Calbee Kappa Ebisen Kishu Plum かっぱえびせん 紀州の梅

On a rainy day during last week I pulled out this bag of Kappa Ebisen Kishu Plum! I'm not a big fan of plum and my husband hates it all together, so I didn't know if we would like this one at all. Kishu is a place in Wakayama Prefecture in Japan and is famous for its plums, which are also made into Kishu Plum Wine.

The bag had a very tangy aroma when I opened it, and each long senbei stick had sprinkles of red all over. On the back of the bag it stated that it was red shiso. I'm not a shiso fan, in fact I try to stay away from it.

This snack however, was really yummy. The red shiso seems to have a different flavour entirely from the normal green shiso, and there was notes of tangy plum present when I crunched down into the senbei. The prawn flavour was still evident underneath and combined, all three flavours made a melody in my mouth.

After the first handful of these we were both pretty much addicted and ate the whole bag in no time! I think these would be great as a beer snack too.

The design on the bag was really pretty - a shame to throw it out really. Unfortunately I did throw the bag out and also forgot to write down the nutritional information so for my readers that usually want to know those details - I will resume in my next post.

Get yourself some of these! :)

Kishiri Crystal Throat Candy Red & Green Plum with Mint キシリクリスタル 赤梅＆青梅ミント

I woke up this morning and found that Winter had finally found Perth. It's been MIA for the last half a month or so, we've had such lovely, hot, summery days.

But now, here comes the rain, and so with it, a sore throat for my dear hubby. I remembered this morning that I had a pack of these in my latest installment from napaJapan, so it's perfect timing really.

I'm not familiar with the company who make these. The Name of it is Kishiri Crystal, and the brand is Teicalo. The word "kishiri" usually means "to squeak", but I think in this case it is from the Japanese word for xylitol - (kishiritoru), because it is where the candy gets its sweetness from instead of sugar. Looking on their website, they seem to only make throat candy.

I'm not a very big fan of Ume (plum), so I was hesitant in trying these, thinking they were maybe going to be really sour or yuck. But, actually I was surprised.

Not really as pretty as the picture is it?

There are 3 layers to this candy. The top layer is red plum, the middle is a smooth white minty paste, and the bottom layer is green plum.

The top layer, the red plum is the most sour of the two, and it really reminds me of cough medicine in that it has a certain cherry flavour about it while still tasting like plum.

The green plum is much sweeter and has hints of green apple.

The mint in the middle really ties this candy together, and it really is refreshing. The one thing I couldn't get out of my head while eating this though is that it reminds me of toothpaste. You know how they make that toothpaste (I think it's Maclean's) with the white stripe of mint down the middle? Well this looks just like that, except it's a throat candy.

I am not sure how beneficial this would be for your throat. Besides herb and peppermint extracts, it doesn't really have any medicinal values. It's not like the Western kind of throat candy that numbs the throat or stops your nose running.

But in all, it's nice for what it is. I probably wouldn't buy it to use when I have a cold, but I find it to be good as a breath freshener, I like it more than chewing gum.

Brand: Teicalo Calories per pack: 70 Website: http://teicalo.com

Tirol Mix Pack チロル 桃栗三年柿八年

This Tirol mixed pack is named after a proverb. 桃栗三年柿八年 means "it often takes time to bear the fruit of one's actions" or literally "peach and chestnut seeds take three years to bear fruit, plums take eight". This is one of those kinds of phrases like "good things happen to those who wait". When I asked Yasu the meaning he said it was just referring to the peach and chestnut seeds taking 3 years to bear fruit and plums taking 8 and said that the proverb wasn't really very well known and he wouldn't have thought of it if I hadn't of mentioned it.

This has given Tirol an idea for a mixed pack, I suppose. Because the three flavours included in this pack are Peach, Chestnut and Persimmon.

Back middle: Persimmon, Front left: Chestnut, Front right: Peach

Peach

Sweet like Peach Fanta, the jelly inside is soft and melts in the mouth easily. The chocolate is quite sweet but it definitely has a lot of peach flavour. I love it.

Chestnut

This has a coffee like flavour at first and then blends seamlessly into a nutty chestnut flavour. The inside is a soft and creamy texture, full bodied flavour and very cool in the mouth. Very sweet at the end though, even more so than the peach, though still enjoyable.

Persimmon

An unsual flavour. The chocolate is a little bit darker than normal. Biting into it there is a big hit of salt and then I notice it has an arare (senbei) inside which provides a big crunch and lots of salt. The chocolate has a sweetness to it that tastes like persimmon and blends well with the saltiness to create a kind of sweet and salty effect. Very original.

I liked all three of these. I think my favourite would have to be the persimmon because it has that crunchy texture and very unusual taste. I like the peach and chestnut about the same.

Ebidebby also reviewed this and you can find hers here.

Brand: Tirol Calories per bag: 314 Website: http://www.tirol-choco.com/

Bourbon Milk Coffee Roll Cake ふわまき ミルクコーヒーケーキ

I have another Fuwamaki cake to try! Last time I reviewed the milk roll cake by the same company and Yasu and I both really loved it.

This one is the same deal, except it's milk coffee flavour. The outside is predominately light brown with white spots and it has two types of cream inside - coffee cream and milk cream.

The sponge cake is beautiful and soft like a cloud pillow, the same as last time. The brown coloured sponge tastes like chocolate and the white dots taste like milk. The coffee flavour comes from the coffee cream inside the roll cake.

This is so beautifully fresh - how do they do it? It could have been baked fresh this morning, that is how soft it is. The cream is so fluffy and light and full of flavour.

What can I say but that this is divine? Seriously. Go buy one! or two... or maybe three!

Brand: Bourbon Calories per pack: 180 Website: http://www.bourbon.co.jp

Tirol Hokkaido Cheese Premium チロル 北海道チーズ

Jason @ napaJapan kept teasing me with the line "I've got some Hokkaido cheese chocolate coming in soon". Music to my ears... and SO tempting.

If you love Hokkaido as much as I do then I know you will be thrilled about trying this Tirol Hokkaido Cheese premium chocolate.

This Tirol chocolate is larger than the regular size. Yasu couldn't get over it, because Tirol is his favourite childhood chocolate and they didn't have premium size back then. Plus, he's a Hokkaido-jin so the Hokkaido cheese factor makes it even better for him.

The cheese Tirol to the left is bigger than the regular size.

Hokkaido Cheese is the best! I've seen a few reviews online and people have trashed it - I totally disagree with their taste. This Tirol is the essence of Hokkaido, creamy, dairy, cheesy, fromage-y. :)

It has a lovely yellow coloured outer chocolate that tastes creamy and chocolatey. The inside is a strong cheese taste in a biscuit - but the biscuit is soft and melts in the mouth. Yummm. Lucky I got given 10 of these beauties because one is just not enough!

If you're a wimp when it comes to cheese - don't try it. If you like your cheese rich and creamy with a big of strength then this is for you.

Brand: Tirol Calories per piece: 51 Website: http://www.tirol-choco.com Buy it now at napaJapan