Candy Overload

So, here's a backlog of candy I've been really enjoying.  Everything is from this new Asian market that opened in VA called Hanaro Mart (I think) right next to Spa World in Centreville, VA.  I think it opened last week actually.  It's not as big as Hmart but they have a pretty upscale cosmetics counter and you can tell money went into the decor.  The food isn't significantly cheaper or more expensive than Hmart or Grand Mart and the quality is comparable.  But I can say for a fact their candy is all $1 or more cheaper than Hmart, which is a lot considering each bag of candy runs from $2-$7.   I compared prices and Hmart consistently charges about a $1+ on identical brands of candy than Hanaro Mart.

First is an old favorite of mine:


Unican Milkita!  Unican is an Indonisian brand that I think is best known for their Milkita candy.  They actually have this in a Strawberry and Milk flavor as well but I think Melon is the best :)!  The chocolate milk is just...chocolate milk ^^ I actually have to say I think this is my favorite milk-based candy, even better than Peko-chan for me.


They come individually packaged and are quite chewy...this is definitely not for someone with weak teeth ^^ It has a distinct milk flavor with a strong kick of melon - SO GOOD.  The other three, Chocolate milk, Milk, and Strawberry are quite good as well but Melon is a bit more unusual of a flavor and it's just super good. It tastes like the Asian Melon popsicles.  The only downside is that after awhile they start getting a little hard :( so it gets harder to chew.  But the flavor is wicked and they're usually gone within a few days for me ^^

Unican also makes Sukoka Soft Coffee Candy...


This isn't one of my favorites, the milk flavor is too strong for a coffee flavored candy I think. I like to taste coffee in coffee flavored candy, this more like....a frappachino or something, too sweet and milky.  It also isn't any softer than the Milkita, in fact, besides the flavor, they are shaped and have the same texture as the Milkita candy.  In fact, I'm not sure why they just don't market this under the Milkita line.


This coffee candy is best for people who aren't crazy about coffee flavors I think.  But coffee purists definitely won't like this one too much.



Now I may not be crazy about the regular Milk Peko-chan but the Milky Matcha Peko-chan is fantastic! I can really taste the Matcha powder and it just goes with the Peko-chan style milk-flavor so well.


Plus it's just so cute how the milk ball is half green ^^ Peko-chan is chewier than the Milkita, which can be a good or bad thing depending on your preference.    The wrapper is very old school wax paper but it's charming in that way.  You can taste the Matcha flavor to the very last chew...so good.  One could say this is a tad sweet but the sweetness comes from the milk flavor, the matcha flavor is pretty pure I think.


Haitai Crunch Ball Crispy Candy basically has the flavor and consistency of peanut brittle.  Since I don't like peanuts obviously this is my least favorite of the bunch ^^ but my brother loves this.


The white-ish things are chunks of real peanuts so even though this is a hard candy, you can bite it and it will crumble from all the peanuts and the candy part is peanut flavored too.  It's seriously peanut overload in other words ^0^ great for the peanut lover I suppose~


I saved my favorite for last.  I didn't know what Nodoni Sukkiri (now I know it's actually a throat candy ^^) is so I had no idea what to expect.  But I was so charmed by the seashell shape and I have faith in the Kasugai brand :)  The official name is Kasugai Nodoni Sukkiri Herb Candy.

Anyway, I was far from disappointed - although the flavor sounds prosaic (it's a herbal mint flavor) - it's REALLY good, I don't have a cold but I eat this candy regardless.  It's definitely the best tasting cough drop I've ever come across.  It tastes "naturally" minty with a slight herbal flavor.  It's a hard candy and it melts on your tongue so smoothly and slides down your throat (appropriate considering it's a cough drop ^^) - it's a bit hard to describe.  It's just excellent and is already my favorite mint candy.


If you see this in stores you should definitely give it a try whether you have a cold or not.  I particularly like how it is mint flavored but the taste is truly complex and there is an excellent aftertaste that lingers on your tongue.  The flavor is not overpowering but it is strong and refreshing and hands down my favorite mint flavored candy ever.

Kay that's all for now ^_^