Posted on 08/23/2020 7:30:26 PM PDT by nickcarraway
From chocolate shrimp crackers to tomato-flavoured lattes, these are the most challenging flavour combos to hit konbini
We love our konbini snacks as much as the next person, maybe even a little more. From the creamiest treats in the freezer section to instant ramen produced by Michelin-starred ramen joints, a trip to the nearest convenience store for a snack is always a tantalising highlight to any day.
On most occasions, new and exotic flavours that come in seasonally, like sakura chiffon cake Oreos, are cause for immediate purchase. Other times, they’re shocking enough to fuel your worst nightmares. We’ve tried some of these flavour abominations so you will never have to – if they ever make it back onto the shelves again. Here’s a look back at some of the konbini snacks guaranteed to make your stomach churn.
Chocolate kappa ebisen
Chocolate-covered shrimp crackers Sometimes, a snack is not greater than the sum of its parts. In this bizarre collaboration between Japan’s much-loved chocolate bar and shrimp cracker, Lotte and Calbee presented us with the abomination of the chocolate-coated Kappa Ebisen. This isn’t the first time that Calbee has gone down the sweet-salty route – Calbee’s Harajuku shop is popular for its freshly fried crisps covered in chocolate, but chocolate with seafood is where we draw the line.
Banana Yoghurt Fanta
What goes on in the decision-making meetings at Fanta, we may never know, but one can’t help but wonder what the thought process was behind this particular pitch. Yoghurt-flavoured drinks are usually a safe bet in Japan, where Yakult or nomu yoguruto (drinking yoghurt) is more popular than yoghurt itself, but trying to translate that into a soda is a different story. The addition of banana flavour only made matters worse, proving this was one Japan-exclusive flavour other countries don’t envy.
Tomato Latte
From Japanese tea variations to cutesy foam art, lattes have been all the range in Tokyo for the past few years. Every coffee shop in the game knows to have at least a dozen variations of the humble latte on their menu to bring in the crowds – think matcha or wintery gingerbread spice – but konbini chain Lawson decided to go in a different direction by offering a limited-time tomato latte. The drinks were only available iced, as they were a summer exclusive, and thankfully disappeared by autumn.
Mayonaise Ice cream
Japanese mayonnaise has just the right amount of tanginess – if you’ve lived here long enough, you’ll want to put it on everything from fried chicken to pizza. But not even the world’s best mayo could justify the confusion that was the mayonnaise-flavoured ice cream bar. The ice cream was coated in something that resembled a white chocolate shell, but its creamy centre left a lingering vinegary aftertaste that you couldn’t shake from your memory no matter how hard you tried.
Napolitan ice cream
Gari Gari-kun popsicles are as cheap as they are versatile. The popsicles will cool you down in the summer, but also make an excellent addition to at-home cocktails. The brand’s most iconic bar is probably its sky-blue soda popsicle, but every season sees new flavours in freezers.
While we’re normally on board with these time-limited offerings (like the summer-only mint choc chip), some items have been downright confusing. The Napolitan Gari Gari-kun bar, for instance, was one left untouched by even the morbidly curious. A popsicle inspired by a tomato-based pasta with onion and green peppers? Thanks, but no thanks. The same goes for the tamagoyaki version, though at least that one wasn’t hiding a strange glob of gelatin in its centre.
Earwax flavored jelly beans.
they have a lot of kit kat flavors..some are really strange.
i dont know why some of them arent marketed here...some are very good
Squid jerky is the worse thing I ever tried....that was actually food.
My breath still stinks some 30 years later.
It’s the squid I tells ya!
I used to say in my business classes that the difference between Ghana and Japan was that Japan sold Ghana cars and Ghana sold Japan chocolate. I then would discuss the history of the two countries from 1946, when both were basket cases, and why Japan grew and Ghana didn't.
Back in the Golden Age of SNL, Belushi and Aykroyd had a Smuckers skit “With a name like that, it has to be good” some of the varieties were hilarious Dog Vomit, Monkey Puss,
Nose Hair.
I’m rather fond of the macha green tea ones.
CC
Wife and I were just discussing which sounded worse. I said mayonnaise ice cream. She said chocolate shrimp crackers.
I think I’ll go throw up now.
I played the jelly belly game with my kids (Beanboozled I think?) and ate a vomit flavored jelly bean. It was as awful as you can imagine. I had to quit or the next bad one would have had me racing to the bathroom. Our youngest was five at the time and had continually picked the good flavor of whatever color she landed on. When she finally picked wrong she fearlessly chomped on a sour milk jelly bean-poor thing almost threw up all over the table.
Whoever came up with that game was an evil genius.
Saki kit kats. Very good but must be mixed with other food saki goes with.
Not certain if you tried the regular or the spicy squid. the spicy version is best, though a drink is required for consummation.
For a country surrounded by ocean and no point further than 100 miles from the ocean. Sea food oriented snacks make sense.
I developed a taste for it, with mayonnaise and pepper, then something to drink. Better than pickled eggs or peanuts.
Sign me up!!!
It’s not a snack but there is always Calpis to wash the snacks down. Calpis is pronounced ‘Cow Piss’. It’s actually not bad.
I absolutely love squid jerky. The kids eat it by the bag too! I always have a couple of bags on hand for long rides, hiking, and surprise outing snacking needs.
Fanta soda flavored yogurt would work here, I cant imagine why anyone would want yogurt flavored soda.
I dont get the shrimp crisp/crackers thing. They dont taste like shrimp at all. I can imagine a chocolate covered lobster snack working if it actually tasted like lobster.
I’ve wanted to try that for a while now. Gotta search for an asian market.
CC
I think it is sold here as Calpico. To me it tastes like the last bit of a root beer float, if that makes any sense.
Yep, just gotta find a market that carries it. Where I live is a little off the beaten path for stuff like that.
CC
Green Tea ice cream is good.
As is green tea chewing gum. Japanese/Korean (Lotte) gums have flavors you’d never imagine.
I have such a dirty mind for what I see in the chocolate shrimp to the left.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.