Strength: Authentic Japanese desserts that hit the spot
Weakness: Difficult to find
Other Packaged Desserts
- Brown Sugar Milk Tea Boba Ice Cream Bar (4 Stars)
- Dole Pineapple Pop (4.5 Stars)
Kikyouya Shingen Mochi is a famous Japanese souvenir from Yamanashi’s Kikyouya. In essence, it is mochi rolled in baked soy flour dipped in brown sugar. This dessert has a strong soy flour taste, and cannot be overly sweet. Kikyouya have teamed up with Akagi Nyugyo to make them into ice cream in the past. Now they took a step further and made them into popsicles so we can enjoy it even more conveniently. I heard they are very expensive and hard to come across even in Japan. We have the luxury to have T&T supermarket to carry this item for us in Vancouver.
Beautiful packaging that looks like a gift from Japan
At first glance, this packaging doesn’t really tell us what’s inside. There are Japanese writing tells us what this is, but not everyone can read Japanese. Also, the pattern of the packaging is the famous Shingen mochi from Yamanashi. But only a Japanese fanatic would know that. However, it is very beautifully packaged. The purple bow on top made this looks like a gift box.
Diagram explanation of the interior
On the side of the box, you can see what of what to expect in a Kikyouya Shingen Mochi popsicle. This is the only place where you can see what you are buying. Unfortunately, there isn’t a lot of English here and I spent quite a while researching this product. It’s such a shame that I almost missed this phenomenal summer treat.
Follow the instruction to open this beautiful gift as intended
If you looked carefully and followed the tear line, this box of popsicle opens beautifully. It is a rather thoughtful design. The box welcomes you to take a peek inside. Japanese are good at packaging their product. Opening the box does not ruin the aesthetics of the box. When the box is open, we are presented with 6 uniformly spaced popsicles, individually packaged.
What individual packaging looks like
I took one popsicle out and immediately put the rest of the box into the freezer. The individual popsicles are a little small. The clear plastic allows us to see what look like. The popsicles have a square profile and a round top.
A rich fragrance of baked soy flour
As soon as I tear the packaging open, the strong scent of baked soy powder flowed out. Then I realized that’s the other function of the individual packaging. The baked soy scent seems natural and rich. The exterior is not completely smooth. There is a very thin layer of frozen ice keeping the popsicle in shape.
Large portion of mochi in every pop
The first bite revealed a good chunk of mochi on the interior. It also showed approximately 3mm baked soy flavoured outer shell. The shell is a little more sturdy than ice cream. The texture is a little icier. The out shell melt really quickly, and the mochi provided quite a pleasant texture. The sweetness of my first bite was almost undetectable.
New texture in every bite
Halfway through, I discovered the transition between mochi, brown sugar syrup, and baked soy ice cream. I realized Kikyouya Shingen Mochi Popsicle was using baked soy ice cream at the bottom to provide structural stability. That’s why they put the softer mochi at the tip. It’s a shame that I have seen too many mochi ice cream desserts lose their intended shape as soon as it’s out of the package. Kikyouya Shingen Mochi Popsicle has a very thoughtful design.
604 Food Critic Assessment
For $8.99 per box of 6 popsicles, Kikyouya Shingen Mochi Popsicle is a little on the expensive side for its size. I think it is completely worth it because I literally have not enjoyed a popsicle from opening to finish like this one. I indulged this popsicle on all my senses. From the aroma right out of the packaging to 4 types of textures in my mouth. With a small size like this, I can see the interior scenery change with every bite I take. There are also quite an interesting taste variation depends on which part of the popsicle you are eating. This little popsicle provided me with surprises in every bite.
Do I think $1.50CAD per small popsicle is worth it? Yes.
Do I recommend this popsicle? Absolutely!