Cubyrop: the perfect candy

Cubyrop
We first discovered Cubyrop via flickr and were smitten, so we put them in an Amazon wishlist. But after more than a year, we happened to just come across a bag of them at Nijiya(a Japanese supermarket) and were thrilled!
Cubyrop The verdict? Cubyrop are intensely charming — even better in person than they look in the photos. They are hard candy, intensely fruit flavored as only Japanese candies can be. While the name would imply that they are perfect cubes, they are indeed perfect but are not always cubes– the sides vary from 11-13 mm. They come wrapped two to a package, which is just the right amount of sweet and flavor.
Cubyrop
They are color coded:

  • Orange = Mango
  • Yellow = Lemon
  • Orange = Orange
  • Dark Pink = Grape
  • Super Light Pink = Litchi
  • Green = Melon
  • Light Pink = Peach
  • Medium Pink = Strawberry

Mango and orange are difficult to tell apart visually, but they definitely taste different. Cubyrop also come in a (slightly larger) gummy variety, which also have intense flavoring but are jiggly with a dusting of sour powder. (Note: Some of you who grew up in the same era as us may also have an innate fear of gelatinous cubes.) There is also a variety labeled as throat drops, with some sort of cough-drop powder in the center of the cubes. They taste vaguely medicinal, but are still significantly better than most cough drops.
Cubyrop

As with so many Japanese products, presentation is everything. The product shape carries over into the font, and the square color coding for the flavors is listed both in English on the front and in Japanese on the back. Charming, andtasty! What more could you want?

15 thoughts on “Cubyrop: the perfect candy

  1. Besides the all-solid cubyrop like you have, and the gummy ones, there’s also a type that has a hard outside and a soft filling. The soft filling ones’ individual wrappers are kind of a purplish pink. The solid ones do win out for the best taste – the filled ones have a little bit of a menthol taste to them.

    If you like Japanese hard candy, try to find some of those by the "Lion" brand. They have that Japanese pure fruit flavor, but without any of the herbal edge that some have.

  2. Indeed, the majority of Japanese hard candy would probably fit into the throat drop (nodo ame/のど飴) category. There’s also a myriad of gummy candy, most of it good.

  3. <i>"What more could you want?"</I>
    How about less damn packaging? What a waste!

    1. In Japan recycling is essentially mandatory. All that plastic gets recycled. There could still be less packaging of course. It should also be noted most Japanese companies are switching or have already switched to bio-plastics. I know a lot of things I have picked up recently have little bio-plastic marks, and my notebook computer casing is made with bio-plastic. So even with excessive packaging, I’d say we’re doing better than our American counterparts.

      1. The packaging is actually extremely efficient compared to most US candy.

        Also, it’s not stupid. The individual inner wrappers are actually crucial for keeping the texture and appearance perfect– which they are. It’s a big art of the appeal of these little wonders.


        Windell H. Oskay
        drwho(at)evilmadscientist.com
        http://www.evilmadscientist.com/

  4. Maybe I’m dense, but why does it say "Bourbon" on it? Is that a brand or an ingredient or some random English word stamped there?

  5. I think I’d like it better if it were named PYROCUB. There could be little bears on the package, each holding torches or something.

  6. hahahah i just bought a bag of these a couple of weeks ago, and they were delicious, then I got addicted! its so funny that it shows up on here. oh btw, love the website.

  7. I LOVE THIS CANDY!! I get it at the Japanese market (it’s called Oriental Shop) here in Madison, WI. It’s one of my favorites, ever!

Comments are closed.