What an incredible candy! One of my colleagues, Sledge, brought us in a whole case this morning. I’ve been eating through box after box like it was… well, candy.
For those of you who have never had the pleasure of Botan Rice Candy, it is nothing more than Millet Jelly, Sugar, Sweet Rice, Water, Lemon and Orange Flavor. But man is it incredible. It’s like crack… I can’t stop eating it. And one of the schway coolest things about Botan Rice Candy is: You can eat the wrapper! It’s made of rice paper. I just think that rocks.
To any extent, this truly is completely pointless, but it’s one of my happy thoughts for the day, and I thought I’d share.
OH yeah, that stuff is great. Almost as addictive as Leechee candy jell things. It’s one of the more tolerable asian candies, definetely better than sweetened cuttlefish.
mmmmmm
Nostalgia just hit me in the face. I haven’t had Botan Rice Candy in close to 20 years (ACK! I’m OLD). I loved that stuff as a kid. I wonder where I can find some around here?
As to where we find it, there’s a little Korean grocery store here, and everytime they get it in, we all run over there and get a case or two.
Um… I guess if you really really wanted some, which I know I would as I can’t go very long without some Botan Rice Candy, you could write the American distributor:
JFC International INC
San Francisco, CA 94080
Oh, and I almost forgot one of the best parts. The little stickers on the inside. I have about 20 little ninja stickers all over my desk.
Mmmm! I first ate rice candies when I was three years old and living in Japan. I love those things! I still buy the occasional box at the local Albertson’s supermarket. I give the stickers away.
Duuuuuuuude! I forgot all about that stuff! I remember when I was a kid we’d get it every time we went to Sea World (San Diego) in the little Japanese pearl-diving area store. That was my favorite part about Sea World (well, besides Cpt Kids world). I’m pretty sure I’ve seen it in San Francisco in Chinatown before, too. Yummyyummymeltinyourmouthmmmmmmmm…
But every time I go to a store that sells it, I buy a box and eat them anyway, because even after 20 years, it still strikes me as so cool that you eat the paper, too.
it makes my tongue tingle just thinking about the stuff. i can usually find botan rice candy in the “ethnic food” sections of the grocery store kind of next to the pocky (?) sticks.
does anyone remember when the candy was sold with toys in the box? sure a kid could choke on them, but they were kinda cool.
MMMMMmmmm yep… my parents travelled a lot, and hit every “chinatown” on the way, and Botan Rice was one of our faves! The melt-in-your mouth wrapper was a novelty, and you always got a toy prize. The sticker thang must be new in the last five years. I bought my last box in Chicago’s Chinatown 'bout then, and still have the toy on my desk. Its a plastic squirrel with wheels. I guess it would be easy to choke on, but it sure beats a sticker. I’d be disappointed with a sticker, even now.
It’s just you. A lot of the Japanese candy I’ve had was terrible… awful nasty foul-smelling stuff you’d not even want to find growing on a three year old meat-loaf in the fridge.
But Botan Rice Candy rocks… even if they do just give you a sticker now. I love my little stickers.
[sub]The three year old kid is coming out in me. Run. ;)[/sub]
Simetra I concur. I went to a party/final skit showing for my japanese class and while the Pocky and Fran and little strawberry koala things were great, the other snacks were kinda gross. I’ve only had things like pocky and choco babies, Meijin Apollo and go en. Good chocolate or strawberry stuff. But ewwwwww! Some of the stuff I had tonight… blah!
I had completely forgotten abut rice candy. When I was a kid in San Diego my dad used to bring it home once in a while. I don’t know where he bought it – maybe at his ship’s gedunk – he was in the navy at the time. Or maybe they sold it at the swap meet… I’ll have to ask him when I talk to him next. And, I’ll have to look around and see if I can buy some for my own kids (maybe at the commissary?).