Japanese foods-- Okashi

[nakji]

Have you seen the berry-flavoured ones? I think they're quite foul, but my husband loves them.

[prasantrin]

Have you seen the berry-flavoured ones? I think they're quite foul, but my husband loves them.

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Triple berry? I saw those, in both bags and regular-sized bar, but was not tempted to try them.

I'm still waiting for my beloved Cafe Latte to come back!

[helenjp]

Kurozato Kit-kats, yes, the family member who liked "unagi custard icecream" also liked these.

I find them a little borderline.

Recent "find" is the "salted youkan" mini-bars from Kashihara. Son ate quite a few...but then the next day they covered the glycemic index in school health class!

[prasantrin]

Just spied today--sakurambo little kitkats.

I hope it's good!

[nakji]

Has anyone seen the new Pretz flavours in the recloseable bags? I picked up some basil and pumpkin flavours over the weekend, and I really enjoyed them. The pumpkin flavour was a nice blend of salty/sweet - it would be really good with beer. I found them at my supermarket, but I haven't seen them at the conbini yet.

[chocomoo]

Those sound so good! I wonder if the tomato one is any different from the regular tomato Pretz?

I'm still keeping a lookout for the pea Pretz here. I'm so glad Glico brought it back - it's one of my favourite Pretz flavours, along with corn.

Edited July 29, 2008 by chocomoo (log)

[rlivings]

does anyone know where I can get kakipea with cheese around the senbei? I've had it once at a bar and it was delicious.

[mochihead]

I had cravings earlier this week, so I decided to make some amanatto - edamame & black bean.

[torakris]

I had cravings earlier this week, so I decided to make some amanatto - edamame & black bean.

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I had never thought of making amanatto before!!

I really love them but they are so expensive, do you mind sharing how you did it?

[sanrensho]

I'm interested too! Although I don't find it be that expensive, maybe Torakris is talking about the good stuff. (I use mine for baking only.)

Edited September 19, 2008 by sanrensho (log)

[torakris]

I'm interested too! Although I don't find it be that expensive, maybe Torakris is talking about the good stuff. (I use mine for baking only.)

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Baking? What do you put them in? I have never thought of baking with them...

Even the cheap-ish ones are in the 400 yen to 500 yen per 100g range, at this price they are for eating out of hand only.

[sanrensho]

Baking? What do you put them in? I have never thought of baking with them...

Even the cheap-ish ones are in the 400 yen to 500 yen per 100g range, at this price they are for eating out of hand only.

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I mostly bake them in chiffon cakes (matcha, etc.), but I wouldn't hesitate to put them in a pound cake as well. I also chop them and throw them into chantilly cream or other creams for filling rolls (matcha azuki roll), etc.

The brand I can get imported here is Inada Mame. They were selling the same brand in Matsumoto for about 125 yen per page (100-130g per package). Available in a couple of varieties including the standard azuki and kuromame, etc.

I just had some out of the freezer, and they actually taste pretty good that way.

And actually, that reminds me, I should make a matcha-azuki muffin sometime soon.

Edited September 19, 2008 by sanrensho (log)

[mochihead]

torakris & sanrensho: I just added the the recipe to RecipeGullet. Hopefully it works ok for all of you. I'm in a rather wet & humid climate, so it's always extra interesting to make this.

sanrensho: I've never heard of putting amanatto in cakes, either! Is it the equivalent of using candied ginger? Does the amanatto keep its consistency in the cakes or does it become softer? That matcha-azuki muffin sounds really interesting - would you mind sharing the recipe?

edited: spelling & weird sentences.

Edited September 19, 2008 by mochihead (log)

[sanrensho]

torakris & sanrensho: I just added the the recipe to RecipeGullet.  Hopefully it works ok for all of you.  I'm in a rather wet & humid climate, so it's always extra interesting to make this. 

sanrensho: I've never heard of putting amanatto in cakes, either!  Is it the equivalent of using candied ginger? Does the amanatto keep its consistency in the cakes or does it become softer?  That matcha-azuki muffin sounds really interesting - would you mind sharing the recipe?

I just noticed you're from Hawaii--it's been way too long since I last visited. Sniff. I could really use an apple banana now.

The chopped amanatto stays intact but becomes a bit softer. It adds a bit of textural (and visual) interest to cakes and fillings, and of course pairs superbly with matcha. I think of them much like I do chocolate chips or raisins, so there are lots of possibilities in wafuu-style desserts.

I don't have a recipe for the matcha azuki muffin yet. I think I will end up doctoring my usual sourdough muffin recipe--which is my current favorite muffin recipe. Hopefully the sourdough won't be too overpowering for the matcha. (I always have a lot of sourdough on hand from baking bread.)

http://www.sourdoughhome.com/blueberrymuffins.html

Thanks for posting the amanatto recipe. I look forward to trying it.

Edited September 19, 2008 by sanrensho (log)

[torakris]

Thank you for the recipe! I can't wait to give it a try, I haven't had amanatto for years... and I have tons of dried beans in the house.

[prasantrin]

Yuzu KitKat. I splurged and bought a bag, but haven't yet tried them (nor have I gotten around to opening the shoyu, zunda or kinako ones...in case anyone was wondering...).

[nakji]

I got these the other week as well. I think citrus and chocolate flavours go together well, so I enjoyed them. Why do they only ever come in minis, though? Last Fall, I seem to remember lots of different kinds of full-sized kitkats. This Fall: nothing. Maybe it's my 7-11.

[prasantrin]

I got these the other week as well. I think citrus and chocolate flavours go together well, so I enjoyed them. Why do they only ever come in minis, though? Last Fall, I seem to remember lots of different kinds of full-sized kitkats. This Fall: nothing. Maybe it's my 7-11.

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I saw full-sized oshiruko kitkat at Family Mart the other day, but I haven't seen them anywhere else.

I also saw a large box of some other flavour, but I think they were mini-kitkats in the box. Strawberry something?

[torakris]

I just tried the yuzu ones as well, I really enjoyed them.

oshiruko kit kats? now that sounds weird.

Has anyone else noticed that Hi-chew is seriously lacking in new flavors recently? I really wish they would bring the lime one back...

[prasantrin]

I just tried the yuzu ones as well, I really enjoyed them.

oshiruko kit kats? now that sounds weird.

I thought they'd be like adzuki kitkat, and since I know those don't taste like anything, I didn't bother with them. I was wondering if they'd do the mochi like Tirol chocolates. I like the Tirol chocolates with mochi (like the kinako one).

Has anyone else noticed that Hi-chew is seriously lacking in new flavors recently? I really wish they would bring the lime one back...

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I don't often look at Hi-chew, but I bought a pack of Lychee recently. They tasted just like lychee, but the texture was like chewing plastic. Has Hi-chew changed recently? I remember them being better than that.

[Hiroyuki]

Meiji Seika has recently changed their logo.Click here to watch a video of the Sep. 13th eidition of the TV show, Gacchiri Monday. A guy from Meiji explains the concept of the new logo (starting at around 16:45). He says the m looks like fresh cream, the e looks like someone smiling, and the j looks like a mother, with the two i's cuddling up to their mother. I find the explaination not convincing, and I think the new logo looks rather stupid. All my family are of the same opinion: The previous logo was much, much better. What do you think?

[Blether]

Well, the M looks to me like the cat that got the cream

It's clean and modern, isn't it, compared to the old italic serif font ? But it's still basically the word 'Meiji', unadorned in red. Revolutionary cange from a big Japanese company now that would have been a surprise

[helenjp]

It's not exactly breathtaking, is it? Apart from the slightly melted look of the "m", it looks like a hundred or more other logotypes.

I guess it takes something more, err, momentous, to bring real change - for example, the new look Yuki-jirushi, or whatever they morphed into!

[Blether]

Have yuki jirushi changed so much ? I haven't noticed and their butter packs look the same as ever (though now more evil. Yuki-jirushi. Grrr). I don't see much change at their web site either.

[Hiroyuki]

Thanks for your replies, Helen and Blether. I know I can't do anything about the logo, but that guy's explanation sounded so stupid to me, and I wanted to know what other people would think about it.

Helen, are you talking about MEGMILK?