Cookie Review: Lotte Koala Bear Cookies - Caramel Latte

Koala Bear Cookies are a Japanese Favorite

Koala Bears are cute and cuddly creatures that make people lose all ability to think critically and just want to fawn over how cute they are.  In my opinion, Koalas rank right up there with puppies, ponies and baby ducklings.  So naturally, the smart people of Lotte Snacks created the Koala Bear Cookie to make them irresistible to man.  Did I mention that they are cute?

Fun! Each cookie has a unique cute koala print on it.

Whimsical Bear Fun

The packaging is a nice golden color with closeup of a steaming hot caramel latte and two Koala Bear Cookies with the whimsical Koala bear cartoon prints on them.  Snowflake and the snowman on top right indicate this is a winter season limited edition product. 

Opening the package I am greeted with a variety of cute whimsical koala bears and the sweet aroma of caramel and milk.

Hello! 

Almost Perfect

Taking a bite I was surprised at how crispy the outer shell is without being oily and flaky. The caramel latte filling melts in your mouth and slowly reveals the tasty caramel latte flavor inside, I even tasted a hint of cinnamon in there.  The creamy latte combined with the crispy outer shell is a great combination indeed.  But somehow the delayed burst of flavor took away from the satisfaction.  

Each Cookie is filled with delicious cream filling

Little did I know that these Koalas had another trick up their sleeve...

Nuke Bears for 30 seconds

Freshly Baked Bears

When I turned the box to the side I noticed a drawing of Koala Bear Cookies on a plate sitting in the microwave and the words "500W = 50 seconds" in Japanese Kanji.  I don't read Japanese fluently but I immediately understood this was a recipe for Hot Caramel Latte Koala Bear Cookies!!!  How could I resist...

Arrange Bears in a Circle to Heat Evenly

I arranged 6 cookies on a microwave safe plate in a circle just like in the picture and set my microwave for 30 seconds on High.  (I have a 1000W microwave so I cut the cooking time to about half.) After 30 seconds of slow waiting they finally were ready.  I picked one up and gingerly bit into it in case the cream filling became a molten core of hot sugar lava...


I had discovered Koala Bear Cookie perfection!

Taste of Perfection

The microwaved cookies tasted like a real hot caramel latte and a crispy sugar cookie all rolled up in one.  Turns out heating the cookies for 30 seconds makes a huge difference in how they taste.  The flavors are further enhanced by the heat and no longer is there the "flavor delay" from cold Koala Bear Cookies before.  The caramel, the milk, and even the hint of cinnamon are more apparent and you taste them immediately upon each bite.  Even the temperature of the cookie was spot on. 

Yummy!

The Verdict

Because I tried Caramel Latte Koala Bear Cookies in cold and hot forms I will have rate them individually.


Rating - Cold: 4 of 5
The crispy cookie shell and the caramel latte filling make a great combo.  The creamy latte flavor tastes great but it takes a moment for the flavor to come out because the filling must melt in your mouth before the flavor is released.


Rating - Hot: 5 of 5
Crispy cookie shell and hot caramel latte filling make this a truly great snacking experience. Feels like enjoying a crispy sugar cookie while drinking a caramel latte.  Combined with the cute Koala Bear prints they make these cookies hard to resist.  Koala Bear Cookie perfection!


These delicious cookies are available for a limited time at the AsianSnack Cookie Section.

Japan Candy Review - Meiji Meltykiss Green Tea Chocolate Cubes

Meiji Meltykiss Green Tea.
Available only during Winter at AsianSnacks. 

Melty Winter Kisses

Meltykiss is a seasonal premium chocolate cube available only in Winter.  They're made by Japan's premier chocolate company, Meiji.  Their English slogan is "Gently melts in your mouth like a snowflake" hence the name, Meltykiss.  Every winter when Meltykiss hits the stores in Asia they simply fly off the shelves.  Today we look at one of the most popular of Meltykiss flavors, Green Tea Matcha.


More than just a pretty box

Beautiful and Function
All in One

Meltykiss come with some beautiful packaging. The box shows a closeup of chocolate cubes and green tea leaves along with snowflake patterns to indicate this is a "Winter Season Only" product.  The box isn't just beautiful, it's surprisingly functional as well.  It features a perforated top flap that opens up to transform the box into a functional serving piece.  The flap can easily be opened and resealed with a touch of your finger.   Now that's some impressive candy engineering!  

Inside the box the chocolate cubes are protected in pretty individual foil wrappers with the same snowflake patterns as the outside serving box.  Opening the foil wrap I am greeted with a rich aroma of dark chocolate and green tea matcha.  Nice. 

Dark coco powder covers
this premium chocolate cube

Taste  
These chocolate cubes are silky smooth like a good truffle.  A thin layer of rich milk chocolate surrounds the green tea center and is sprinkled with dark coco powder.  Each bite is rewarded with rich green tea flavor.  The milk chocolate melts immediately to smooth out the raw green tea flavor and combines with undertones of bitterness from the dark coco powder, so it isn't too sweet.  The green tea flavor tastes like drinking a cup of actual green tea in a Japanese tea house.  

The delicious matcha filling 
is made with 100% natural green tea

Rating - 4 of 5
Green tea is clearly the focus of this chocolate, so much so that I would describe it more as a green tea cube covered with chocolate instead of a chocolate cube.  Overall it's a premium chocolate perfect for Japanese green tea lovers.  If you don't like the raw taste of green tea, Meltykiss also comes in Strawberry and Creamy Chocolate. These chocolates are available for a limited time at AsianSnacks.