Best Japanese Candies of 2020

Nov 18, 2020by Courtney Thompson

This year has certainly had its ups and downs, but there is one bright spot, and that’s all of the amazing Japanese candy to come out of it! We are always on the lookout for new candies, and we have made a lot of fantastic discoveries this year. From chocolates to gummies, there are a lot of delicious new Japanese candies to love this year. Here is a round-up of the best Japanese candy of 2020!

Japanese Kit Kat: Sakura Mochi

Sakura Mochi Kit Kats are a perfect springtime treat and one of our favorite Japanese chocolates of the year. Sakura mochi is a traditional Japanese dessert enjoyed during spring festivals, and Nestle Japan captures these classic flavors in their iconic Kit Kat bar. These seasonal Kit Kats are a beautiful soft pink color to represent the cherry blossoms they are inspired by, and they feature a delicate floral flavor along with earthy notes brought out by the azuki bean powder. These subtle and sweet flavors, combined with the classic crunch of a Kit Kat, make this one of our favorite Japanese candies this year!

Candied Yuzu Peel

Candied Yuzu Peel is another delicious Japanese candy that we fell in love with this year. Yuzu is a popular Japanese citrus fruit, similar in appearance to a tangerine and similar in taste to something between a lemon and a grapefruit. Many Japanese sweets feature yuzu flavoring, but this Japanese candy is actually made from real slices of yuzu peel! This makes it a pretty unique snack, and a great way to try yuzu if you’ve never had it before. The candying process turns these yuzu peels into a deliciously chewy, tart, and sweet candy that we just can't get enough of!

Handmade Sakura Candy

This Handmade Sakura Candy is a Bokksu exclusive and a truly one of a kind Japanese candy. This hard candy features sweet and floral notes of cherry blossoms, and in fact, there are even bits of real preserved sakura in it! These candies are a beautiful pink color with brighter specks from the pieces of real cherry blossoms inside, making them stunning to look at as well as delicious. Mimicking how delicate cherry blossoms are, these candies dissolve in your mouth leaving behind a sweet taste.

Puru Mocchi: Yogurt Flavor

Puru Mocchi: Yogurt Flavor is one of our favorite Japanese gummies, so it has to be mentioned as one of the best candies of 2020. Puru Mocchi gummies are known for their springy and chewy texture, and the yogurt flavor in this variety is a refreshing and smooth surprise. These gummies have a perfect balance of sweet and tangy flavors, which make them a truly addicting snack and it is obvious why they are so popular. They are especially delicious when chilled!

Handmade Itotemari Candy

These colorful hard-candies are designed to look like itotemari, which are traditional Japanese embroidered balls used in children’s games. These handmade candies capture this fun and youthful spirit with a variety of colors and stripes. While they are almost too beautiful to eat, we also love the flavors of these Japanese candies, which include peach, mikan, grape, melon, quince, and more!

Gudetama Custard Chocolate

These chocolates are some of the cutest of 2020! These little milk chocolates have a delicious custard cream filling, making them a smooth and delicious treat. Best of all, they come in an adorable yellow Gudetama wrapping featuring his various cute expressions. These bite-sized chocolates are the perfect Japanese chocolate for kids, or for the young at heart!

Kaju Gummy Plum & Lychee

These Japanese gummies are one of our favorite summer snacks of 2020! Tropical and fruity, these gummies truly taste like summer, but they are delicious all year round. These high-quality gummies get their flavor and juiciness from real fruit juice. The gummy itself is plum flavored and features a tart powder coating and a lychee jelly filling. This unique flavor combination makes this a candy you just have to try for yourself!

Tile Candy: Black Sesame Crunch

This candy is a Bokksu exclusive that we've created with our partners at Daimonji, and we've been so excited to share it with the world! It is a unique hard candy that is meant to be chewed, making it much more snackable and giving it a distinctive texture. It features black sesame which gives it a delicious nutty flavor and makes it a wonderful pairing with tea!