Morinaga caramels from Japan are classics; they’ve been around for about a hundred years. They’re cute little cubes made with real milk in the traditional style. They come in seasonal and limited edition flavors. Some return like Black Sugar, Adzuki and Matcha. The new one I found this year is Morinaga Satsumaimo Caramels, which are sweet potato flavored. I know, it sounds weird, but bear with me.
They come boxed just like the other varieties. It’s sealed in cellophane to keep the caramels fresh, so once the box is open, it’s best to eat them within a few weeks. The little sleeve holds a tray with a dozen foil wrapped cubes.
It smells milky and a little earthy, like pumpkin or adzuki. The flavor is rather like squash or yam. The milky notes are caramelized and toasty with only a faint hint of bitterness. The sweet potato flavor is rooty and earthy without tasting like beets. It’s a wholesome and satisfying flavor that isn’t overtly sweet.
The chew is smooth, with a slight grain to it, not as distinct as fudge and certainly creamy and chewier than a Kraft caramel. It didn’t matter how long I chewed it, it maintained its texture instead of disintegrating into grainy bits. It was a slow and smooth dissolve.
I easily ate the whole package shortly after taking the photos, holding off on the last two in order to finish up the review. And then last weekend I popped down to Little Tokyo and found another box ... and promptly ate those within a day. (I also bought a Coffee Caramel version, which I started eating without photographing. All I can say on that is that I recommend them.) They’re expensive for just a plain old box of caramels, but they’re certainly distinctive and an easily afforded treat to share.
Related Candies
- Trader Joe’s Milk Chocolate Covered Potato Chips
- HiCHEW World Fruit: Dragonfruit, CamuCamu, Durian & White Peach
- Meiji Pokka Coffee Caramel
- Peeps Mash Ups - Savory
- Maud Borup Potato Chips
- KitKat Pumpkin
- Impressions from the Floor
- Green and Black Caramels
Name: |
Satsumaimo Caramel |
RATING:
- SUPERB
- YUMMY
- TASTY
- WORTH IT
- TEMPTING
- PLEASANT
- BENIGN
- UNAPPEALING
- APPALLING
- INEDIBLE
|
Brand: |
Morinaga |
Place Purchased: |
Mitsuwa Marketplace (Torrance) |
Price: |
$1.89 |
Size: |
2.04 ounces |
Calories per ounce: |
133 |
Categories: |
Candy, Morinaga, Caramel, 8-Tasty, Japan |
whereabouts in little tokyo?
I love milk caramels. I love sweet potato. Reading your review on how this caramels taste makes me curious and want to try it soon. Just wonder where can I get this caramels?
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