Azuki (Red) Bean Ice Cream

A popular treat in Asian countries and the Pacific Islands, red bean
ice cream is always a wonderful treat. The only way I can describe the
flavor of red bean ice cream to those who have never tasted it is
something between vanilla, cream, strawberries, and cotton candy. There is nothing
'beany' or gritty about azuki bean ice cream

• Texture: A good azuki bean ice cream like that made by maeda-en of California will be creamy smooth like a good Haagen Dazs with bits of soft red beans dispersed throughout. Rating: 10 out of 10.
• Flavor: A blend of vanilla, cream, strawberries, and cotton candy that can only be described as comforting and homey. Rating: 10 out of 10.
• Packaging: Most commercially available azuki bean ice cream in the US come in rather plain looking ice cream cartons. There may be pictures of red beans and the package will most likely be maroon colored. Just look for the phrases 'azuki', 'adzuki', or more commonly 'red bean'. Rating: 5 out of 10.
  
• Availability: I've seen red bean deserts in practically all the Asian grocery stores I've been to. Chinese stores will tend to have Chinese brand red bean popsicles rather than ice cream. Japanese stores will generally have azuki bean ice cream or even mochi ice cream if you're lucky. Rating: 7 out of 10.
  
• Origins: Maeda-en ice cream is made in Irvine, California so it's safe to eat. Rating: 10 out of 10.

Technorati Tags: japanese, chinese, asian, ice cream, red bean, azuki, dessert

Haw Flakes

Haw flakes are a kind of candy made from dried berries of the Hawthorne flower. They come in various sizes depending on the compnay that produces them. My favorite kind look like little packets of firecrackers. They come in ten packs of cylindrical stacks wrapped with pink, green, and yellow paper. However, they're always shaped into thin round wafers. They're brownish/redish colored and taste like dry non gummy versions of fruit rollups or fruit leather. That is if fruit rollups were made from real fruit...

• Texture: They start out dry and kind of crunchy. This is really hard to explain, haw flakes aren't really crunchy like a potato chip, but more like crunchy with a bit of chew. The plastic wrapped kind of haw flakes tend to be sticky and moist, these aren't really crunchy. Warning: this snack does tend to stick to teeth. Do not eat more than one at a time. They also leave your mouth with a rough feeling. There's really no aftertaste. Rating: 5 out of 10.


• Flavor: Even though haw flakes are made by several companies, they all taste the same, though some may be sweeter. Rating: 7 out of 10.


• Packaging: Depending on the brand of haw flakes, they may be wrapped in plastic or paper. I personally think the paper kind is pretty nifty. They look like little firecrackers, they're ultra portable, and they're stackable. The plastic wrapped kind come in long rolls of discs and they have to be sealed up or put into a ziploc bag after they're opened. Rating: 10 out of 10 for the firecracker haw flakes.


• Availability: This is a very common candy and can be found at all Asian grocery stores. Rating: 8 out of 10.


• Origins: Most likely made in China or Taiwan. Though I've eaten these for more than a decade and haven't gotten sick from them, eat at your own risk. Rating: 5 out of 10.

Technorati: Sweet, Fruit, Junk food, Candy, Dried Fruit, Snacks, Haw Flakes, Chinese

Kasugai Flower's Kiss Candy

Kasugai Flower's Kiss Candies come individually sealed in pretty pastel colored wrappers. The packaging claims that they make your breath smell as fresh as a flower so you can kiss.

• Texture: Flower's Kiss is a round hard candy that's a little bit bigger than Starburst hard candies. Be careful not to cut or puncture your mouth on the shards if you bite down on the candy. Rating: 5 out of 10.


• Flavor: The packaging says that plum flavoring is used. I found that it tasted like a cross between apricot and peach. The candies are not too sweet and a bit tart. They remind me of jolly ranchers. All the candies are the same flavor regardless of what color wrapper it has. Rating: 8 out of 10.


• Packaging: The wrappers are very pretty and the product seems to be targetted more towards female buyers. Flower's Kiss Candy wrappers come in pearlescent blue, pink, and yellow. Each wrapper has a picture of a different type of flower on it. There are 19 in total, try to collect them all! Each bag contains approximately 27 pieces of candy. Rating: 10 out of 10.


• Availability: This is a very common candy and can be found at almost all Asian grocery stores. Rating: 8 out of 10.


• Origins: 100% made in Japan! Rating: 10 out of 10.

Technorati: Candy, Fruit, Junk food, Japanese, Sweet, Snacks, Kasugai

Kasugai Gummy Candies

Kasugai gummy candies are one of my favorite things in the world.  These gummies come in a variety of flavors. The gummies are individually wrapped and they are all made in Japan. The are 9 flavors in total.

• Apple
• Grape (Red Grape)
• Kiwi
• Lychee
• Melon
• Muscat (Green Grape)
• Pineapple
• Peach
  
• Strawberry
• Orange
  
• Prune
• Blueberry
• There is also a multiflavor pack available.
  
  

• Texture: Kasugai gummies are always soft and chewy. If they are kept in their individually wrapped packages, they will never be tough or hard. The gummies are very squishy and each bite fills your mouth with a yummy fruit flavor. Rating: 10 out of 10.
• Flavor: I can honestly say that I love all the flavors, even though I hate eating real lychees and grapes. The candies are so fragrant that eating one in a small room will fill the room with the scent of fruit! As with most
  Asian candies, they are not too sweet and leave your mouth feeling refreshed. The flavors do not taste fake or artificial and the sensation of biting into one is like biting into the most ripe and delicious fruit whose flavor
  is so concentrated that it leaves you with a heady sensation. Rating: 10 out of 10.
• Packaging: The backgrounds of the bags are all closeup pictures of fruit. They can be a bit difficult to find if you don't read Japanese, but they all have Kasugai written in the top left hand corner of the bag. If it says Kasugai and the contents are squishy, then you've found it. Each gummy is beautifully wrapped and cushioned with a bit of air. Rating: 8 out of 10.
  
• Availability: While they are available in most Asian grocery stores, the variety of flavors usually leaves a lot to be desired. Your safest bet is to buy them from a Japanese grocery store where there will be the largest selection. As far as I know, these candies are not available in normal supermarkets.
• Origins: 100% made in Japan so these snacks are safe to eat. Rating: 10 out of 10.

Technorati:
Candy, Fruit, Junk food, Japanese, Sweet, Snacks, Kasugai