Styling and Photography by Laurie Mosco

International candy is going mainstream.  Once something you could only experience when traveling abroad, social media outlets like TikTok have spurred retailers to carry more imported confections than ever before (The Atlantic). One country whose candy is getting lots of love – Japan.  Exotic, intense flavors, unique textures, and vibrant packaging, Japanese confections are an experience for the senses.

New to the world of Japanese Candy? Let us take you on a tour of the top Japanese confectionery brands sure to make your business an international candy destination.

Hi-Chew

If it’s chewy candy they love, then chew-se Hi-Chew for your selection.  The candy started off life as Chewlets, a gum that dissolves in your mouth (so you didn’t have to spit it out), and was introduced in its current chewy form in Japan in 1975.  What differentiates Hi-Chew from other chewy candies is the longer lasting chew that is not sticky like taffy.  Hi-Chew flavors also are extra intense.  

The range of flavors is vast, so there’s a Hi-Chew to tempt anyone’s taste buds.  Like Regular Mix, featuring such classic fruit flavors as grape, green apple, and strawberry to the more unique Fantasy Mix offering dreamy nostalgia in the form of rainbow sherbet, blue Hawaii, and blue raspberry chews.  Hi-Chew even offers their own spin on the beloved candy flavor Watermelon. 

Imported candies are all about the unique experience.  Double the adventure with a Hi-Chew featuring the bright citrus flavor of Japanese soda, Ramune in their Soda Pop Mix.  Added bonus — the Soda Pop Mix comes with classic Cola flavor chews too! 

Create excitement through unexpected textures like the added crunch of chia seeds as in Hi-Chew Superfruit Mix. For those who want to take fruit flavor to the extreme, there’s Hi-Chew Infrusions, featuring pockets of fruit puree for intense fruit flavor.

Even those watching their sugar intake can enjoy all the fun ad flavor of Hi-Chew with Hi-Chew Reduced Sugar, in mango and strawberry . For something truly special in the low sugar category, there’s Fi-Being Low Sugar Hard Candy – Hi-Chew’s answer to low sugar hard candy in exotic elderberry and passionfruit flavors.

Pocky

Trying something new can be a little intimidating for some snackers.  Bridge the gap between the classic and exotic with the comforting cookie and chocolate combination found in Pocky Sticks.  First appearing on the Japanese confection scene in 1966, Pocky, slender, crunchy biscuit sticks dipped in creamy milk chocolate, were introduced as a crispier, airier alternative to traditional European chocolate bars.

Pocky was such a hit, that more flavors emerged, offering your customers the opportunity to experiment.  Those looking to indulge in the nostalgic flavors of a banana split will love Pocky Chocolate Banana, made with chocolate biscuits dipped in banana cream. Asian flavor, Matcha Tea, is trending among stateside snackers. Pocky Matcha Green Tea, featuring a creamy matcha coating, is a beau-TEA-ful matcha-up for those craving a food adventure.

The fun of Pocky is the contrasting crunchy and creamy textures and the slender stick design.  Amp up the crunch factor, with Pocky Almond Crush, biscuits covered with milk chocolate and crunchy almond pieces, as well as Cookies ‘N Cream, the flavor favorite featuring a chocolate biscuit dipped in a cream coating sprinkled with cookie pieces.  No matter what flavor they choose to savor, they’ll find Pocky crumb-believable!

Puchao

Sometimes the fun of imported confections is not always in the flavor, but the textures like those found in Puchao.  Chewy candy with bits of gummy candy mixed in for added squishy fun, Puchao offers the best of non-chocolate confections in one candy.  While the textures are unique, the flavors are very familiar; Grape, Strawberry, and Melon (cantaloupe melon as opposed to the American classic watermelon).

If two textures in one candy isn’t enough for your adventurous snackers, offer three with Puchao’s soda flavors. In addition chewy candy with gummy pieces, Puchao Bubbly Soda chews also have popping candy for a chewy, fizzy experience.  Add in iconic soda flavors like Cola and Japanese soda favorite Ramune for extra pop.

Not only are the textures unique, with Puchao, the packaging is an experience too, featuring dynamic anime-inspired lettering along with vibrantly colored graphics. Pair with Japanese characters, and consumers are 100% certain they’re enjoying a one-of-a-kind confection.

Social media brings the world into consumers’ living rooms, exposing them to confections from across the globe, creating a market for them here in the United States.  Make your business the destination for unique hard-to-find confections by offering Japanese and other international confection brands.

Take a Tour of our Japanese Confections