Your Favorite Japanese Candy And What It Says About You

by Emi Noguchi

If you know your blood type, Chinese zodiac signs, Western astrological chart, and Myers-Briggs test results, then you either know yourself very well or are feeling confused. Because we’re passionate about asian snacks here at Bokksu, we’d like to introduce yet another way to identify: your favorite Japanese candy. That’s right! If you thought that, as a people, we were done with the personality listicle, Bokksu, premium supplier of monthly candy boxes, is here to gently whisper in your ear, dear reader: no, not yet. Your favorite snack would like to tell you something. A Japanese candy story is about to unfold, and you are the protagonist. Better read on!

 

cranberry almond kit kat

Japanese Kit Kat: Cranberry and Almond

In the world of Kit Kats, the sweet famously designed to share with a friend, you are a lone wolf. Maybe you have a pack, but you’re perfectly happy spending some time alone (so long as you have a good snack). You have confidence and good self-knowledge. This is why you go for the single-bar Japanese Kit Kat: Cranberry and Almond without a second thought. For you, high-quality, “Luxury Edition” ingredients will win out over quantity any day. For this reason, you may sometimes come off as materialistic. But enjoying the finer things in life doesn’t mean you’re shallow; you just pay attention to what (and who) you surround yourself with. You are a person of substance, good substance! Because of a discomfort with ambiguity, you don’t sugarcoat the truth. Less sweet than the average Kit Kat, this bar leaves its ingredients perfectly visible: almond chunks are crunchy, heart-healthy, and proteinaceous. Cranberries are tart and chewy, a bright balance to a dark chocolate wafer.

Takoyaki Tei Corn Puffs

Takoyaki Tei Corn Puffs

You are not one to shy away from sensory delights. If one goes to Kyoto for high culture, they go to Osaka for character...and a beloved street food called takoyaki. Osaka is Japan’s chatty mercantile city and comedy capital, where residents ask not how you’re doing but, “How’s business?” If you love these corn puffs, you aren’t afraid of a little cacophony. Takoyaki is about as loud as its hometown: balls of pan-fried batter and octopus, drenched in a sauce that screams savory, sweet, and umami. You are happiest where there’s energy and excitement, or at least when you are able to choose your own adventure. You’re a crunchy free spirit!

white strawberry

White Strawberry

Some may find you cold or stiff as these freeze-dried strawberries, but that’s just because they only see your hard-won (shelf) stability. Once a person gets to know you, they find out that you’re unique, well-balanced, tech-savvy, and sweet but not saccharine. Though, like the strawberry, your life’s path may have strayed from what was expected of you, you retain the very best of your hometown flavor. 

Gudetama Custard Chocolate

Gudetama Custard Chocolate

Sanrio star Gudetama is cute and a little strange, and you love it. You don’t mind that his rear is often hanging out in the breeze; you are open-minded and curious about the world (even if you prefer to explore it from the comfort of your bed)! You cherish your kindred spirits. Rather than brunch or take a walk in the park, you’ll happily text your friends from home. With your attention to detail, you delight in the many drooping variations of Gude’s foil face twisted around bite-sized custard creams encased in milk chocolate. For the tired, the overworked, and the clinically depressed, Gudetama is more than a character: he is a mirror, validation, comedic relief and message of solidarity. You might enjoy these chocolates’ smoothness. You might see a little bit of yourself in Gude. Either way, these chocolates are little reminders that you deserve kindness. You’ve already shown yourself some kindness by bringing them into your life.

jaga pokkuru

Jaga Pokkuru

You don’t need bells and whistles: when you say you want a potato chip that looks like a french fry, that’s what you mean! When you have something to share, you don’t need a thousand words: just a few really good ones. Roasted salt helps bring out the natural flavor of Hokkaido-grown potatoes. You like to keep an even temper: rather than worry over blowhards and their hot air, you’d prefer to enjoy your perfectly reasonable portions. Good taste, crisp delivery, and a simple recipe make for compelling stories and delicious snacks, two things you probably enjoy.

Five different profiles, a different Japanese candy story for each. For all the other types of people in this world, Bokksu Boutique most definitely has the perfect Asian snacks in stock. We would also be remiss if we didn’t also recommend our monthly candy boxes, which have something for everyone. If you already have a favorite Japanese candy, keep in mind that people change. As they say, you are what you eat. By this time next month, you could be someone entirely different.

 


Author Bio

Emi Noguchi is a fiction writer, blogger, and freelance writing instructor, and co-founder of MFA App Review. After studying standard Japanese at Columbia University, she picked up Kansai-ben while living in Osaka and some Awa-ben in her paternal hometown in Tokushima. Emi is a 2020 recipient of the John Weston Award and holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Arizona. You can read her work in Essay Daily, The Spectacle, and Fairy Tale Review. Emi is currently writing a novel about diasporic illnesses, art-making, and traditional Japanese puppetry.