Chocolates in Asia I wish were sold in the States

This week's photo challenge: Chocolate reminded me of something I've been wanting to say for some time.

Why are these things not available in the States?
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AMICELLI by Dove

Every time I visit Taiwan I try to find some Amicelli.

Amicelli are small individually wrapped wafer rolls filled with hazelnut chocolate, also known as bits of heaven wrapped in a wafer roll (in my world). A bit on the pricier end but I REALLY LIKE HAZELNUT CHOCOLATE so it's a real treat. They are made by Dove but I have not seen them in the U.S.

But Dove chocolate is headquartered in New Jersey!

Yes, why would Dove deny Americans of this delicious treat? Why doesn't CocaCola sell Qoo here? Why can't 7-11 be the hub for all bill-paying activity? Why can't my potato chips taste like a hamburger with ketchup or a steak covered in black pepper sauce with a side of mashed potatoes? Why can't I have a local bookstore that is 7 floors tall? Why can't all receipts also double up as lottery tickets? Sometimes you have to travel the world to realize the US isn't the only place with great ideas and even though we are in the land of plenty we still don't have it all.

At least the Bay Area is finally getting a Uniqlo. My brother introduced me to this brand when we were in Japan. I remember stopping by the store in NYC a few years back and wishing I had one in my backyard. Uniqlo is like the Gap of Japan, lots of pretty basics, cute print t-shirts, and fun collaborations with designers like Jill Sanders, Vena Cava, Orla Kiely. Yippee!

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Rich Matcha Chocolate by Meiji

My housemate went to Japan earlier this year and brought back Meiji rich matcha chocolate bars. Similar in appearance to a Hershey's chocolate bar, except think of a white chocolate bar flavored with matcha and only 10% of white chocolate's typical sweetness. Not super sophisticated or beautifully packaged but all I can say is YUM! Such a huge fan of matcha green tea and it's smoky, dry flavor.

She said she could only find them in the 7-11 stores around Japan.

I had high hopes of returning from Taiwan with a years worth of this stuff. When I was in Taiwan, every time I passed by a 7-11 (which appear about every other block in the bigger cities) I peeked inside hoping to spot some in the candy aisle. There were quite a few Meiji products, but only milk chocolate and dark chocolate bars. No matcha green tea bars! I scoured Taipei. Grocery stores, 7-11's, family marts (another common convenience store), department stores... NADA!

Sigh.

I shouldn't have gobbled up the one from Japan so quickly.

I was hoping to bring some back from Taiwan as souvenirs for others because they are delicious, cheap (the airport ate half my spending money before I could cross customs), easy to carry, I haven't seen them in America and who DOESN'T like them? Sigh. Pineapple cakes, mochi, taro cakes, black charcoal face wash, cheap tights and funny hello kitty glasses were the only plunder I brought back from my trip. I hate giving people things they could easily find in their local Asian supermarket. (Bulky boxes also end up being smashed in my luggage and do not very pretty gifts.)

My brother returned from Taiwan a week after me and look what he brought back for me!

He said he found it in a grocery store.

I shall ration it for a year... or week. Whatever comes first.

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Any candies you wish were available in the US?
FYI - No one is allowed to say Smarties (I'm looking at you Canadians) because M&M's are clearly superior. Clearly.

Don't get me started on ice cream flavors.

 

challenge: chocolate