Baskin Robbins' ongoing tie-up with confectionery maker Fujiya has produced a bumper crop of tasty sweets available at convenience stores across the country. But so far, none of them have been particularly daring. The candies tend to highlight a pretty basic palette of flavors — chocolate, strawberry, mint — and feel more like a branding exercise than must-try sweets.
The latest flavor in the series feels different. It is based around BR's popular "Popping Shower" ice cream, which melds white chocolate with candy that pops in your mouth (pop rocks). While the flavor was released once before, this year's version (¥216) promises to add more pop, and remains an eye-catching and pleasingly colorful addition to any konbini.
Taste wise, it's OK. The white chocolate comes through, as does a slight zing that is reminiscent of artificial fruit, rather than the real thing. Still, it tastes familiar to many similar offerings in the candy section.
What separates it from the rest — for better or for worse — are those pop rocks. Like downing half a bag of the crackling sugar creation, these squares really spark off; a fun novelty that lingers just a little too long.
