Could Cheese & Cheese Crunky Be the Next Big Snack Out of Japan?
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Let’s face it – we’re all snacking a bit too much as we practice social distancing and hide from COVID-19. And in Japan, apparently, that means eating some weird chocolate.
Even if you're a pro at social distancing, you're probably going to have to visit a supermarket every once in a while. And when you're living in Japan, inevitably, grocery shopping means getting surrounded by snacks with both flashy packaging, and somewhat shocking flavors. We already know that companies big and small like releasing limited edition and seasonal snacks in Japan, like Coca Cola's recent strawberry coke, and the many cherry blossom Kit Kats, drinks, and other products that appear on shelves every spring.
Now that sakura season is coming to an end and people are cozying up at home, it's apparently just the right time of year for "Cheese & Cheese Crunky Crunch Chocolate."
Crunky is a chocolate brand from Korean confectionery Lotte, and your standard Crunky is a bar of semisweet chocolate filled with malt puffs, which ends up quite similar in taste in texture to a Nestlé Crunch bar.
This one does not taste like a Nestlé Crunch bar, or a standard Crunky, because it is "Cheese & Cheese" flavor. And although you occasionally see sweets in Japan that come in "cream cheese flavor", or the similar "cheesecake flavor," this particular chocolate bar is cheddar and parmesan flavor.
Well, "Cheese & Cheese: Cheddar & Parmesan" flavor is what's written on the package, but I'm sorry (?) to tell you, that's not really what it tastes like. After picking up this exciting novelty in hopes of livening up my social distancing lifestyle, I really wanted it to taste like good cheese. The packaging even says there's real cheddar and parmesan in it! But is the flavor there? …not quite.
The best way I can describe the flavor of this chocolate bar is as follows: very sweet breakfast cereal with slightly old (but still not spoiled) milk. And a mild aftertaste of cheese.
Ah well, I guess hoping for cheddar chocolate really was asking too much.
Have you tried Crunky's newest chocolate yet? (Do you think it's the next big snack out of Japan??) Or have you tried some other unusually flavored Japanese sweets? I'd genuinely love to hear about the weird stuff you ate in Japan, or the weird things you're dreaming up while you stay home this spring! Let me know on JAPANKURU's twitter, instagram, and facebook.
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NAME:Crunky Chocolate
Between collaboration items and special-edition limited-time-only goods, Japan has some pretty interesting products, and if you're anything like me... well, you can't help but be interested!
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