Tohato Shin-Chan Chocobi Almond Tofu Corn Puff

Haven't seen any Tohato products in a while! This one going along with the anime theme is from Shin Chan, which I've seen a lot of snacks from but never quite figured out what it was. But this snarling dino on the front might make me want to watch it??? I can't figure out if he's supposed to be cute or angry. Flavor wise I am confused at these being tofu flavored, but I guess almond tofu is quite a popular dessert in Japan, hopefully it's rich, crunchy, and nutty.

As a nice bonus, this comes with a sticker! Rather odd outfit, but nevertheless fun. The puffs are a white color which is a bit surprising, but they have a nice smell. I definitely get the almonds, and then the tofu seems to give it a light and creamy smell, like almond milk.

Tasting it, the puffed corn flavor which doesn't usually appear in the smell goes along quite well with the other flavors, giving substance to an otherwise exceptionally light combination. Everything blends together quite perfectly, and not one thing is overdone. I get plenty of almond, plenty of rich creamy tofu, and it's all great. Sweet but not too sweet. Definitely reminds me of a soft silky dessert, an incredibly comforting finish after lots of hard chomping work. So much so that I can't stop eating it, and then it becomes the main attraction! Too bad there's only so much of it.

Rating: 9 - Arooooo!

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

Tohato Christmas Caramel Corn

Tohato is back once again, and seems to be the Japanese go-to for crispy corn-based snacks and biscuits. This time it's caramel corn, which from the looks of the package is likely not popcorn but instead puffed corn snacks. And they're in fun Christmas tree shapes! I don't have any business dealing with trees as a wolf, but this packaging and the shapes are surely making me feel a bit more festive.

Tohato Harvest Sweet Potato Biscuits

It's our good friend Tohato once again, here to bring another dose of sweet potato to me eager panting tongue, this time in biscuit form. I'm intrigued, and the biscuits themselves on the bag art are smiling at me. I hope that's not how they are actually do. It's quite hard to eat cute things. It's also worth noting that I found these at Nijiya Market in many different flavors, most of which I can't distinguish. If this is good, I look forward to scarfing down more flavors in the future.

Tohato Sweet Poteko: Honey Sweet Potato Flavor

Again a larger item to the delight of my always-empty belly, these sweet potato rings promised to be one of the more savory items in my November Japan Crate. Sweet potato is definitely one of my favorite flavors to munch on, so my eyes opened wide with delight at three sweet potato items being in this box, but they have to do it right. I've seen many a sweet potato fry ruined by way too savory seasonings. I know I've already seen the brand Tohato repeated in the December Japan Crate with their caramel corn, so they must be a popular brand of puffed delights in Japan. Let's see what they got.