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

Nestle Ume Soda KitKat

I worked very hard to get this KitKat. It came from a Namco Wonder Tower in Osaka, and I probably paid way too much to win it, but it was great fun. After struggling to knock over the tower of KitKats and Tirol chocolates in the machine I was playing, a kind employee took pity on me and opened up the machine to make the game a little easier. So, even though I had help, I am proud of the KitKats I won that day.

Anyhow, I am slowly getting over the fear of fruity KitKats that developed after eating Muscat of Alexandria. Even though part of me wanted to write this KitKat off as a bad idea right away, I did my best to approach it with an open mind.


The KitKat was a pretty pale green and had a nice, slightly floral, light plum candy scent. It smelled fruity in general, much like the Ramune KitKat, only a little lighter. At first, I didn't think I would like it, because it seemed a little sickeningly sweet, but then, the tartness of Japanese plum kicked in, and it was quite interesting.

It was a lot like plum candy in the finish, and that's what saved this KitKat for me. The contrast of the sweetness of the white chocolate and the sharpness of the plum (which seemed to come from between the wafers) was a fun balance. It's definitely not my favorite, but I definitely enjoyed it! Maybe it just tasted better because I worked for it.

B

KitKat website

Morinaga Ume Hi-chew

This candy called to me; the packaging was so cute that I had to buy it. It's a Japanese explosion with the cherry blossoms, daruma, ume (Japanese plum) flavor, and the fact that it's marketed have the effect of helping students pass their exams.

The package also advertises "sour powder" inside the chew, which makes sense, as ume (especially umeboshi, or pickled plums) are incredibly sour. Umeboshi tend to bring out strong feelings in people, in that they either hate them or love them. The high citric acid content not only results in a sour taste, but some possible health benefits.


As for the candy, it smelled really sour and a little salty, like umeboshi. The outside was a bit sweet and a little plummy, but as I chewed, it got very sour, salty, and juicy. It was so sour that I really was reminded of the real thing, down to the hint of bitterness. It made my eyes water just a little bit.

The innards seemed slightly softer than a regular Hi-chew, and you can see in the picture that the inside is a bit spongy. The sour punch was really surprising, and I think this would be great for plum fans. It wasn't as intense as umeboshi can be, but it's candy, so that's just fine with me.

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Morinaga Website (Japanese)