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Tuesday 8 July 2014

Candy Japan


"I like Candy! I like Candy!" So goes the popular song I will inevitably start singing when an envelope filled with Japanese Candy is handed to me by my post man. I have previously tried Graze boxes, which are lovely in themselves but nothing quite compares to the quirky, fun & colourful packaging of candy from Japan.

I came across the Candy Japan website via a youtube video where a couple were showing what they had received in their latest order. One of the sweets required them to mix bits up and cook them in the microwave. It was like a science experiment. You don't get cool stuff like that with UK sweets. I instantly became obsessed with trying it for myself. I've never been to Japan so I've never had the chance to try any of their sweet treats before. I needed to know what I was missing!

Candy Japan is run by Bemmu, a Finnish expat in Japan. The idea is that he chooses interesting candies that are difficult to come by outside Japan, you pay $25 a month and he sends you the package of happy!
This is what he says on the website: 
  "Each month we will send at least as much candy as can fit in two standard Japanese envelopes. Expect to get at least 2 and up to 6 different candies each month. Some months we may send larger boxes. "
When my envelope arrived, I uploaded a picture of it to Instagram and Facebook. Instantly I had people oohing and ahhing and some telling me they had tried some of it and it was amazing. Another friend who is currently in Japan with work had seen the candy in the stores but not tried it yet. I was to report back on if it was any good.

Later on that day I got an email from Candy Japan telling me all about each candy, which was really helpful as I can't read Japanese and had no idea what the candy was aside from guessing by the taste, so I shall share that info and imagery here too and then give my opinion on each one...

 

 

 

Super Mario Gummy

Super Mario is a video game character loved by people all over the world. There are many products based on this popular character and candy is no exception. The taste is cola. If the package contains other shapes than just Mario, consider yourself lucky. For example you can find gummies shaped like power up stars, coins, mushrooms or question mark mystery cubes. "Mario became a gummy!" proclaims the packaging.



My Opinion: Tasted like cola bottles with a little sugar on them. I loved these, my daughter didn't.  I have sent my friend who is living in Japan off to try these for himself.


Honey Kumquat Jelly

What is a kumquat? They are a type of citrus fruit that is cultivated in Japan among other places and used to make jelly. The outer layer of the candy is sweet and sour, with kumquat syrup inside. If you look at the character in the wrapping, you can see that the bear with a green hat actually resembles a kumquat fruit. The candies have a very soft texture.


 
My opinion: Yum! They tasted exactly as described and were very morish! I was pretty sad when the pack was empty, not gonna lie.

Salt Milk Caramel

Even though the name contains the word "salt", these are actually not all that salty. They are made from cream that comes from Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan. The rock salt used in this is made in Lorraine, which is an area in France. The candies are chewy in texture and as is common in Japan, individually wrapped.





My Opinion: My absolute fav of the lot. One of my friends had tried these before and commented on my picture how gorgeous they were and he was right. Creamy, chewy caramel. Absolutely divine.

In conclusion I think this is an amazing idea - as a gift for someone who enjoys candy or just a treat for yourself. If you enjoy candy and trying new things, then trot along to the Candy Japan website and get yourself signed up.

I shall continue to sing "I like Candy! I like Candy!"  because I do. Like Candy. Yum.

Have you tried any Japanese Candy? Which is your favorite?

Saturday 4 January 2014

Happy New Year 2014 & Art

Happy New Year everyone!

I'm so excited for this coming year. I was excited for 2013 too and it didn't let me down. I met people I admired, I spent quality time with friends new & old and I finally made a huge decision which gives me space to go after what I really want.

2013 wasn't perfect of course. There were some serious and stressful events but all in all it did lead me and my beautiful little family on to a new path, and I truly believe it's a good one for all of us.

The biggest change was me leaving my job. I didn't have a choice due to family stuff and I felt like my world was falling apart. It wasn't the job I didn't want to lose though - it was my sense of self I had through working there. To be honest I didn't like the place. It was full of people I had nothing in common with who aspired to be like "The only way is Essex" or The Kardashians. I loved working with clients and I loved beauty therapy but that place...ugh.

Enough about that. I chose my family over money, and we haven't looked back.

So 2014 for me is about working for myself an art. I want to lose myself in creativity.

With that said I decided to sign up and do a year long art class online called "LifeBook" It's been running for a few years now and the feedback is amazing. I spent months deciding if I could justify buying the course and finally caved 2 days before the new year. I'm so glad I did.



I am now waiting on all my art supplies arriving so I can get started. I have watched the video's and am so excited to dive in. I am a little nervous because I can't draw as far as I'm aware but heck - practice makes perfect, right? RIGHT!

I'll be posting updates as I go on here along with the rest of my adventures in 2014.

What are you taking up/giving up in the new year? Share with me :)

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