9 Bizarre Japanese Treats
The Japanese are no stranger to weird, bizarre, and downright unsettling culinary concoctions, but sometimes you come across some that you just have to try.
Here are nine items from Japan that will make you do a double take:
Flavored sodas, such as the popular Jones’ Soda, are a dime a dozen, but you would be hard pressed to find something called “Tentacle Grape” outside of Japan. A play on the popular and utterly bizarre Japanese phenomenon known as “tentacle rape,” this grape-flavored soda is a must have for anime fans and die-hard collectors of all things Japanese alike!
OK, so like Tentacle Grape, it’s not a weird food infusion, but with a name like “sweat powder,” you almost feel compelled to order up a few packages of the stuff. Of course, it’s not sweat; instead, you’re treated to a fine powder you add to water to replace the vitamins and minerals lost through sweat while working out. If you think about it, it’s actually perfectly named!
3. Sushi-flavored Japanese Food Drops
“Drop Candies” were popular during World War II, and Japan has helped to bring them back for the new millennium. They come in a variety of flavors (including beer!), but one has to marvel at the ingenuity behind designing a candy that tastes like every American’s favorite import, sushi. Pair it up with some Saki and you got a cheap and easy way to enjoy sushi!
4. Morinaga Sweet Potato Caramel
Caramel is sweet and gooey, with a unique flavor. It’s essentially sugar, so how can it be bad? Well, you can add all sorts of crazy flavors to it, and that’s exactly what Morinaga did. But would you really want to try sweet potato-flavored caramel? Ya never know — it might be good!
Japan has become well-known for their odd and varied flavors of the popular candy bar Kit-Kat, but nothing can beat wasabi-flavored Kit-Kat. A tasty mix of chocolate, wafer, and the ultra spicy condiment wasabi ensure a tasty treat you’ll be dying to show your friends.
Wasabi may be a weird thing to pair with chocolate, but what about tomatoes? Meiji’s “Tomato de Chocolate” is a tomato-infused chocolate bar designed to help you “learn to love the flavors of nature.” Tomatoes belong on a pizza, or a salad, but a chocolate bar? Hey, at least it’s not wasabi.
Pretzels are awesome. They’re great for dipping into things (Cheese, anyone?), or just as a quick snack. Salads, not so much. But what if you combined the two? Glico brand “Let’s Pretz!” salad-flavored pretzels offer the best of both worlds in a convenient packaging!
8. Fuwarinka Rose Essence Soft Candy
The aroma of fresh roses is inviting, but what about their taste? This rose-flavored soft candy not only tastes like roses, but is also infused with a number of vitamins and other additions to help reduce wrinkles and prevent aging. Does it work? There’s only one way to find out!
9. Chocolate Medicine for the Love Sick
OK, so it’s not weird or bizarre, but you can’t argue against the cutesy appeal of giving a friend who just got dumped a box of these chocolate candies designed to lift the spirits and mend a broken heart.
By Lycurgus on 27-02-2012
