Thursday, January 17, 2008

Meiji Gummy Choco

Meiji Gummy ChocoOver the holidays my mother was in town for a visit and we went on a hunt for exotic citrus. I thought for sure I could find some fresh yuzu in Little Tokyo. (I was also keeping my eyes open for kalamansi, dalandan and ponkan.) Finally I did see some yuzu at Mitsuwa Marketplace, but at $29.99 a pound (about $8 each), I had to give up on my plans to candy yuzu peel.

There were a few consolation prizes though, including my new favorite Wheat Chocolate and I picked up a tube of Meiji Gummy Choco.

I’ve had these before, one of my co-workers loves to bring in new finds from her local Asian market and shared some with me. But I gobbled them up before I could take any pictures. So here they are, in all their glory.

Meiji Gummy Choco

Meiji packages these in several different ways, but I prefer the tall tube (a little shorter than a standard paper towel roll).

Meiji Gummy ChocoThe design on the package is absolutely wonderful. It’s colorful and exciting but not too busy. Even without the English on the package, it’s pretty easy to figure out what’s going on inside. Each end shows the little candies, just slightly larger than real life. There are also cute little peep mascots on the package wearing little hats ... I think they’re hats, or someone’s dipped their heads in chocolate.

Luckily this was an export package and was in English. The mix of flavors here are Strawberry, Muscat and Orange. The flavored white chocolate coating is real white chocolate. The ingredients for the confection start out like this: sugar, corn syrup, cocoa butter, whole milk powder, palm oil, concentrated fruit juice, skim milk powder, cacao mass, gelatin ... and so on.

Now, you may find this a little odd, but before I was exposed to the Gummy Choco, I’d never had chocolate-covered gummis before. (I’ll have some Muddy Bears up in the next week or so as a comparison). Somehow I always thought that the texture combo wouldn’t work, that the chocolate would be grainy and flaky compared to the gummi or that the chocolate would be subpar. Meiji has balanced theirs with a very soft gummi that’s pretty intensely flavored along with a generous and flavored white chocolate coating.

  • Strawberry - not quite pink, it’s almost lavender. The outside is very milky tasting and sweet. The strawberry gummy at the center is pretty intensely flavored. It’s like chewing on a fresh strawberry preserve ... but without the seeds. (The ingredients do say real fruit juice and no artificial flavors or colors either.)
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  • Muscat - a yellow/green color that reminded me more of honeydew melon at first on the outside, but the gummi on the inside is definitely a light grape flavor. It’s not my most favorite of the three, definitely the most mild.
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  • Orange - a lovely salmon orange color. The orange on the white chocolate coating is rather pronounced and reminded me of orange sherbet. There’s a brief taste of the chocolate layer then a zap of tangy chew from the soft gummi.
  • If the idea of white chocolate is just too difficult for you, Meiji makes a milk chocolate and strawberry version that’s also spectacular (and often sold in boxes instead of the tubes). I haven’t seen them in the States, but here are some more versions on Flickr.

    Basically, I love these. I love the look of the package, I love the easy-to-dispense tube. The taste is great, often with flavor mixes there’s one that I don’t like, but I loved all of them. The price for an import candy wasn’t too bad ($1.49 at Nijiya Market in Little Tokyo Plaza) and it was absolutely fresh. There’s even 8% of my daily RDA of calcium in every serving. If they sold these at movie theaters, I might actually start going to the movies again.

    They’re pretty popular and can be found in both Chinese, Korean and Japanese markets as well as various webstores. I’m not sure if they’re carried in comic book stores, but keep an eye out anyplace that you can find manga and other Asian imports.

    (Meiji also makes other tubular goodness with their Coffee Beat.)

    Related Candies

    1. Sour Gummi Bears
    2. Brain Candy! (gummi brains)
    3. Lifesaver Gummies
    4. Gummi Clown Fish
    5. Fragrant Gummies
    Name: Gummy Choco Mix
      RATING:
    • 10 SUPERB
    • 9 YUMMY
    • 8 TASTY
    • 7 WORTH IT
    • 6 TEMPTING
    • 5 PLEASANT
    • 4 BENIGN
    • 3 UNAPPEALING
    • 2 APPALLING
    • 1 INEDIBLE
    Brand: Meiji
    Place Purchased: Nijiya Market (Little Tokyo)
    Price: $1.49
    Size: 3.7 ounces
    Calories per ounce: 149
    Categories: Chocolate, White Chocolate, Gummi, Japan, Meiji

    POSTED BY Cybele AT 8:11 am Tracker Pixel for Entry    

    Comments
    1. How funny, I always see the milk chocolate strawberry version in the Asian markets out here, but never this white chocolate/mulit fruit one. YUM!

      Comment by Sera on 1/17/08 at 10:01 am #
    2. I have seen the chocolate-coated ones at Mitsuwa, Nijiya, and Marukai at various times. There is also a different brand that comes in little baggies. They are generally displayed at the end of an aisle on a hanging thing and are maybe a foot and a half long, with 4-5 flavors each in a separate bag (for some reason the strawberry always has pink-colored white chocolate coating, but the others are regular chocolate). Again, I’ve seen these at all the Japanese shops in the LA area at various times.

      Comment by Grace on 1/17/08 at 10:26 am #
    3. I love, love, love the milk choco gummis! I’ve had the peach, muscat and fuji apple (don’t like strawberry stuff) and they are all fantastic! I love the tubes, as well. Nicely designed and easy to dispense from. I only wish I could find an alternative use for the tubes as they are stacking up…

      I’ve seen these all over the Bay Area.

      Comment by KateC on 1/17/08 at 10:28 am #
    4. I saw these about a month ago at one of our Japanese markets, Komatsu. I did bring them home for my boyfriend to try.. he was quite interested at the texture, but quite enjoyed them from what I picked up. I didn’t have any, so I can’t really comment too much on them. They do contain gelatin and being a vegetarian, that sort of limits some sweets for me(but thankfully all my favorites are still fine!). I must mention though the wonderful smell when I opened up the neat little tube though.. so fresh and fruity :D

      Comment by nicole on 1/17/08 at 10:38 am #
    5. Also wanted to mention, that being in BC, Canada.. most of our really interesting Japanese snacks, are available online only.. although you can always find Hi-Chew’s and Soy rice crisps smile

      Comment by nicole on 1/17/08 at 10:40 am #
    6. I had just bought a tube of this on impulse when I was in soho last week and devoured it upon minutes of opening. yum!

      Comment by Xue on 1/17/08 at 11:47 am #
    7. Oh I LOVE the green apple flavor. Yum. I almost always get a tube when I go to T&T Market. smile

      Comment by Jens on 1/17/08 at 1:03 pm #
    8. I’ve never tried this before, but I might go out and get some tonight! (There is a Japanese food market two blocks from my house; they have a huge candy aisle. It’s the best.)

      Comment by Ezra on 1/17/08 at 1:19 pm #
    9. These look SO good.  White chocolate and gummies sound like the perfect combination.  Would you happen to know if these are avaliable online [since I don’t live anywhere near a Japanese food market]? smile

      Comment by Breigh on 1/18/08 at 8:30 am #
    10. I am going to have to try these - I have seen them at the Korean/Japanese market I like to go to. I love Coffee Beat and - I really like your blog, too! Have been reading for some time. I especially enjoy your Japanese candy reviews.

      Comment by Lidian on 1/18/08 at 9:32 am #
    11. So I went out and got these, or what I thought were these, made by the same company, which turned out to basically be Japanese m&m’s. Too bad.

      Comment by Ezra on 1/18/08 at 1:59 pm #
    12. I was surprised at how high you rated these.  Then I remembered that the reason I felt so disgusted when I had them was because I finished the whole tube in ~30 minutes.  smile  Heh.

      Comment by Pam on 1/18/08 at 10:51 pm #
    13. I liked those… especially sucking on them smile

      Comment by Alyssa on 1/19/08 at 6:04 am #
    14. Asian Food Grocer ( http://www.asianfoodgrocer.com ) carries the choco gummi’s online, although there’s a price mark-up.

      these are really good in trail mix!! The little boxes are great to throw in your purse and you can reuse the tubes by painting them, refilling with other candy and giving them away (valentines day gifts for friends maybe?)

      the best thing about these are that they’re easy to share, since you can pour some into the lid, and then pass the tube on, although they’ll disappear very quickly.

      Comment by Erica on 1/22/08 at 4:24 am #
    15. These are one of my favorites too! I can eat a whole tube in a sitting. =X

      You might be able to find yuzu at Nijiya for a much cheaper price. Up here in the Bay Area, I’ve seen 3 small yuzu for less than $5.

      Comment by Amy on 1/30/08 at 12:50 am #
    16. I love these!!! They’re available at HMart in Vancouver and Aberdeen Centre in Richmond but the price is around $3.99 a tube… and if I eat too many I feel a little sick.  But I still buy them.

      Comment by Storme on 2/12/08 at 7:53 pm #
    17. I bought some of these at Mitsuwa market just because I saw them in this blog, and they are indeed, amazing.

      Comment by Kim on 2/18/08 at 1:37 pm #
    18. Got a bunch of everything (Apple, Peach, Strawberry, Muscat, and Mix) in Chinatown. It’s my fav candy ^^

      Comment by Emmy on 8/02/08 at 5:18 am #
    19. I like to buy the boxed version of these (in milk chocolate) whenever I’m in Taiwan visiting family. I usually see the grape version in 7-Elevens and other convenience stores which are prolific in Taiwan. Seriously stand on any street and look down it either direction. You will see at least one convenience store. I also see the strawberry version sometimes but those are usually in three packs. The price in Taiwan is 20NTD (New Taiwan Dollars- also known as the yuan) a box which is about $0.60. Gotta love food prices in Taiwan. Boba (bubble) tea- the milk tea with the chewy tapioca pearls in it is only 30NTD (just under a buck) in Taiwan whereas you be paying $2-3 bucks for a cup here in the states.

      Comment by Temperance on 10/06/08 at 5:23 am #
    20. i just bought one today at lion market (:. i live in the states so i guess its easier to find them. i got peach. i originally wanted strawberry, but i got the wrong ones. but whatever, imma give peach a try, I HOPE ITS GOOD. (: <3

      Comment by xtinelicious on 12/02/08 at 12:47 pm #
    21. yeaaah, i got peach too. there are sooooo GOOD!

      Comment by Xclusiveedose on 12/02/08 at 12:49 pm #
    22. I got some gummi chocos at mitsuwa, I hate the grape, though…tastes too much like flavored motrin.

      Comment by Carleene on 12/27/08 at 4:27 pm #
    23. I couldn’t resist and paid $3.49 for a tube of these today. I justified it by telling myself I will only have a few a day…

      Comment by Nathalie on 1/21/09 at 10:57 am #
    24. Wooo I got it at Lion Market today. hehe! It was $2.99. I got peach. :D I think I am going to try the apple one next teehee

      Comment by Kathy on 2/19/09 at 5:02 pm #
    25. every other thursday, the nut-cart lady comes to our office with a cart laced with hypertension & diabetes (haha) anyways, there were chocolate covered jujubes so i figured i’d give them a try. they were really good, but i felt that the jujube to chocolate ratio was way too low & the chocolate tasted really cheap. then one day as i was perusing around the candy aisle in china town, i stumbled upon gummy chocos…
      OMG PRETTY MUCH THE BEST FREKKN’ THING EVER INVENTED.

      Comment by marie on 3/23/09 at 8:05 pm #
    26. I was introduced to this candy by my cousin. I absolutely love it! I always buy the apple-flavored one, and within a few hours there would only be at least 20 Gummy Chocos left.. =]

      Comment by Amaryllis on 6/26/09 at 4:10 pm #
    27. While browsing your blog today,I found this posting about the wonders of Gummy Choco. On my way home from work I stopped by the Asian food market with the hope they may have some. They did!! This is my new favorite candy! You’re right! The candy shell is beautiful, the packaging is beautiful, and the the candy is fruity and chewy and all around excellent.
      Thanks for that !!
      Jen

      Comment by Jennifer B on 8/07/09 at 9:20 pm #
    28. OMG! I love Meiji Gummy Choco. It’s so good and gets really addicting…

      Comment by Michelle :] on 2/11/10 at 6:03 pm #
    29. I found some of these at a grocery store around my area that has all sorts of imports recently. it was somewhat costly for me ($4 or so); but well worth it. These are delicious. <3

      Comment by Raine on 2/15/10 at 3:21 pm #
    30. You are the one that encouraged me to go out and buy these.

      I certainly do not regret it. I picked up a pack of strawberry-flavored gummy chocos and decided to fully analyze the candies to try to take good pictures of them myself.

      The pack I had, the gummy part was, imo, just a bit too tough. The chocolate just seemed to flake off of it and I had to bite harder. But that’s probably just because the pack wasn’t too fresh.

      Anyway, delicious. Finished them in a day.

      Comment by Rachel on 6/28/10 at 3:51 pm #
    31. delicious is an understatement…...gummy, chocolate, peanut butter and popcorn is what im addicted to lol i know popcorn doesnt fit the list but still hehe

      Comment by beading on 10/26/10 at 11:46 am #
    32. Ok well I have loved these for the last 3 years and am now sad to say the blockbuster near me is going to stop selling them. Since I am far far away from the lower 48 I had to seach online!
      I paid 6-7$ a tube and limit myself to 2-3 a week!
      I just tried the mixed tub since it was the last one and I still like muscat and peach the best!
      I am trying to find a decent priced store for these so any help would be nice!!!
      THANKS THESE ARE THE BEST EVER!

      Comment by Mat on 4/11/11 at 10:41 pm #
    33. Splurged today and picked up two tubes of these without checking the price…$4.99 a piece! I hemmed and hawed and stuck with the white chocolate mix though the peach caught my eye…maybe next time.

      Comment by Nathalie on 6/16/11 at 8:47 am #
    34. I’ve had these before seeing the review. They’re DELICIOUS and so worth the sort of high price of $3.49 at most Asian stores. I can never decide on what flavor i should get so i always decide on the Orange, Strawberry, and Muscat flavored tube. This review is so helpful to show all of my friends!

      Comment by Lea on 6/10/12 at 3:15 pm #
    35. Gummi Choco is my FAVORITE CANDY ever!! Although it’s really expensive ($3.99!!) I think it’s a great splurge whenever I have cravings.

      Comment by Vivian Lee on 4/11/14 at 11:05 pm #
    36. Have you tried peach im getting a six pack because one wasnt enough because im sharing with my friends so have you tried the peach and if yes how is it?

      Comment by Anonymous on 6/06/15 at 8:09 pm #
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