Kinako Petit Bit Chocolates

It occurred to me as I was pondering the writing of this review that these candies could be used as a very unkind way for a woman to break up with a guy. She could send him a packet of these and say that the candy was doing the talking for her in explaining the reason for the relationship ending. It'd be cold, of course, but at least he'd have some sugary goodness to console himself with.


If you're not looking to crush a man's soul, you can still enjoy the candy for itself. These kinako chocolates are firm, fresh, and sweet with an excellent balance between the sugar and the kinako flavor. Sometimes kinako is nuttier in flavor and sometimes it carries more of a soy flour taste. In this case, they carry more of a soy flour flavor. The taste hits you in a burst after the initial bite and is quite delightful. There are little puffs in them which make them a bit like a crunch bar, though the number of puffs isn't as high as something like a Crunky or Nestlé' Crunch bar.

There are 11 candies in each package and you can find these at New Days convenience store (among other places) for about 100 yen (about a dollar). Each candy is about 24 calories and well worth the price both on the hips and in the wallet. Male ego crushing is simply a potential side benefit.

Chocolate Banana Tart Petit Bit

I always find Japanese companies with Western-sounding names a bit strange. It's like they are trying too hard to be sophisticated or are somehow denying their heritage. To be fair, I find Western companies with Japanese names pretentious and irritating. They're trying too hard to sound hip, cool, or quirky. This company could be about an area of France or a Kentucky whiskey (Bourbon). My research indicates that this is about the French version, not the boozy one.


Bourbon has been around since 1924 and the name has changed a few times since it was first established. It's major products are Al Forte cookies which feature embossed chocolate on one side and a cookie on the other and "Bit" chocolates. "Bit" is sold either as larger individual squares or in packets as "Petit Bit". The Petit Bit package has 10 pieces of about 2.5 cm x 1.5 cm (1 in. x .6 in.) and comes in a wide variety of flavors including blueberry mousse, strawberry, almond, and bitter chocolate. The variety I'm reviewing today is 29 calories per candy. My husband picked up this banana tart variety at "New Days" convenience store where he says they're having a bit of a banana-flavored treats explosion.


Since I generally have a bad reaction to banana treats, I didn't expect to like this. As soon as I unwrapped the package, a strong banana scent wafted out at me and I was further discouraged. The candy is half chocolate and half banana with little pellets of cookie in the center. The flavor is surprisingly realistic. The banana tastes a lot like a real banana, albeit a very ripe one. The cookie pellets mainly lend texture and the chocolate tastes a lot like chocolate syrup. In fact, this very much reminds me of a banana split's banana and chocolate combination.

This was surprisingly good. The flavors are strong, but well-matched. The combination of the slightly soft chocolate with the crispy cookie bits is quite nice and the portions easy to control. If you're a fan of banana splits or chocolate banana tarts, I'd recommending giving this a try.