Okay, so I am hopelessly addicted to anything that is matcha flavored. Matcha is Japanese powdered green tea. It’s not like the green tea they serve you in Japanese restaurants, mind you, but more like restaurant green tea on steroids. Matcha is used in the Japanese tea ceremony and is also what you find in green tea ice cream. Lately there has been a proliferation of green tea-flavored items in the United States (matcha frappuccino, anyone?), but in Japan? Matcha is king, and holy cow, practically every edible item there comes in a matcha flavor! Woohoo!
You can imagine my glee when I opened up this box of Morinaga Matcha Caramels from Jbox. I have long been a fan of Morinaga caramels, but it was like I won the lottery when they started making them in matcha flavor. I love the look of the box – it looks very authentic and kind of retro.
Now, I have tried many a matcha-flavored candy, and not all of them are delicious. Many of them do not taste like true matcha. These Morinaga Matcha Caramels, however, do not disappoint. These little nuggets of yumminess have a strong but smooth matcha flavor, and though they are a bit on the firm side in terms of texture, a couple of good chews will soften them up enough that you won’t dislodge any dental fillings. Real matcha is loaded with caffeine, but I don’t really know how the caffeine affects candies. Perhaps I should eat an entire box and see what happens? Maybe next time…
- Morinaga (in Japanese)
Buy Morinaga Caramels online:
- at JBox
I definitely think you must like green tea to like these. I tried them too and thought they were nasty and bitter. I have yet to find a green tea candy I like :)
January 30th, 2008 at 9:32 amI, too, am hopelessly addicted to matcha, and every winter, I look forward to a big box of new matcha treats from a good friend in Japan.
This winter, these were included, and I really liked them, too! I was surprised how well matcha and caramel went together! Reading this made me remember how much I liked these. I hope I can get them again next year!
May 30th, 2008 at 11:38 am