CALPIS, a 98-year-old Japanese cultured drink, has been quite a name over the years. This refreshing white-colored drink with a sweet and tangy flavor quickly became popular among all ages when it first hit the shelves. A post shared by カルピス水玉通信 (@calpis_mizutama) on Sep 19, 2015 at 6:59am PDT Also marketed as “CALPICO” in some…

Have you ever wondered who’s behind the creation of the wonderful flavors of Kit Kat in Japan? It’s none other than hard-working Chef Patissier Yasumasa Takagi. He’s so good in surprising people and making them happy with his unique Kit Kat creations that he opened his own Kit Kat Chocolatory store in 2014 which expanded…

Kit Kat’s immense popularity around the world is no news, so as its solid fanbase in Japan. I have yet to see a country that can ace Japan when it comes to worshipping this popular chocolate favorite by producing some of the most unique, bizarre, and over-the-top variations fit for a specific group of people.…

Häagen-Dazs Japan will be releasing a new flavor, and unexpectedly, it will not be a new sakura flavor which is currently the rage among Japanese companies in spring. While its competitor, Baskin-Robbins has already released its new sakura-flavored ice cream, Häagen-Dazs, on the other hand, will be releasing a honey and milk (yogurt-style) flavored ice…

When describing food, westerners rely basically on 4 distinct tastes: bitterness, sweetness, saltiness, and sourness. However, there is another type of description for food – umami. While anyone reading this article can easily name foods that are bitter, sweet, salty or sour, umami is a little harder to pin down. Unlike bitterness, sweetness, saltiness, and…

Gimme a Break! For us Americans, KitKats are a pure nostalgic treat. The simple wafer dipped in delicious chocolate, brings back memories of Halloweens and birthday parties. For most of my life, I always thought that KitKats could not get any better. Then Japan goes and proves me wrong! How Many Colors Can You See?…

In Japan, if you asked someone where you could find Baskin Robbins ice cream, most people would look confused, and the others may say “Oh, do you mean 31?” In Japan, we don’t call the ever popular ice cream store Baskin Robbins, we call it 31. That, obviously comes from the fact that each Baskin…

Japanese people make traditional sweets with such great creativeness and attention to detail. Today, this creativity can be seen, not only in traditional Japanese confectionery but also through the Japanese versions of foreign treats. Much of the world already knows about the Japanese Kit-Kats, but perhaps only a few know about how Japan transformed Häagen…