Move over, boar, the Year of the Rat has arrived. This animal might seem like a tough one for dessert makers in Japan to portray as adorable, but thankfully this can easily be covered up by re-branding it as a "mouse" and going from there.
Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Japan is welcoming in 2020 by offering its Happy "Mouse" Caramel (yes, the quotation marks are part of the name) doughnut until Jan. 14. The name lays out pretty much all you need to know about this treat (¥230 before tax), although the other key flavor present, bitter chocolate, balances well with the sweeter titular ingredient. It's also adorable, which definitely counts for something.
Even better, though, is the chain's Premium Mouse offering. This one manages to elicit even more "awws" thanks to the zodiac animal's cartoony appearance and the little cheese-shaped cracker on top. This doughnut (¥300 before tax) boasts a pudding taste — plus a crunch, courtesy of the cheese. The one downside? It can only be bought at Krispy Kreme's premium store in Nagoya. So if you happen to find yourself in Aichi Prefecture in early 2020, give it a squeak — I mean, peek.
