Tohato

Oh, man.  Things I love?  Snack foods.  Popcorn or other crunchy sweet things.  Fun flavors from other countries.  

Enter Tohato.  A Japanese snack food maker.  They make a few product lines, but I focused only on their most popular: the caramel corn.

But this is not caramel corn as Americans think about it.  No take me out the ballpark moments here.  In fact, if you are expecting, well, coated popcorn in any way, you'll be let down.  While I adore popcorn more than most snack foods, this completely different version of caramel coated puffed corn won me over pretty instantly.  The base of these is made with corn, but, they are big puffy corn snacks, like giant bamba (iykyk) or similar products from European countries.  A void in the US snack market if you ask me.

Tahato has an extensive lineup of flavors of said caramel corn.  And by extensive, I mean, extensive.  On the Japan Candy Store website for example they have a whopping 110 varieties available.  110!  Tohato  lean heavily in to seasonal limited flavors and collabs with other hot brands of the moment.  Some are even just special bags with the same original product inside, just, differently branded for a short time.  Also note that just like these aren't caramel corn as in, not popcorn, they also don't all have caramel (or even caramel adjacent) coatings ... yet are all called caramel corn.  So, expectations set, let's dive in.

Regular Flavors

I won't try to enumerate all the standard flavors Tohato offers, but let me assure you, they range from the expected caramel-esque flavors, to fruity creations, to beverage inspired such as matcha or mango lassi, or even fried chicken.  Yeah.  So many fun varieties.  Their original basic flavor, the simple caramel corn, is a lightly caramely flavor with nuts included too.

Bitter Caramel Corn.

"Have a blast snacking on these bittersweet crunchy corn puffs! Each piece has a unique combination of charred caramel paste and roasted peanut flavors."

"A bag of charred caramel and roasted peanut-flavored corn puffs."

My first bag was the bitter caramel corn.

I was drawn to these because 1) they were caramel corn and 2) I was fascinated by the idea of "bitter" caramel corn.  I was curious what sort of interesting possible translation issue this was.

Like all of the Tohato products, I loved the form factor.  Lightly airy, super crispy, great crunch, corn grit base.  These are the sort of thing it is far too easy to scarf an entire bag of in one sitting.  4/5 just for the form, as is true for all their varieties.

Then, the flavor.  What does "charred caramel paste" "roasted peanut" and "bitter caramel" translate into?  I found it to be a more complex and sophisticated flavor than standard caramel, still sweet, but definitely not cloying.  Deeper, darker, richer.  Just on the edge of bitter.  Caramel that left a tiny bit longer would turn burnt, no question.  I didn't taste anything peanut-like in the coating, which I didn't mind, as I really liked the flavor.  4/5 for the flavor.

There were some small roasted peanuts in the bag too, which I didn't discover until nearly at the end, as they were smaller than average peanuts, and had all settled to the bottom of the bag.  I considered them a bonus snack for later, but if you knew to dig for them, you could eat in unison with the puffs, a la Cracker Jacks. 4/5 for those too.

I'd get these again, although I did wish they had a touch more salty quality too.  I appreciate that they seem to be made with real caramel - the ingredients include sugar, margarine, cream (and honey), although they do have "flavoring", "seasonings", and "caramel pigment" too.

Salty Caramel Corn.

"To enhance the sweet caramel flavor, a perfect amount of salt is added to bring out more savory taste! It will definitely have you licking your fingers afterwards."

"Take this pack of yummy corn puff treats to the picnic! These Caramel Corn snacks are lightly seasoned with Guérande salt which brings out the sweetness of the caramel. Not only that but it's also made with fermented butter that adds a luxurious richness to the corn puffs. "

Next I went for a more classic caramel corn flavor, the "salty" caramel corn.  I again *adored* the form factor, so crispy, and I love how they sorta dissolve in your mouth.  The flavor was, well, caramel, definitely less bitter and complex than the bitter caramel flavor, certainly sweet, and I guess a touch salty.  The margarine, sweetened condensed milk, and real caramel really make these a top notch, decadent in a good way, treat.  Love them.  

Serving size: 1 bag, I'm sorry.  I'm incapable of not finishing a full bag in seconds flat.  They are just THAT good!  Another 4/5.

Sweet Potato Caramel Corn.

"Take a bite out of Tohato Caramel Corn Sweet Potato, where crunchy caramel corn meets delicious Japanese sweet potato. Crafted with Annou sweet potato powder, fresh cream, and brown sugar, this delightful snack is deliciously sweet and umami!"

"When you open it, you won't smell the usual sweet caramel scent, but rather a rich aroma reminiscent of a fluffy roasted sweet potato. The moment you put it in your mouth, it's sweet, and the fluffy and crispy texture that is unique to caramel corn. The flavor of the sweet potato spreads throughout your mouth immediately, and you'll be delighted with the autumn taste. Even after the caramel corn melts, the sweet potato flavor lingers, making you long for the next bite."

I had no idea what to expect from this one, besides the addicting form factor of course.  As always, I loved the crunchy, airy puffs.  I loved the decadence from the butter and cream and sugar.  That was all expected.  The sweet potato flavor was ... subtle.  Less dominant than some of the other stronger flavors, and definitely not one that I'd know was sweet potato if you didn't tell me.  It made sense and I could kinda taste it knowing it, but the flavor isn't one that immediately strikes you.

I did enjoy these, but found they trended a bit too sweet for me overall.  I wanted to dunk in whipped cream, or mix with something more plain, in order to keep eating them (or, you know, just eat a small portion and have some self control ...).  4/5 form factor, 3.5/5 flavor for me though.  Not one I'd seek out again, but I certainly wouldn't turn them down.

Seasonal / Limited Edition Flavors

Tohato goes all in on limited edition flavors.  Holidays, seasons, random Tik Tok trends ... they seem to embrace all as an excuse to create a limited time flavor, usually with some very cute branding and graphics.

Christmas Caramel Corn - White Milk.
(Seasonal).

"Enjoy these satisfyingly sweet corn puffs in their cute holiday season packaging! The crunchy pieces look like snow with their white milk flavor coating. Taste the rich milk flavor, thanks to the combination of fresh cream and honey."

The next flavor I tried was another variation on caramel corn, this time a special Christmas "white milk" flavor.

ZOMG.  I couldn't believe how much I liked these.  Same great base form factor, and pretty classic caramel corn taste to the base, and then ... well, sweet white chocolate-esque milky coating, but not a drizzle or shell, rather, a powder.  They were super sweet, but also creamy, and yet so crunchy, that I actually ate the entire bag in something like 2 minutes, stopping finally at the end to take a photo so I could write my review.  They were *that* good.  Wowzer.

What makes them that delicious?  Well, the ingredients.  Besides the corn grits that form the base, sugar, margarine, sweetened condensed milk, condensed milk, cream, "milk seasoning", and salt (plus a few emulsifiers and the like).  No wonder these were so tasty!  

Anyway, incredible.  And sadly seasonal, and sadly gone from my pantry now.  5/5.  No edits needed.

Mont Blanc.
(Limited Edition).

"Enjoy the taste of Japanese chestnut Mont Black when you bite into these delicious corn puffs! Each piece of Caramel Corn is crispy and soft at the same time that it actually melts in your mouth. These corn puffs are made with Japanese chestnut paste and fresh cream that give them a nice mellow but rich flavor."

I was very excited when I moved on to the next flavor: mont blanc!  I have had very few of this dessert in my life, mostly actually in Tokyo where it seems to be quite the thing (like even the soft serve Mont Blanc parfait at Mother Farm Milk Bar or the one from Silkream), but I adore it, and wish we had more chestnut inspiration in the US.  The ingredients even included chestnut paste, so I was quite hopeful the chestnut would deliver.

Sadly, these really didn’t taste like chestnut.  The form factor was still that perfectly addicting very crispy yet airy and puffy corn grits base, and it was still caramel corn with sweetened milk, margarine, and cream, so sweet and creamy, but … truly it just seemed like regular caramel corn flavor.  Tasty, absolutely, and this bag was definitely just one serving for me, but, mont blanc they were not.

I’d give this a low 4/5 IF it wasn’t marketed as being chestnut flavored, but since it was, and didn’t deliver even a tiny bit of chestnut flavor for me, I have to deduct a star.  3/5.

Hinamatsuri (Peach).
(Limited Edition).

"Crafted with pureed Japanese peaches, this snack boasts a charming blend of white and peach colors, reminiscent of traditional hina-arare sweets enjoyed during Japan's Girls' Day Festival."

"The Tohato Caramel Corn Seasonal Limited Peach Flavour is a new addition to the "Caramel Corn" series of Japanese snacks. It is a limited edition flavour for the Doll's Festival, also known as Hinamatsuri. The snack features an enhanced peach flavour made with Japan's domestically produced peach puree and a rich taste achieved by adding condensed milk as a secret ingredient. "

Well, this may be the most unique flavor I tried.  Another limited edition, made only for Hinamatsuri, the Japanese Doll's Day, which is a rather fascinating actual holiday.  Peaches are a symbol of this festival, and thus, the feature of this flavor.

The shape and base makeup of these is the same as the others: puffy, amazingly crunchy corn grits infused with sweetened milk, margarine, and sugar, decadent and impossible to put the bag down.  The pieces are actually light pink and rather pretty.  And the flavor?  Yup, wow, that is peach!  The flavor is not generic sweetness, nor does it taste artificial.  It tastes, well, like fresh peaches.  Rather impressive, really.  The secret (or, not so secret I guess) is in the ingredient list: peach puree.  They don't use anything artificial to get that peach flavor, it is actual peach puree.  And you can tell.

I didn't think that fruity peach would be a great match for these snacks, particularly as they are still caramel corn under that all, but, it really does work.  A fascinating and enjoyable flavor.  I'd love to try their other fruity flavors. 4/5.

Sanrio Characters Strawberry Caramel Corn.
(Special Edition).

"Introducing the delightful Tohato Sanrio Caramel Corn Strawberry, a taste sensation straight from the heart of Japan. This unique and charming snack combines the irresistible flavors of sweet caramel and luscious strawberries to create a treat that will transport your taste buds to a world of pure delight. Whether you're a fan of Sanrio's beloved characters or simply a lover of delicious snacks, this Japanese treat is sure to captivate your senses."

Wow, these were unique!  A collaboration with Sanrio to have Sanrio cutesy characters on the package, and a pack of Sanrio stickers hiding in the bag.  I believe they had several styles of packaging and stickers on offer.

The first thing that surprised me was the form factor.  While the shape and format is the same as all the others, they are tiny!  The cutesy little mini form kinda matched the whimsical branding, but I'll admit that I do prefer the bigger puffs.  These were just slightly bigger than popcorn pieces.

Once I got over the adorable tininess, I took in the taste.  Much like the limited peach flavor, the strawberry flavor was intense, and definitely not just an afterthought or something that comes through on the finish.  They were super fruity, in a good way that didn't taste fake nor cloying.  There is real strawberry puree used, and you can tell.

Sweet, fruity, crunchy, and gone in an instant.  4/5.

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Jessica Little Fu

It is rare for me to really be impressed with a baked good or dessert these days.  I was spoiled by years of having an ex-Michelin star pastry chef creating nightly desserts for my group at work (and a succession of equally talented pastry chefs before/after that) and by having a couple years of doing extensive fine dining.  That is all in my past, but more recently, I've spent my last three summers in New York City, where I've made eating top notch pastries and baked goods a priority.  So most things I encounter in everyday life in San Francisco just don't really wow me.  Sure, there are some that stand out (e.g. yes, Arsicault), but most, even if good, I'm not like "ZOMG" about.

So I had no expectations when I recently attended a tea and dessert event featuring a popup vendor I'd never heard of: Jessica Little Fu.  Let me tell you: um, you should pay attention to this pastry chef.

Jessica Little Fu is a pastry chef and baking instructor, and hails from a background working at the Michelin starred restaurants State Bird Provisions and The Progress (and later, Stonehill Matcha).  She now sells at popups, and special orders from her website.  I know little else about her, besides that, well, she's crazy talented.  

"Today, I can be found at occasional pop ups around the bay area, working on passion projects and teaching what I have learned to baking enthusiasts. My pastries showcase California seasonal produce and often have a touch of Chinese pastry nostalgia."

She's sorta low profile, just doing her thing it seems.  Her work features a lot of Asian flavor profiles, but modern unique creations, with high level of mastery of technique.  She incorporates a lot creams, fruits, cakes, and flavored whipped creams.  Mmm, all things I love.

Our event had 6 items: 1 sheet cake, 2 types of pie, 2 kinds of panna cotta, and one individual sized cake/mousse.  I read through the menu with my eyes getting wider and wider.  I wanted them all.  As a first pass, I selected my top two choices, but when it was clear that there was plenty, and that most people were loading up platters and taking some home, I returned to get more.  In the end, I had 5 of the 6 items, and all were ... flawless?  To say I was impressed is an understatement.

Black Sesame Banana Cream Pie.

"A pie filled with layers of silky black sesame mousseline, malted milk sweet cream and bananas encased in a flaky pie crust with a thin layer of milk chocolate."

The one I went straight for, my first pick to try, was the black sesame banana cream pie.  I love banana cream pie.  I adore black sesame.  This sounded, well, perfect.  I loved that it came pre-sliced into 8 very large slices.  I also loved that other event attendees didn't seem inclined to try to cut them in pieces, so taking a full slice seemed appropriate.

Black Sesame Banana Cream Pie: Close up.

"Flaky butter pie shell brushed with milk chocolate and filled with black sesame mousseline, bananas and malted milk whipped cream."

The pie was a stunning 3 layers of bananas and black sesame mousseline, plus a very generous layer of the malted milk whipped cream, all sprinkled with some black sesame seeds.  I was impressed with the structural integrity as I took a slice.

The crust was everything I want in a crust: super crispy, super flaky, high butter, fantastic.  I suspect the light layer of milk chocolate lining it helped keep it crisp against the filling.  The crust alone had me impressed.

But this pie kept on giving.  It was loaded with bananas, fresh, ripe, not too mushy.  Very strong banana focus, as you can see visually as well.  The bananas were enrobed in the glorious black sesame mousseline.  It was creamy, rich, and sophisticatedly nutty.  As someone who grew up eating a lot of bananas with peanut butter as a snack, this immediately worked for me, and just felt like a grown up spin on a flavor profile that sparked comfort and nostalgia.  And then, the very generous layer of whipped cream on top, which was not just any old whipped cream, but, malted milk whipped cream.  It had just that extra touch of depth and again, sophistication, that felt both familiar and a bit upscale all at once.

Put it all together and you have a very unique and complex spin on what is otherwise a fairly basic nostalgic comfort food pie (banana cream) and childhood snack (nut butter on bananas), melded together into a showstopper.  There is literally nothing I'd suggest be done differently with this, the flavors, textures, and technique just all were top notch.  4.5/5, tied for first place for me in favorites.

Passion Fruit Mochi Mousse Cake.

"Mochi, passion fruit mousse, strawberry sauce, whipped cream and vanilla chiffon."

My second pick when honing in on selecting just two to try to start was the mochi mousse cake.  It was certainly the most unique looking, and I was fascinated by what it might be like inside as well.  The mochi blanket embracing it was so soft and pliable, and really quite pleasant to eat, just a subtle rice taste.

Passion Fruit Mochi Mousse Cake: Inside.

And then, within.  The base was a very light vanilla chiffon.  It was an uninteresting component of the desert, and I'd prefer some other kind of base, but there was nothing wrong with it, and its plainness did offset the intensity of the other elements.

The majority of this was a stunner, a sensational passion fruit mousse.  It was fluffy and creamy, fruity and tropical, slightly sweet and slightly tart, and studded with sooo many passion fruit seeds for lots of crunch.  It never seemed too heavy nor too sweet, and had just the right level of intensity, all from real passionfruit, no fake taste to it.  I adored the mousse.

The whipped cream was a minor component on top, and was nice to balance the mousse a little, but the mousse was so good I barely felt it needed it.  The strawberry sauce turned out to be just that dot on top, none within, so it added a sweet additional fruity burst, but then was gone. 

Overall, such a unique item, and it did all work together well, but I almost think I would have enjoyed it more if it was just mochi filled with passion fruit mousse.  Still, I devoured it, and would get another in a heartbeat. Strong 4/5, the passion fruit mousse though was an easy 5/5.  My second favorite item.

Chestnut Oolong Cake.

"Three layers of vanilla chiffon, Phoenix Honey Orchid oolong tea pastry cream, chestnut whipped cream."

After securing my top two choices, I moved on to take a look at the large format cake.  The cake looked slightly more homemade than professional (obviously by a talented home baker, but it didn't scream out professional at first glance), and at first I thought this might be a different source than the other items.  But then I saw the description, and saw how it fit right in.

While the cake and oolong components, and the less polished look of it didn't quite draw me in, the mention of chestnut is all it took for me to slice off a small piece, to at least give it a try.

Chestnut Oolong Cake: Close up.

The cake had three very equal layers of chiffon, and what seemed to be the same filling (albeit studded with chestnuts) and frosting.  I had somewhat expected the inside to be the oolong tea pastry cream, and outside to be the chestnut whipped cream.

I often comment on how chiffon cake is my least favorite style of cake (I may adore Asian flavors and desserts from around the world, but, American style dense butter cake is still my preferred cake, chiffon, sponge, genoise ... eh).  However this was moist and light as air, and really did seem appropriate with the delicate flavors of the oolong pastry cream.  This was actually the first bite of anything I had (before the previous items), and I was immediately impressed.

Then, the pastry cream / whipped cream.  Light and fluffy.  There was a mild hint of tea that lingered on the finish, but it was very mild, as you'd expect from oolong.  The filling within the layers of cake was studded with little bits of chestnut.  At first I thought they were red bean actually, as the taste and size of the bits immediately connected in my brain as red bean, but actually, this was the chestnut.  It was more ... nutty? Legume-like? than I expected.  It was quite savory, and the pastry cream/whipped cream wasn't very sweetened either, so this really was not a sweet dessert.

Overall this was my least favorite of the items I tried, as I prefer things a bit sweeter, I prefer non-chiffon cake, and I'm not excited about oolong, but it was still a very good cake.  4/5 on execution really.

Hojicha Dulcey Cream Pie.

"Cocoa cookie crumb crust filled with hojicha dulcey chocolate cremeux and caramel whipped cream."

In my initial priority stack rank of items to try, I had this near the middle of the pack, after the cake.  I adore dulcey chocolate, but I'm not really a tea lover (I don't mind it, just, not my top choice of flavor to go for), and the cocoa cookie crumb crust seemed less interesting than the elements of the other desserts.  I still was curious to try it though, given how successful everything else was, so when there was still a bunch of slices of this left, I broke the mold of taking full slices and actually cut one in half, so I could just try it, but not take a full slice (which, totally mangled it, alas).

The cocoa cookie crust was actually pretty good.  Crispy, compressed, deep cocoa flavor, slightly bitter in a good way.  It was a nice thickness to really taste the cocoa, but not too thick to easily break through with a fork.  But as I expected, it just wasn't all that exciting to me on its own (but, I also hate Oreos, so, consider that fact).  When you combined it with the  caramel whipped cream on top though ... brilliant!  There was no denying the fact that it was caramel, so sweet, so intense.  I loved it, and it did indeed go well with that crust, in a way that elevated both elements when consumed together.  I would be happy with just this crust and topping as a pie!

But there was more.  The main body of the pie was actually the hojicha dulcey chocolate cremeux.  Oh, wow.  For all the lack of intensity in the oolong pastry cream in the cake, this one had in spades.  The tea flavor was strong, and really kept drawing me back in.  It was bitter but tempered by the dulcey which gave a hint of caramely sweetness (and of course, it was balanced out with the crust/whip as well if you ate it all together).  The consistency of it was remarkable too - soooo smooth.  It was quite thick, far thicker than the passion fruit mousse, the oolong pastry cream, or the black sesame mousseline, yet velvety smooth.  It really was exceptional, and I found myself wanting more and more of it.

I ended up liking this quite a bit, and would have easily consumed a full slice (perhaps saving half for the next day).  I actually preferred the crust/whip as one dessert, and this cremeux as its own thing, as I felt the flavors were allowed to shine a bit more that way, but, such a surprise hit for me.  Shockingly tied for first place. 4.5/5.

Elderflower Panna Cotta.

"St Germaine panna cotta with fresh berries and passion fruit."

And finally, the last item I grabbed, a panna cotta.  This may come as a surprise that it was the last thing on my priority list, given that my blog has a label dedicated to pudding AND one exclusively for panna cotta, and I do love it, but, I actually just thought it was the least likely to impress compared to the more elaborate items.  Plus, the St. Germaine didn't draw me in.

It came topped with a few berries (raspberries, blueberries) and fresh passionfruit.  

The panna cotta was, as you may have guessed by now, executed flawlessly.  Well set.  Thick.  Rich.  Smooth.  Fresh cream taste, mildly sweet.  The vibrant fruit on top, particularly the passion fruit, offset the slight plainness of the base panna cotta.  As for the St. Germaine, I'll admit I didn't taste it.  But it really was a fantastic panna cotta nonetheless.  If I had one note it is that I would have preferred some additional flavoring, be it the St. Germaine or something like buttermilk, but still, this was very, very good.

This really was textbook execution of panna cotta, you can tell the pastry chef is a master of her craft from this simple dish alone.  4/5.  My third pick, only because the others were more interesting, but, yeah, flawless.

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