Meiji Tropical Mix Pupurun

On my recent trip to Mitsuwa near Chicago, I picked up several flavors of Meiji Pupurun gummies on clearance. The line still appears on Meiji's website, so I am not sure why they were so cheap. Perhaps new packaging is on the way? In any case, the first of the flavors up for review is Tropical Mix.

The big selling point of these gummies is that they have 1200 mg of chewable collagen. I'm fairly certain that there is no scientific evidence that ingesting collagen does anything special for your skin, but it probably helps sell products.


Upon opening the bag, I could smell pineapple and mango, but the smell reminded me of fruity quasi-boozy cocktails. The gummies were quite large st almost 20 mm in diameter. The texture was a bit weird at first, with a tougher, chewy outer layer over a soft, sticky center.

The flavor was very juicy and a little tart, with a distinctly tropical flavor. It was a lot like pineapple juice, with a splash of mango. There were both natural and artificial flavors listed on the label, as well as both agar-agar and fish collagen. No results on skin smoothness yet, but despite the gimmick, the gummies were very tasty.

B+

Pupurun website

Mentos Gum Tropical

It's been a while since I've posted a gum review. Recently, Mentos started selling gum in the United States, so since I'm a sucker for new products, it seemed like a good opportunity to review some more gum for this site.

According to the packaging, I should have tasted kiwi, orange (or maybe tangerine), and mango in this gum. I also should have been able to see the soft center, but I don't think any of those things actually happened.


The pieces were shiny and pleasing to look at, and the shape and gloss reminded me of Spree (only thicker). They had a light vitamin C smell. I bit the gum in half to see the soft center, which for some reason, I expected to be liquid, but I couldn't see it. It wasn't liquid, either, it was just soft.

The outside shell was very crunchy, and the only flavor from the package I could really taste was orange (maybe a little mango). I also thought I tasted some banana, but that could have been my imagination. It did taste fruity and juicy, so I liked that. Most of the flavor was gone after about 10 minutes, and after just under 20 minutes, I spit it out. I also think it's worth mentioning that the product website advertises a "tasty burst of freshness" but this gum made my mouth feel sort of stale, like most fruity gum. I was pleased with the initial taste, but I can't see myself buying this kind again.

B-

Mentos website

Mars Starburst Tropical

I should know by now to be wary of "tropical" versions of things. I learned my lesson many years ago with Tropical Skittles. But I guess I forgot that lesson when I bought this bag of Tropical Starburst. Let me break down each flavor.

Mango Melon: I don't really taste mango, but I can kind of taste the melon (cantaloupe). I don't think either fruit is as sour as this tastes, though.

Royal Berry Punch: Tastes a lot like clear gummy bears, but not good ones. I don't really taste berry at all, actually, although the first bite was almost cranberry, in a bitter sort of way.

Pina Colada: Very plastic-y taste. I think it's from the attempt at tasting like coconut. The pineapple is almost there, but the sugary taste is overpowering.

Strawberry Banana: I liked this best of the bunch. It tastes very artificial, but at least it does hit its target of strawberry banana. Not that it's a very tropical combination.

Starburst is one of those candies that was better as a child. Now they all just taste too sweet. I can still eat the originals, although too many gives me heartburn, as I recently discovered. If I get the urge for Starburst again soon, I won't pick Tropical.

C

Starburst Website