Kanro Pure Lemon Cola

Pure is one of my favorite Japanese candy brands. If you like sour gummies, Pure is definitely worth a look. It's very cheap in Japan (around 100 to 120 yen, if my memory is correct), and pretty cheap in import stores in the USA, too. I bought this flavor at Mitsuwa Marketplace for just under $2.

Since I'm not a big soda drinker, I'm not sure if I've ever had actual lemon cola. I will have to give it a taste on my next Sonic run (preferable to committing to a 2-liter bottle or a 12-pack of cans).


These gummies did not smell good. The lemon scent seemed artificial and bordering on floor cleaner. Thankfully, they tasted much better than they smelled. Both the lemon and cola flavors were distinct and well-executed.

Both flavors were tart and tasty, and the gummies had that firm but chewy texture that I've come to love. The lemon cola flavor was different and fun, and these would be sure to please sour gummy fans.

A-

Pure website

Pure Green Apple Gummies

What more can I say about Pure gummies that I haven't already said? Instead, I think I'll blog about my childhood penchant for apple juice. It was my beverage of choice every time I flew on a plane or rode in a train, from age 7 to 17.

Really, I didn't fly that often, but the memory just stuck. As a result, I've always associated apple juice with the excitement of traveling. I haven't drank apple juice in years, but even things that smell like it give me the urge to travel.


The open bag smelled like apple juice, and yes, I felt the urge to take a train to Montreal or fly to Disneyworld. The gummies were sour, and they had a nice, tart apple flavor.

As with all Pure gummies, the flavor was very authentic. Apple fans would probably really love these. See, even though I like apple juice and apples, apple candy has never really been my thing. Still, these were very tasty, but not my favorite Pure flavor.

B+

Pure Website

Pure Ume Gummy

Even though I love all kinds of flavors, matcha is my favorite. Just about everyone seems to have their own signature flavor - the one that they're always happy to see/smell/taste. Ume (Japanese plum) is that flavor for one of my friends - or at least she seems to like it when I send her ume candy.

Pure is one of my favorite gummy brands, and even though ume is not my favorite flavor, matcha Pure gummies would be a bit weird. These were purchased at the Mitsuwa Marketplace in Arlington Heights, IL. I noted that it's a new flavor with a Japanese taste.


The gummies smelled and tasted just like ume. At first, they were quite tart, but they had a sweet plum finish. The prickly sour sugar melted in my mouth, leaving the slightly tough gummy to chew. Pure claims that their gummies have the texture of real fruit, and while I'm not sure that's true, it definitely pleasant.

The flavor was so sour and authentic, and the firm Pure gummy texture was a perfect match for the ume flavor. They weren't as puckeringly sour as umeboshi (pickled plum), but I would recommend these to any ume fan.

A

Pure Website

Kanro Pure Shikwasa Gummy

Okinawa is on my list of places I must visit before I die, but until I get there, I will sustain myself with Okinawan candy. After trying these gummies, I think it might be possible.

Before trying these, I had no idea what shikwasa was, other than a citrus fruit. According to Wikipedia, it is also known as Citrus depressa, and because of its sour taste, shikwasa can be used in cooking like lemon or lime. Because it is native to Asia, it doesn't show up in my local supermarket.


Since I have never tried the actual fruit, I can't comment on the authenticity of these candies, but they did smell like a sweet citrus fruit without smelling like floor polish. The gummies were quite sour with a hint of a tropical flavor that distinguished it from lemon.

Of course, the texture was like that of all Pure gummies - firm and chewy, sort of like a thick fruit leather. The sour sugar coating gave a nice crunchy and extra punch of flavor. I could have eaten the whole bag at once! I hope that I can try the real fruit in the near future, because these candies were delicious.

A

Pure website

Kanro Ramune and Cola Candy

I've never been big on hard candy, with the exception of two kinds: sour candy and fizzy candy. Both is even better. But actually, the first thing that drew me to these candies was the "cute bottle shape" advertised on the front of the bag. The fizz just sealed the deal.

There were four flavors in the pack (Ramune, cola, pineapple, and green apple), based on soda and Ramune flavors. The pineapple seemed especially exciting, because I was reminded of the pineapple Fanta I used to drink before it disappeared from the shelves of Target.


I was disappointed that the colors of the candy were so muted. The photo below is pretty accurate, and I had been expecting something a little more vivid. Still, as promised, the bottle shapes were very cute. Here is the rundown of the flavors.


Cola (brown) was first on my list, because I hadn't had any cola flavored candy in a long time.I'm surprised there isn't more cola candy in the USA, because Coke and Pepsi are so popular. Anyhow, the flavor was very typical for cola candy, like a super-sweet sip of cola. It was fruity and tart, and the fizzy texture mixed in with the hard candy was really fun, especially because the fizz foamed in my mouth. My only complaint is that the hole in the center (presumably for the fizzy stuff) made the candy get a little sharp (as in cut the roof of my mouth) as I ate it.

Pineapple (yellow) was such a disappointment. It tasted like a white gummy bear or a cheap sucker, in that the pineapple flavor was dull and hardly tart at all. It was not a true pineapple flavor at all, with maybe too much pina colada influence. The fizz was still fun, but this one lacked the little bit of sour bite that the cola had.

When I bought these, I didn't really look at the flavors hard, and just assumed the pale green was melon (common in Japanese candy). Unfortunately, it was actually green apple. The favor was a decent fake apple, though my experience with apple soda is limited.

Ramune (blue) was last, and for those not familiar, Ramune is a popular Japanese soda with a lemony flavor. The candy was like the soda - fizzy and sour. I tasted lemon and lime, and was really pleased with the tartness.

The cola and Ramune flavors really stood out for me, even though the other two weren't bad. I would probably buy these again, but I have had better soda fizzy candy overall (such as the Kasugai Jiwa Jiwa soda candies).

B, but cola and ramune alone would get an A-.

Kanro Pure Grape Gummy

Kanro Pure gummies have been a favorite of mine for a few years now. The lemon flavor got me hooked, and I've liked many other flavors I've tried in the past. My love of sour candy goes back to my childhood, and when combined with Kanro's typically authentic-tasting fruit flavors, the brand has been quite reliable.

A friend of mine from far away came to visit and brought these (and many other treats, reviews to come soon) as part of a late birthday gift. The gummies themselves are heart-shaped and coated in sour sugar, and I find them rather photogenic!


When I opened these, the smell of concord grape juice was strong, and although it was a little fake, it didn't smell too much like medicine. The first taste of the gummies is simply sour, followed by grape juice. The balance of the flavors was just about right, not too sour or too strong.

These most reminded me of grape Jolly Ranchers or the better grape popsicles. The texture of the gummy (which, according to the bag, should be like real fruit) was firm and a bit leathery, and the sour sugar was coarse and tart. Whether you chew them up right away or savor them a bit longer, these are tasty gummies.

These have also been reviewed at Pockywatch.

A-

Pure website