Calpis カルピス

Posted by: Jennifer

Calpis is a popular Japanese brand known for its uncarbonated sweet and tangy soft drink. Comes in various flavors such as: Strawberry, Mango, Lychee, and more. They also come in many different styles of packaging as well. Calpis also produce other kinds of foods and beverages such as the marshmallow balls in the picture above.

Origin: Japan

Review/Taste:

Bottled drink - The taste is pretty refreshing and reminds me of those small bottled yogurt drinks that I used to drink when I was a child. But after drinking 5 of those small yogurt drinks (Yalkult or 야쿠르트), have you ever started to taste something behind your throat? Well this is drink does not leave that "feeling" behind nor is it too sweet. It is slightly milky and watery in texture and perfect for the hot weather.

Food: Marshmallow balls, stuffed with other flavorings are also a popular food among Asians. This one in particular tastes exactly like the drink. The marshmallow has the light milky soft drink taste, but as the center filling touches your taste buds, you will taste the tanginess just like the drink itself. Overall, the snack is not too sweet and if you love the original drink, you should also give this a try. But this snack does not make me addicted to the point in which I want to buy a lot more. Maybe occasionally, I would buy this.

Purchase/Price: 

Beverage: $1.99 (regular sized)
Food: $2.79/pk
Item can be found in many Asian supermarkets that sell a variety of snacks.

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Miyake Petit Pudding

Posted by: Jennifer
Like any other typical flan, this Japanese style flan contains the main ingredients: sugar, milk, yolk, and topped with caramel coloring/sugar.  

Origin: Japan

Review/Taste:

I was introduced to these by my cousins when I was in elementary school and... it is the best flan I have tasted (as opposed to the Spanish style flans). The Japanese makes these flans so smooth and custardy and the taste... is just very different... It is quite hard to explain, but it is not too sweet of a snack. Although these are made as bite-sized snacks that you can bring on the go, I can literally finish this whole package in a day and so, I deeply wish they can make bigger sized products. The packaging of this is different than the one that existed years ago which came with disposable spoons. Sadly, this version does not come with spoons and it is less convenient to bring your own. (I guess it is meant for you to slurp out of the cup?) The one that I had purchased years ago, also came with 12 pieces of flan but slightly smaller. Although I am unsure, but they probably still have that same packaging, but the supermarkets or distributors stopped ordering it. Overall, I love this delicious snack and if you love any type of flan, then you should give this a try as well!

Purchase/Price:

At a Japanese specialty market - $2.59/pk (6 pieces)

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