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.

No surprises here, the corn snacks are exactly the shape on the box, there is a mix of tree shaped ones and what I assume is the normal shape, the U. The smell inside the bag however is different than I expected, it smells a bit more savory with the caramel being a bit subdued, not unlike the wheat puff I gobbled up earlier today. If I smelled this blind and had to guess, caramel corn would not be my first pick. I wonder if it'll taste similarly.

The caramel corn certainly tastes sweeter than it smells, but I still get that flavor from the bag mixed in there. I still can't exactly figure out what is causing it to smell like that - maybe just a baked flavor? It's really hard to say. These are a little lighter on sweetness though than I would expect from caramel corn. Maybe a little more bread-y? Corn-y? Heh, corny.

The texture however is really nice, got that perfect crunch that I adore, and the caramel does shine through in every bite, some more than others weirdly enough. The normal shapes also have ridges along them which is really nice texture wise, to give it even more of a crunch and interest on the tongue. And now as I eat more I'm finding myself easing into this strange flavor. This caramel corn may not be what you're expecting, but it certainly manages to maintain the addictiveness of any caramel corn.

Rating: 5 - Ruff!