Number 17: Melon Cereal

I was extremely surprised to see this Melon cereal at my local Papas store. In England we have the bog standard cornflakes and choco-flakes etc. But melon is surprisingly unpopular as a flavour.

I have no idea why though. These taste great! With the exception of the melon flavouring though, they are pretty much identical to cornflakes, so there is little to say about them. They are not too sweet, but flavourful enough to make them superior to any other, and a perfect way to start my morning.

While the melon version is certainly my favourite, they also come in chocolate or pancake (hotcake) flavour, the latter also being very nice.

I have a confession:

I love Melonpan. I love Melon Soda. I love melon ice cream and candy and biscuits and chocolates and toothpaste. I love melon cornflakes (blog soon) and even the sultry, sweet, intoxicating aroma of Melon based goods.

I love the look of melon, the shape and color. The innumerable melon toys and plushies and patterned everythings.

I love melon in all it's wonderful shapes, merchandise and forms. Except...

...actually...I don't like real melon.
It's too wet and diluted.

Just needed to get that off my chest.
Thank you for reading.

Number 16: Melon Kit-Kat

Undoubtedly the greatest of all the Kit-Kat family is the Melon verity. I finally got my hands on a pack with the aid of a student living in both Hokkaido and Tokyo.

The flavor is perfect and does not disappoint the tongue. But not just the flavor. Let's not forget about the equally pleasing aroma that bounds forth from the package even before opening.

Only one problem caused me trouble with this kit-Kat: It's too small and too far away for daily purchase.

Number 15: Life

Recently a new supermarket named "Life" opened near my town stocking what has turned out to be one of the top Melonpan I have tried so far.
Baked fresh in-store, they were found by my mother in law and quickly bagged up.

The two flavors here are chocolate and melon. Both share the same light, soft texture which almost melts in the mouth. The bread is mixed with flavor giving it a slightly speckled look inside, and he topping is just sweet enough to be desert without being too rich or sickening.

The topping is quite crumbly and sticky but, like the bread, is full of flavor.

Naturally I found the melon one the more pleasing of the two, and bought a further pack of 4 today. Though the chocolate version is by no means disappointing.

Number 14: Dragon Quest 25th Anniversary Slime Nikuman

Although sold out at most FamilyMart stores I was fortunate enough to find a small family of Slimes in Ayase. I bought 4...so contributed a little to the problem people have had in finding them. Sorry.

The Slime Nikuman has been created to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Dragon Quest games, and is available for a limited time at FamilyMart stores across Japan.

For those of you who don't know Nikuman, it's a steamed bun containing meat popular in Asian countries.

This particular Nikuman is delicious and very juicy. The meat is better than most I have had and is packed tightly within the blue steamed slime-bun. The bun itself is very soft and easy to eat without the chewy, jaw-ache, texture of some other convenience store brands.

I would definitely recommend this Nikuman to anyone. But be fast, they are limited.

Number 13: Green tea, cookies and cream Häagen-Dazs

Possibly the best Häagen-Dazs flavour I have ever tried is the Green tea (Maccha) cookies and cream flavour.While you can buy Maccha flavour on it's own, the cookies and cream add that extra je ne sais quoi.

The mix of flavour, along with the crunchy cookie bits makes this little pot of heaven a must for my freezer.

I hate to say it, but this easily beats Cookie Dough flavour.

Number 12: Ede's Cafe Maccha & Strawberry Melonpan

I found a small bread shop in Ikebukuro station which sells some beautiful looking items. These two are Strawberry and Maccha melonpan.

Both melonpan were sweet and delicious. The bread and topping were a little dry however, but this didn't make them any less delicious.

The strawberry was the nicest, with a slightly milkshake flavour. While the Maccha was also delicious, it didn't carry as much flavour.

Because of the dryness of the bread and topping, both would have benefited from a liquid centre. Though without, they were still worth the money.

I would like to try these two freshly baked, and I will definitely buy them again.

Number 11: Starbucks Sakura Latte & Sakura Cheesecake

Starbucks Maccha-Latte has long been a favourite of mine. But from this week a new limited edition flavour has been released.

The Sakura late is delicious. It may well taste of Sakura, though I must admit I have never eaten one. The taste is smooth and sweet, and goes down nicely.

The cheesecake was equally delicious. However, it had a few drawbacks to what could have been a very nice desert:

1 - It's a little salty. Salt is quite popular in Japan. But for me, salt and sweets do not mix. While this was delicious, the salt left my lips a little sore.

2 - There is a leaf on top. This is also salty, but that is not the problem. The problem is that the leaf is hard to cut with a plastic spoon or fork, and if you try you will just mush your cheesecake.

Neither of these points stopped me eating it though.

Starbucks is currently offering a small range of other Sakura products (which I will try in time) and I would recommend them to everyone.

Number 10: DIY Melonpan

メロンパン - Melon-Pan

I put this recipe together a long time ago. In England, since Melonpan is so hard to get, I made my own. After a while I put the recipe on Bukisa hoping it would be of interest to people, but so far it has been impossible to publish the post. So, here it is on my blog. I hope you like it.

メロン (Meron) = Melon
パン(Pan) = Bread

If you have ever been to Japan, you have probably come across this confectionery delight in almost every bakery, sweet shop, cafe and supermarket you visited. There are many varieties of Melon-Pan. Some plain, some with a filling. Some mixed with 抹茶 (Maccha/Green Tea Powder). In Asakusa you can even get Giant Melon-Pan.

This delicious treat can be found all over Japan, but in other parts of the world can be a little harder to obtain. But, with this recipe, and possibly a little importing of flavourings, you can make your very own Melon-Pan at home.

WARNING: One ingredient, Melon Essence, can be hard to come by in some parts of the world. In the UK, I had to have my wife's family send me some from Japan. If you can't find Melon Essence, you can exchange this for any readily available essence you like the taste of. The results will still be delicious. But, Melon is best.

INGREDIENTS

Cookie Topping

Plain Flour -160g
Unsalted Butter -60g
Sugar -60g
Baking Powder -1/2 Tea Spoon
Egg -1
Melon Essence - To taste

Pan/Bread

Strong Plain Flour - 160g
Plain Flour - 20g
Dried Yeast - 2.5g
Sugar - 15g
Salt - 2g
Skimmed Milk - 4g

RECIPE

Cookie Topping

The cookie topping should be prepared the the day before, and left in the fridge for upto 24hours before being added to the bread.

1. Sieve the flour and baking soda into a bowl and set aside for use later (step 4).

2. Add the egg to the butter and mix.

3. Add the flour. This is best done in 3 equal parts to make mixing easier.

4. Add the melon essence. You may need to make a few batches to find out how much suits your tastes.

5. Mix together thoroughly then pack into a long sausage shape in cling-film. Wrap it up, and place it in the fridge for 24hours.

It may seem like a long time, and if you are in a rush you can take it out in 5 hours. However, if too short a time, the cookie may not set correctly, or be hard to handle later.

Pan/Bread

1. Sieve the plain flour and strong flour into a bowl and add the salt.

2. In a separate bowl, mix one egg with water to a weight of 100grams.

3. Add the sugar and yeast to the egg/water mixture and stir.

4. Add the egg/water/sugar/yeast mixture to the flour and mix thoroughly into a smooth dough that's not sticky. You may need to add a little more flour while mixing to take away the sticky texture.

5. Kneed the dough on the bench then place into an oven at 60degrees for 30 minutes to rise.

6. Split the dough into 9 equal parts and kneed to remove the air.

7. Leave the dough balls under a damp cloth for 30 minutes to rise a little more.

8. Kneed and fold 2 to 5 times to remove any access air, and roll into balls again.

Putting it all together...

1. Cut the melon cookie topping into 9 equal parts, and roll each one into a ball.

2. Place one ball onto a piece of cling film, and wrap the film loosely over the top. Now, roll the ball into a flat disc.

3. Unwrap the melon-disk and place a dough ball in the centre. Gently wrap the dough ball in the melon-disk leaving the bottom free.

4. Repeat this process until all 9 balls are wrapped in melon cookie.

5. Place the Melon-Pan onto a baking tray and score the tops in a cross-hatch design (#) using a plastic knife or cutter.

6. Place the Melon-Pan into the oven at 60degrees for another 15 minutes.

7. Turn the oven upto 180 degrees, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cookie top becomes hard and a little brown.

Your Melon-Pan should now be done. Leave it to cool a little on a wire rack, and eat. If you keep it in a sealed container, it should last 2 to 3 days. But....you probably wont leave it that long.

Enjoy.

Number 9: Tiramisu Cream Cheese Daifuku

If you have ever had Tiramisu flavour anything in England you have most likely been disappointed by a bitter rendition of what should be a delicious treat.

Tiramisu Cream Cheese Daifuku on the other hand is exactly what it says on the packet.

Traditionally Daifuku (大福) is a serving of Adzuki beanpaste wrapped in soft and sticky rice jelly. If you haven't tried Beanpaste before please don't be put off by the name. For English beanpaste conjures up images of Heinz Baked Beans mashed into a grotesque and sickening mess.

Thankfully this is not the case. Adzuki Beanpaste or Anko (あんこ）is a sweet bean mashed and boiled with sugar. Anko originated in China, but in Japan it is very popular and is placed in many foods from bread to deserts. Or in some cases just eaten as it is with a spoon.

But...that is not the point because this particular Daifuku doesn't actually have any beanpaste in it at all...

...sorry about that...

The rice jelly remains with a delicious soft texture and cradles the cream cheese within. Hidden in the centre is the tiramisu flavour presented as a sort of jam. The taste is exactly tiramisu, even with the rice jelly covering. It's not bitter or too strong, rather it's sweet and modest.

The taste lingers in your mouth for a while and right now having just eaten one, I am wondering if I should go out and get another one. It's cold outside....Tokyo might snow soon...but it might be worth it....