Kracie product that I ordered from a box on the internet... for now. I'm sure there will be more, but for now it's been a fun journey, wading through all the powders, generic fruit flavored chewy candy, triangle cups, weird utensils, bags, molds... they've really made something special with all of these, where anyone can play with their food and eat it too. And speaking of playing with your food, I've always had an appreciation for bento. It shares a lot of the same concepts, so in a way this is a meta-DIY kit of sorta, and even has some of the cuteness that bento is known for with that panda face!

This one, as expected from the large number of items on the picture, is quite heavy in components: a whopping 7 packets, a bag, fork, lots of molds, and some guides. Unfortunately the bowl shown on the box is looking a little flat and that doesn't seem to be changing anytime soon.

Meiji Meltyblend Green Tea

Few things sound more soothing than "Meltyblend". Mmm, a piece of silky chocolate dissolving in your mouth... And this one even has green tea in it, which should add to the soothing flavor! Also manufactured by Japanese snack staple Meiji, meaning this one should be a hit if everything goes well. Though I'm not sure I've had green tea and chocolate together before... we'll see if it's a combination that works.

Seeing as how the "melty" part of Meltyblend could get out of hand, I'm glad to see these are both in a box and individually wrapped. Otherwise one hot California day and these could all melty-blend together so fast! And I'm not trying to have them melty-blend with my paws. The chocolate seems to be on the more natural side of the spectrum. It has a grainy appearance to it which could be great, it brings to mind raw cocoa powder. Smelling it though, I get more of that delectable green tea flavor which is shown on the package. The two of these together is sure to be a hit.

As expected, the combination of chocolate and green tea proves to be slightly awkward at first as my palette adjusts to the two flavors, then is a hit. The chocolate provides a little bit of edge that the green tea calms down, and both provide a good bit of sweetness. It doesn't exactly melt as easy as I'd like it to unfortunately, it has to be coaxed into doing that with a few bites here and there, but as it does the soothing and rough flavors blend together, a representation of the comforts and struggles of life, going down my throat in a sweet fashion. I'd say this is almost too sweet, but it's only just over the edge. I think these two flavors could pop a bit more if they seemed more natural, but that's nitpicky. While unexpected, this combination works very well and I'll sure to have many of these melting in my mouth in the future.

Rating: 8 - Rowf!

Kit Kats - Rum Raisin, Shinshu Apple, Tokyo Banana

Another trio of fruity Kit Kats, this time with some more out of the ordinary flavors for Japanese fruit candies. Rum raisin is the most confusing one, as I typically think of raisins as being purple or brown but the packaging and picture on the package is decidedly blue. Maybe Japanese raisins are made from blueberries? Apple and banana are more standard flavors but in the context of a crispy wafer snack not too often seen, and both of them have their regional flairs with Shinshu and Tokyo.

Surprisingly, despite having a packaging seemingly fit for a blueberry, the rum raisin Kit Kat looks and smells more like one of the sake ones. I definitely get a bit of an alcohol smell along with a fruity smell, but I can't exactly decipher which fruit that is. I'd say it's closest to grape, but then wouldn't that just make this wine? What is rum made out of anyways? ...sugarcane, huh.

Unlike the sake kit kats though, the fruity flavor in this one is more pronounced than the alcohol flavor, giving it a much sweeter taste with a side of rum. The fruit flavor does actually taste somewhat like a mixture of grape and blueberry. It's probably one of those but my tastebuds are not distinguished enough to pick it out. Overall despite not being a fan of alcohol taste I quite like this. It's more sweet and refreshing than anything, like chilling out on a summer day, by the pool, not a care in the world. Can those days come quicker already?

Rating: 7 - Aroof!

Cadina Taro Chips

Well well, we've got one of our first bits of Engrish on a snack! That's when you know it's legit. Or maybe the definition of happy really is yummy taro chips. That would be quite a bold promise. Would anything else compare afterwards? I don't even know much about Taro except for having had a bit of taro flavored tea, but I do appreciate the sweet, gritty flavor that it offers. I can also see it transferring well to chips if the chips have a little bit of salt but don't go overboard. I haven't been impressed with too many Japanese chips though, so not holding my breath. Also not a fan of the creature-person-thing on the front. Looks like a Jimmy Neutron character...

Regardless of the look of the packaging, the look of these chips are quite nice. You can see the purple streaks of taro swirled through them in a marble-like fashion. It would be a nice texture to have on the walls or ceiling of a building. From the bag I get a smell that seems like a nice mix of salty and sweet root vegetable flavors, which is very promising.

From a taste point of view the sweet flavor is more present than the salty flavor in this one, which is good. I got taro chips and I want to taste taro, and I do taste it. It's an interesting addition to potato here. Since they're both root vegetables they mesh well together, and the taro shares the starchiness of the potato, but also adds a sweet nutty flavor to the mix, with almost a vanilla flavor in there. The salt in potato in this case don't drown out those flavors like other chips, but instead enhance it and stop it from being one note. The potato chip side brings out a bit more of the starch backing and some salt to overall enhance the sweetness of the taro. It overall works very well. It's not a snack that I'd be dying to eat all the time but it's certainly a more interesting and satisfying taste than your average potato chip.

Rating: 8 - Rowf!

Kracie DIY - Colorful Peace

This one might be one of the cutest Kracie kits I've seen! But also one of the most intimidating. After all there are so many options! Does this make me actually have to be good at sculpting things? I hope not, I'm better at making and eating delicious things than making good looking things. But there seem to be a lot of options here and some easy-make molds shown on the back. So hopefully like all Kracie kits this'll be fun to make, but also relatively simple, and of course, delicious.

This kit seems to be open ended like I thought, a few templates to work off of and five candies, and the bag has instructions for a number of things. I guess as I'm not feeling creative I will try those ones. There are also sprinkles and a makeshift rolling pin. And I see that the candy is supposed to combine to make different colors! That's certainly unique.

I ended up picking a few of the designs on the bag to make, and because I'm a hungry wolf, I couldn't do any more of these before my mouth started watering. It was a bit difficult to mix the colors as expected, since the candy is very sturdy, but after time they do combine colors quite well. The rolling pin was also a little stickier than I would have liked.

As for the taste, the blue and white candies are tangy (in that generic Japanese fruit flavor way) and the rest are a sweeter generic fruit flavor. They do blend quite well this way in taste, it's quite delicious to eat, though I would've liked a little more fruity variety, as every one of these creations tasted exactly the same. The sprinkles also seem limited use here. The only design on the box that even has them is the donut and well... I already made those. But I mingled the sprinkles with the rest of the candies, and while the crunch is nicely appreciated, I had the feeling they didn't belong here. This kit will probably inspire the artsy types to make great things, but I'm more of a musical pup when it comes to creativity (check out my howling symphony!). The taste however is pleasant but has a lot to be desired, it is an alright kit but could be much better.

Rating: 5 - Ruff!

Yaokin 7 Stick

The name of this product stumped me for way longer than it should have. Why was it 7? 7 ingredients? Nah, literally seven sticks! I'm not sure why this is the basis for naming something, but hopefully there's something more to this treat than having seven of them. Maybe it'll give me 7 reasons to eat it? I'll try to come up with them.

Already opening the bag I see two reasons to eat this: first of all the smell. I was expecting to be overwhelmed but now I have much higher expectations with this great aroma wafting out of the wafer sticks! It smells almost like freshly baked sugar cookies, and there's the cream filling wafting through, mmm... Another reason is the shape. I'm not sure what it is but I really like the round sticks with the square edges. Lots of variety when I sink my teeth into them!

Unfortunately the taste and filling isn't quite as vibrant as advertised. The wafer doesn't have quite enough flavor for my liking. It's somewhat of a typical taste to a wafer sandwich cookie, the wafer having a pleasant sugary buttery flavor but ultimately really light and unsatisfying.I keep eating more hoping for more satisfaction but... nothing. And the cream is barely there as shown in the picture. I get a glimmer of the cream, but that too ultimately is disappointing because there's only a smidge of it. Why do you tease me so??? So ultimately the 7 reasons aren't really there, because while this seems like a good snack in theory, it's too light on flavor and substance to really work. Disappointing, because it had all the components to be 7 shades of aroo.

Rating: 3 - Rrr

Lotte Barbapapa Custard Cake

You know me and pudding snacks. Just the sight of a picture of pudding, with the delicious eggy base and caramel coating gets my tail going and my maw drooling. And if you put this in a cake!? Well, this reminds me of a bread from Yakitate!! Japan which was a pudding-filled kouign amann, and I really wanted to bake it myself, but I couldn't find any recipe... maybe one day. But now I have this as a possible substitute! The cake could allow just the starchy base needed to complete the amazingness that is Japanese pudding.

One little unexpected touch with this box is there's a craft hidden inside! On the bottom you can cut out the pink blob-looking character and glue on some arms to have him hug whichever lucky pudding cake deserves his warmth. Of course all of them do because this stuff is bound to be really delicious, though I suppose he can hug all of them before they are ravenously consumed by me. Of course not the first one, because I'll end up flooding the den with drool if I have to wait that long.

Peach Coca-Cola

Quite a simplistic pick for the drink item in TokyoTreat this time around, it's Coca-Cola! But peach flavor. I can imagine this working out very well if the peach flavor is just right, but if it's too strong or too weak it won't be all that great. Of course once again I have to bite the bullet and deal with carbonation, but I'm used to it at this point.

Like most Coca-Cola, the peach version seems to take on a dark brown color, with plenty of bubbles running throughout. The scent of cola as normal is drifting up to my nostrils. The one difference here seems to be that there is a light comforting fruity sweetness added to it as well, which I'm sure is the peach. Still not sure how this will translate over to the taste.

Tasting it, the peach seems to be more on the subtle side, I get a lot of cola from this drink, but only a little bit of peach to accent it. Though the little the peach does seem to add goes a long way, as it adds a bit of well-needed comforting softer sweetness to the normally strong and harsh cola flavor. This makes it almost better than the normal Coca-Cola for me, what is normally a strong drink is toned down into a lighter but still sweet taste. As someone who normally wouldn't touch a Coca-Cola, not bad.

Rating: 7 - Aroof!

Veggie Salad Umaibo

These umaibos never cease to surprise me. Every time I get a flavor where I think "it's going to taste like THAT!?" and it turns out being really good. At this point they could probably make a peanut butter squid (shoutouts to Shokugeki no Soma) umaibo and it would be the most heavenly thing ever. This flavor is not so much out there as maybe a bit on the unappealing side. Especially for me. I'm used to meat, what kind of canine feasts on vegetables?

What lies inside is... surprising to say the least given the description. It looks and smells more like a cheese umaibo funny enough, with the bright orange color and even a bit of a cheesy smell. The info booklet for the box though does say that Japanese salads come with a variety of tastes. Is this one of them?

The taste is also more cheesy than anything but I can definitely see where the veggie salad component of this comes from. I definitely do get a hodgepodge of other flavors in there. As usual I'm enjoying the crunch but also fluffy texture of the umaibo, it pairs well with the cheesy veggie flavors. Although I was expecting a bit of a weirder flavor so I am slightly down in that regard, this is still tasty in its own right. In general though this could use some stronger flavors--besides the already faint cheese flavor I don't really get too much of any flavor here. The texture and flavor that's there is nice as always, but definitely needs a bit more of a punch.

Rating: 5 - Ruff!

Kit Kats: Amazake and Japanese Sake

This time we have a pair of Japanese Kit Kats that look very similar, but are likely to have some difference or another. According to the TokyoTreat guidebook, the Amazake Kit Kats are sweet sake, meaning that they'll be sweeter than the traditional Japanese Sake. It's also worth nothing that I have never had actual sake before, so I won't know anything about the source material. Could that make it hard to describe? Maybe, but I've had more difficult before.

Starting with the Amazake Kit Kat, which is the one included in this month's TokyoTreat box. The appearance is nothing special to describe: just a plain white. The smell of it is what I'd best guess a sake smell is like, it has an alcohol smell to it, a slight fruity smell, and bit of milkiness and sweetness.

Now I can't say I'm a fan of the alcohol smell or taste myself, but this Kit Kat seems to make it worth with a very creamy taste backing it. And as I eat more of it that taste seems to go away, and I get more of the fruity/milk flavor. It's a pleasant taste but not particularly noteworthy for me. I think it could actually benefit from a little less sweetness, as I don't get enough of the actual sake flavors.

Rating: 5 - Ruff!

Squid Jerky

This was one of those items, when it arrived I thought "I have to eat THIS!?" Seems like a very awkward flavor and texture combination, and I'm really not sure how they'll make squid work. But I have to trust the Japanese, time and time again they've made the impossible shine. So maybe this'll work after all! After all the texture of squid is not too far off from that of jerky. Combine that with being made so close to the ocean with freshly caught seafood and maybe there's a recipe for success.

Aand once again I'm questioning my decision to try this. Not only does this jerky look like it was peeled straight off a squid, but it smells incredibly fishy. Like, reminds me of being by the California beaches, which is pleasant, but also brings back a lot of memories of the pungent smells there. Do I really want to eat this? Well I'm a wolf and as such I'm told to not waste any food, so here we go...

Okay nope. I can't. Not only is this so chewy I can't bite a piece out of it, but the flavor is possibly even more pungent than the smell. I could just put the entire thing in my mouth but I really don't want to even have the flavor in my mouth for that long. It straight up tastes like rotten fish and saltwater, and I ain't no bear, I don't do that. I really tried, but then I started to gag, so... this one's a no-go. If you're really into really fishy tasting squid and like jerky then maybe give this a go... but otherwise I'd stay far away. I thought this would be okay since I like calimari but this is far away from most prepared squid products.

Rating: 1 - Awwwrrrr...

Calbee Salty Split Pea Sticks

Once again we have another crispy vegetable snack. There are sometimes good and sometimes overwhelming, all depends on the salt levels and amount of vegetable flavor involved. These are of course based on split peas which I am quite ambivalent about myself, but I hope this snack can bring out some flavor that I didn't notice in them before.

One nice touch about these is that the snack itself looks like the split pea that it's based off of! It has the pointed ends that they're known for (and I'm always uncertain about eating) and the classic light green color with some bubbles in there. The smell does resemble a pea flavor, although it was a bit tricky to recognize at first because usually they're served warm.

Right off the bat I like the texture of these snacks. There's a crunchy outer layer but it also goes all the way through with a softer crunch on the inside, meaning that my teeth never get confused or disappointed. The flavor seems to be a bit of an acquired taste on the other hand. It's ever so slightly bitter, or it could be that I've never noticed the pea flavor before in this form.

There is a large amount of flavor in the snack though, and as I munch on it I get more adjusted to that flavor and it is pleasant in a different way. So many of the potato flavors in these types of snacks makes this a very nice change of pace, every bite I get plenty of earthy green goodness, though it's strange that it took me this long to adjust. This flavor may not be for everyone but it is a nice surprise and worth a try if you're used to the same old salty snacks.

Rating: 6 - Aruff!

Anpanman Festival Rice Puffs

I guess these characters are a recurring thing in Japanese cuisine, so I might as well get used to them. I suppose Anpanman is the one on the left since he looks most like anpan (red bean bun). Not too much a fan of his appearance though, but at least he seems to have an eye for good food. These though? I hope they'll be good, I know nothing about them besides being multicolored and having both salt and honey flavors. Not the most enticing sounding, but looks and descriptions can certainily deceive.

So far they seem to have the distinct appearance of Froot Loops, with a more limited selection of colors. I do quite like this color combination though. I think it reminds me of some Tic Tacs before, and seems pretty festive, like another take on Christmas colors. The smell... is something else though. I know why, the honey and salt smells do NOT mix! It smells like some gross seawater type concoction. Usually the smell is an accurate depiction of the taste but I'll give it a pass here given my prior information.

I taste the white one first, and I think it's the honey one, but at first it has a slightly salty taste to it anyways. The pink one seems to be the same, but the green one is definitely salty. The salty one is easy to decipher, it's definitely a popcorn kind of taste, except with more rice and less butter. It's okay, but quite standard, and I don't really get much from eating it.

The honey one though is much more interesting. Contrasting with the salty flavor its sweetness is much more pronounced, so maybe that's the logic behind the dual flavors. This one is a treat to eat, the honey is quite subtle but in this case, I like it, seems like it's hiding amongst the rice. And of course because it's an option too, I tried the two flavors together. This is also a satisfying flavor surprisingly enough, the honey and salt do actually blend, unlike their smell. Which is really odd. Maybe the sniffer does lie? Are all my wolf foundations going to be broken? Oh nooooooooooo!

Rating: 7 - Aroof!

Chocolate Kinako Mochi DIY

Not any especially new territory here, as I've had mochi and kinako snacks before, but the combination of them with chocolate is something I don't think I've had. It seems like it would make a good combination, with the sweetness of chocolate and the umami of kinako, with a solid base in mochi, but we'll see how this translates into DIY form.

Unfortunately, the mochi seems to have come to me broken, oh no! I'm also surprised that it's hard, as similar DIY packs have opted for soft candy here, but from what I see I'll be pouring water on the mochi to soften it up. There are also two packs consisting of the chocolate and kinako, and a utensil as expected.

After pouring the water on the mochi, things made more sense as it softened up almost immediately, and the texture definitely seemed akin to mochi. There seems to be much more kinako than chocolate which is surprising, both smell as I'd expect them to.

Tohato Sakura Shrimp Potato Rings

The other sakura themed item in this box, we have sakura shrimp. Which may not actually be sakura flavored, as sakura shrimp are in fact a type of shrimp. And I can't really say I've even had those before. What I can tell is that this is a variation on the Tohato potato ring I've had before, but the first one was sweet potato flavored, so I expect more of a savory flavor for this one. Also the packaging absolutely enamors me, the triangular pyramid form factor is rarely ever seen so it's a treat to have here. This is also part of the party pack so there are plenty more where this came from!

To my surprise, the potato rings are a bit smaller than I was expecting, but I guess it makes sense given the smaller package. Not much to say about the appearance otherwise, they're rather plain looking but that's to be expected with this type of snack. The potato smell is definitely more dominant here than the shrimp smell but I do get both. I expect the shrimp flavor to play more of a background role here, accenting the potato to provide some extra flavor profile.

Like I predicted, the rings are more dominant on the potato side. The shrimp seems to be a rather sweet shrimp flavor. However, the two flavors don't seem to play off each other as well as I thought. It seems like they're always at odds, which is odd because this seem like it could work ala fish and chips. But the shrimp and potato do seem to be in their own universes, only overlapping occasionally.

I don't really think I get anything significant from eating this either. It's not quite satisfying, and I don't enjoy either the potato or shrimp flavors because they're always clashing with each other. It's not quite enough of a savory taste, or enough of a sweet taste. Definitely left feeling underwhelmed here, which was a shame, because I had high hopes for this after the last shrimp snack.

Rating: 2 - Awrr

Sakura Marshmallows

Haven't had marshmallows in a while! As some of you may know Japan has instilled a love for marshmallows in me I never knew I had, and while these ones aren't filled with anything the sight of marshmallows again is still enough to make my tail go whap-whap-whap. It's also the first time I've had something sakura flavored I believe, I believe I'm familiar with the cherry blossom smell but in food? Should be an experience.

 I love the shape of these! They seem to take on a sakura blossom shape of sorts which drives home the whole theme of the cherry blossoms blooming. It would be amazing to see that in person. The bag also definitely gives off the sakura smell, I'd describe it as a rose smell but less pungent and more sweet, and with a cherry accent. I'm not sure how it'll play out with marshmallows, but very excited to try them!

The sakura flavor in the marshmallows is quite subtle but it plays off the marshmallow taste and accents it in such a harmonious way. The little bit of flavor that regular marshmallows are lacking, these have. The marshmallows themselves are the perfect texture too! Really soft, but just enough bite to give them substance before they dissolve into a pool of cherry blossom ambrosia.

Tasting them makes me feel like I'm there, curled up under a sakura tree and petals fall onto my nose-ACHOO! Okay so maybe not all of it would be as pleasant as this marshmallow depicts. But there couldn't have been a more appropriate treat in this box - this is a great way to embrace the blossoming of all flowers, and they can even go well in hot chocolate, for when it's not quite warm enough yet for those spring months.

Rating: 9 - Arooooo!

Sweet Soy Sauce Cracker

It seems like there are a bunch of these types of crackers around, considering I couldn't find the brand name of this one, but I suppose "cute pictures" may be enough of a brand name this time around. Just their smiles make me want to eat these - but the sound of a soy sauce flavored cracker is quite enticing too. If these are truly a Japanese snack staple, hopefully it holds up well.

Well, the crackers sure give off a pleasant first impression. I was expecting something thin, maybe flavored with powder - but these look practically freshly baked! Lots of interesting variations in the texture with some crispy parts and some lighter parts. And they're plenty thick - hopefully the inside is as flavorful and interesting as the outside looks. Their smell also falls on the more savory side of the spectrum but I definitely get the sweet umami flavor of the soy sauce in my sniffer.

The crunch is very interesting as I anticipated. All the little aberrations make these a joy to munch on, my teeth finding all the little crevices to sink into, and it's a very satisfying crunch too. The soy sauce flavor isn't as prominent as I would think it was - it's flavored like cracker first and foremost, I almost taste a bit of a rice flavor from this, which wouldn't be too out of the ordinary if that's what it was, and the soy sauce is a light accent on top of that. But it never tastes flavorless, there's plenty of interesting things going on. I think the soy sauce flavor could still use improvement though, it lacks the depth that I've had from real soy sauce. But this was a nice pleasant surprise and I'll sure be munching on more of these in the future!

Rating: 7 - Aroof!

Ginger Tea Hard Candy

This is the kinosei snack in this month's TokyoTreat and it unfortunately came a little late for me, as it's suppose to sooth throats, and I had a cold last weekend... But regardless, my throat could always use a little soothing. The flavor for this one worries me just a bit because ginger in the past has been a bit too strong for me at times, but maybe this candy will strike a nice balance.

Unexpectedly, the candy came invidually wrapped in these foil wrappers, which made it a bit difficult to open, but that also should be good since it helps them maintain their freshness. The candy itself looks really pretty. It's this slightly clear amber color and the most aesthetic rounding that a rectangle could have. No noticeable smell though, but that has been the case with hard candies before and hasn't affected the flavor.

The flavor thankfully isn't overbearing. It's actually quite pleasant - slightly sweet, it's almost like a warm ginger tea hug right by the fire.Everything about this flavor feels nice and gentle with a little bit of spice that only serves to emphasize the warmth and caring it seems to give. As time goes on that hug only seems to be warmer as more of the flavors release. And it really does feel soothing to the throat - as those flavors slide down, my throat gets clearer, as if the spicy was attacking all the gunk in it, and replacing it with the earthy taste of the tea.

The flavor doesn't ever really evolve into anything else, or have any change of texture, but it's nice and solidly comforting, and really doesn't need to be any thing else. While I doubt it would ever be a substitute for cough drops, this is a really nice way to soothe a throat that has taken a beating, and even without that this flavor is sweet, earthy, pleasant, a little spicy... All like a nice warm hug.

Rating: 9 - Arooooo!

Ginbis Shimichoco Corn - Milky Red Bean

My stomach is growling more than I ever do right now, and of course because of that I grab the largest, most appetizing, filling snack I can find in the TokyoTreat box - this one! I know shimichoco corn has had a really nice texture and flavor, with a puffed corn base on the inside and icing on the outside, and I hope this red bean flavor will take it up another notch. I love red bean normally, and combined with the milky white chocolate flavor? It seems like it's set up for success with this type of combination, and the image on the bag of red beans drowned in milk looks tantalizing.

The corn itself takes on the white color of the milk more than the red bean, but you can see the red bean in there through red flecks mostly on the tips of the stars. The smell however seems to be an even distribution of milk and red bean, the red bean adding some earthiness and substance, and the milk adding creaminess and richness. They seem to go well together.

Biting into it, I once again experience the nice texture of the shimichoco corn, with the the inner corn part providing some real substance, and adding a new flavor to what I smelled before that works quite well, in this case the starchy base. This snack seems to have everything going for it: sweetness, earthiness, richness, a bit of fruitiness actually that I wouldn't expect from having the red bean in here. There's also some grittiness that the dust on the surface adds to it that I'm really enjoying.

In fact, it's hard to write this review because I can't stop eating this. There's so much depth of flavor and a ton of sensations that I'm getting here, and it's a really satisfying bite all the way through. I may have developed some self control from some of my canine brethren but I'm losing all of it here, because this is too good. Maybe I'll need to go out and hunt for more!

Rating: 10 - AWOOOOOOO!!!

Puccho Gummy - Hoppe-Chan Cherry

Well, this is one cute snack! I love when companies include kawaii characters on the packaging, it's like little cute spirits luring me over to eat whatever they made... which could also be easily used against me but I'm a wolf so it's okay right?  Hoppe-Chan especially, not sure how she gets around being just a blob, but she seems to have made her way onto a gummy this time, and I guess we'll see if she was forced there or it actually got her stamp of approval.

There's a nice surprise hidden in this packaging: the cap is actually a toy! It's one of those ones where you invert the cap and then after a long while it pops up into the air from all the tension. I thought it didn't work at first, but I was wrong, it takes forever to pop up! I guess it could be used to surprise my packmates. Test their reflexes. The actual gummies are pretty tiny, making this a nice bite sized snack, and they have a nice cherry flavor that balances sweetness and richness. I've heard these are sweet and sour cherries, interested to see how that ends up working.

The gummy texture is a little hard which is a bit jarring. You have to let it sit for a little while before chewing it, which is hard for a pup like me with no patience. But eventually that patience pays off and it becomes chewier. There is definitely a bit of sourness in these gummies, and it seems to add some depth of flavor here which is good, it's more interesting than a plain sweet cherry. But I think the form factor plays against the gummies here, because it's a lot of chewiness and then I don't really get a chance to experience the cherry flavors, I'm left always wanting more. The little cherry I get is pleasant, but it's not quite enough to make the whole treat satisfying. I guess maybe it works better for Hoppe-Chan because she's tiny.

Rating: 6 - Aruff!

Pandaro Melon Bread Cookie

This snack comes at a very convenient time because I just watched an episode of the anime Yakitate!! Japan all about melon bread and after seeing that I couldn't not go for the melon bread snack first thing when I opened this box. By the way if you love baking, go watch that anime, it's quite stellar and I'm learning a ton about bread. And licking my lips the whole time. But now, let's dive in! A small cookie, hopefully it packs tons of melon flavor.

First impressions are good. The cookie has a really cute panda face, and has some green in it to represent the melon. But the smell is absolutely tantalizing! I didn't get how melon bread was supposed to work watching the anime, but I certainly do now. It's primarily a butter smell but with the fruity tangy accent of the melon. It all makes sense, this could supply the one thing butter cookies are missing which is flavor depth. I can't wait any longer to dig in.

I get pretty much everything I was expecting from the cookie. It has a strong butter flavor, and while I'm not a fan of melon normally, it's the perfect accent here, adding some tanginess to contrast the stark sweetness and richness. And none of that annoying watered down nonsense.

Although the texture of the cookie is slightly disappointing. I would've liked this to be a bit softer. One of the things melon bread seemed to be known for is the combination of fluffy bread and crispy cookie but all we get here is cookie. It means too that the depth of flavor doesn't last quite long enough or really melt in my mouth too well. Good start, but mostly it just had me craving real melon bread. I have to find some!

Rating: 7 - Aroof!

TokyoTreat March 2018

The March theme for this TokyoTreat box is Sakura Season Surprise. While I was very pleased at the quantity of items from the last box and many of them were delicious, I got a little tired of the nonstop strawberry flavors, so I was a little worried that this one would be nothing but sakura flavor. Luckily that's not the case - there's some sakura in here, but a lot of varied flavors all with a spring theme, so I can't wait to dig into this box!

The contents in the above pic are (reading order):

• Sakura Marshmallows
• Ginbis Shimichoco Corn - Milky Red Bean
• Chocolate Kinako Mochi DIY
• Anpanman Festival Rice Puffs
• Puccho Gummy - Hoppe-Chan Cherry
• Squid Jerky
• Ginger Tea Hard Candy
• Amazake Kit Kats
• Veggie Salad Umaibo

And in this pic we have:

• Sakura Shrip Potato Ring Party Pack
• Salty Split Pea Snacks
• Peach Coca-Cola
• Sweet Soy Sauce Cracker Share Pack
• Melon Bread Cookie

All in all a lot of variety and good portions in this box. I can't wait to dig in!