Koikeya Scone Rich Corn Flavor

Normally this type of snack I'd pass over as disinteresting, but two aspects of this make me think otherwise. The first is that it's corn flavored, and while Japan is not known for corn they do great justice to corn in the snacks from them that I've had, whether it be the puffed corn umaibos or the Dos Tacos corn chips with a surprisingly rich corn flavor. Also the previous "scones" I had actually had the appearance of french fries but delivered a very nice flavor experience, so maybe the same will be true for this.

While not the most appetizing looking snacks, these scones like the last have a very appetizing corn flavor to them. The corn flavor is ever apparent, like the smell of freshly grilled corn, and it certainly makes my mouth water. I have never been a corn pup, always favoring rice or bread, but the true essence of it is brought out from this aroma.

Tasting it, I get even more of that. The flavor of the corn is accentuated so well by the nice helping of butter and salt here, I feel like I'm eating some of the best quality corn fresh from the fields, even though I'm from NorCal and not the midwest. The crunch alongside it is spectacular too, being so satisfying but not inhibiting any of the wonderful corn flavor. Definitely something I can't stop eating, and it's a shame because while they include so many in the bag, they're dwindling fast! But I just can't get enough of this, it tastes so fresh despite being a packaged snack. Whatever Japan found in making the perfect corn flavor, Mexico's got something to learn.

Rating: 9 - Arooooo!

Kracie Popin Cookin Japanese Festival

After going through the large box of Kracie kits I had, I found another one. Guess this calls for a celebration! Thankfully this kit has everything I need to do that. Four different components here being french fries, candy apples, chocolate bananas, and corn on the cob, so it's sure to be involved but no short on fun.

I expected a lot of components in this kit, and that's exactly what I got. Three different mats, 5 packets of powder, some yellow soft candy, sprinkles, toothpicks, and a shovel-spoon (my favorite!). The cutting board mat in particular seems rather excessive, but I guess it's nice to create the mood.

Don Tacos Grilled Corn Flavor

What's this Mexican snack doing in my Japanese snack box??? Just kidding, the text confirms it's fully Japanese, but the title makes it sound like something else. I actually love Mexican food as well, might as well call me a Mexican wolf, but Japan definitely has the more inventive snacks. So much so that it seems they're doing it for the Mexicans now. No matter what the concept for this is or the culture I'm excited as grilled corn sounds like a great taste to make a savory snack from.

Of course the snack inside seems to be a direct copy of a Mexican snack too, the tortilla chip! I should've figured as a corn snack it might be this. The flavor, however, is different. I get a much sweeter smell from the box than your typical tortilla chip, it smells very buttery, just like the corn slathered with butter on the package. So this may be a different approach to the tortilla chip.

And as expected, the taste is sweeter too but it also tastes much more... authentic than your typical tortilla chip? Maybe this is because it's actually trying to capture the flavor of grilled corn. If not for the texture I'd think I was having corn nachos topped with butter and some cotija cheese. It's a nice blend of sweet and salty and buttery and well... corny... and there does seem to be a bit of a cheesy taste in there but I'm not quite sure. I quite like it, it has more flavor than your average tortilla chip. The original may blend better with salsa and queso, but this stands out very well on its own. But it certainly makes me worried for the future of Mexican cuisine... if Japanese snack makers are producing chips like these, will they eventually take over the entirety of Mexican cuisine? Not that I'd mind ramen burritos.

Rating: 9 - Arooooo!

Christmas Corn Potage Umaibo

Puppy's first umaibo? Puppy's first umaibo. I had heard of these when I was looking up what dagashi was. Dagashi is essentially the Japanese version of penny candy, probably not a penny because inflation but the low cost snacks of the Japanese world. So I'm about to discover how well-off those Japanese kids are when they have a low amount of money but need a bite to savor. Umaibo is essentially a crispy, crunchy bar of some sort. And considering there's also a chocolate one in this pack as well, there seems to be no flavor limitation. Savory snacks like these have not always tasted the best to me, but let's see what we've got.