"Black Thunder" sounds like the name of a hyper-caffeinated beverage, or possibly an adult film star of African descent with a premature ejaculation issue. It doesn't sound like the name of a relatively unassuming but tasty little candy bar which can be had for a bargain price of 27 yen (25 cents).
This bar, which is similar in shape, size and appearance to the Yuraku Almond Caramel Latte bar and made by the same company has such a dumb name that I have skipped buying one for quite some time. I was worried that there was going to be some jolting, harsh flavor included to represent the "pow" of the "thunder". Now that I've sampled it, I know why it's called "Black Thunder", though it certainly isn't a name we'd choose in English. The "black" part comes from dark bits of bittersweet chocolate cookie. The "thunder" part comes from the crunchiness of the bar which you can "hear" in your ears as you chew.
The bar smells very weakly of cocoa. The chocolate is soft and a little waxy, but not unpleasant. The cookie bits inside are crunchy and the chocolate chips so lacking in distinct taste that they can't really be separated from the coating. Despite the fact that this doesn't sound great from what I've written, this is an enjoyable bar. In fact, the first bite immediately reminded me of chocolate-covered Oreo cookies from back home. This is perhaps just a little less sweet, but it's definitely a close approximation.
Once again, Yuraku has surprised me. This is another smallish (about 3 inches long by 1.5 inches wide) bar from that company which provides satisfaction in a compact package for around 100 calories and a very small price. If you miss chocolate covered Oreos from back home, or just like crispy chocolate-covered cookies, you'll want to sample this.
Dumb name, yeah. But it looks good. :) Just goes to show i guess that you cant judge by name or cover.
ReplyDeleteThis is my favorite candy in japan i lived there for some time and tried lots of differant things but this was the one i always went back to. i would like to know where i could get some in the states.
ReplyDeleteHi, and thanks for your comment and for reading, member of the Cooper's family. :-)
ReplyDeleteThis is definitely a nice little treat. Recently, a new version of this has shown up at 7-11. It's called "Big Thunder" and it's flatter and seems to have the cookie portions lying horizontally and covered in chocolate. I've been thinking about giving it a review if it's still around.
Unfortunately, I think that these types of sweets aren't big name enough to be offered by most importers, but you never know!
It's nice to know there are fans of Black Thunder.
ReplyDeleteI am addicted to this cookie after the 1st bite. Tasty to eat and easy on the wallet,I couldn't help but purchase 2 boxes of it at Family Mart before my flight home.
The cashier's look when I asked for a box was unforgettable.
Hi, Arzen, and thanks very much for taking the time to comment and to read!
ReplyDeleteI think these bars have enjoyed a bit of a surge in popularity because some famous sports figure said he liked them. I think it was hard to buy entire boxes of them easily before he let the whole world know what he liked. ;-)
Is this snack not contained pig oil&fat ?
ReplyDeletePlease tell me
I'm sorry, but I posted this a long time ago and I no longer have access to the ingredients list. Also, in Japan, they often don't specify all of the types of fat in some types of food. They often just say "fat" or "oil".
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry that I can't be more helpful!