Know Your Asian Treats

Asian candies offer flavors, variety and taste surprises that Americans are finding hard to resist. There is not a unifying theme, but certain characteristics distinguish Asian candies from their Western counterparts: a combination of exotic flavors (which can range from oolong tea to red wine or even milk); interesting textures (many have crunchy or a combination of smooth and chewy consistencies); and wild packaging graphics (including Hello Kitty and animated fruit).

Japan leads the Asian confection market particularly in gummy or hard candies. Fans suggest licking Japanese hard candy “until the end” to get everything the candy has to offer because it can change throughout. Kasugai Cabernet Sauvignon hard candy is an ideal example: underneath its intense grape hard exterior is a chewy center revealing hints of real red wine. Pocky, the most well-known Japanese snack, falls in the chocolate category. It is a cracker-like stick coated with a variety of “frostings” ranging from chocolate and Oreo to strawberry to blueberry. Some Japanese candies have high vitamin C content or use natural ingredients such as ginseng or tea extract.

Chinese spicy ginger chews are popular in the U.S., as are both hard and chewy tamarind candies from Thailand—the chewy kind are a mix of sour, chile and salt flavors. Lychee Coconut jellies—the consistency of Jell-O®—come from Taiwan.  

In any Asian grocer, sweet candies are almost always accompanied by their savory, salty and crunchy counterparts such as wasabi peas, shrimp crackers, dried squid, vinegar octopus and dried anchovies. Preserved fruits that give a mouth-puckering umami flavor like salted preserved plums or pickled watermelon rind also round out the selection.

The Asian Candy Dish

—Nicole Potenza Denis and Vanessa Facenda

0 comments