Here are some new seasonal products found on store shelves by your fellow readers. If you’ve tried any of them, share your thoughts in the comments.
Cadbury Rainbow Mini Eggs
(Spotted by Allison H at Target.)
Strawberry Cookie Dough Bites
(Spotted by Robbie at CVS.)
Clever Candy You Make My Heart Pop, I Love Our Friend-Chip, and Happy Valentine’s Day Bars
(Spotted by Robbie at Central Market.)
Moodibars Smitten Strawberry Champagne, Romantic Pink Himalayan Sea Salt, and Love Red Velvet Bars
(Spotted by Robbie at Central Market.)
Jelly Belly Gimme some Sugar Greeting Card
(Spotted by Robbie at Central Market.)
The Modern Gourmet You Bake Me Happy Baking Kit
(Spotted by Robbie at Ross.)
Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Peanut Butter Hearts and Valentine Collection
(Spotted by Robbie at Central Market.)
Niagara Chocolates Dark Red Velvet Cheesecake Cups and Double Chocolate Frosting CupsNiagara Chocolates Snickerdoodle Cookie ClustersNiagara Chocolates Dark Chocolate Fondue
There’s also a Himalayan Salt flavor. Sooo, um, kettle cooked and air finished? Does the air blow off extra oil or something? (Spotted by Sarah R at Safeway.)
I know Red Bull is supposed to give you wings, but I think Red Bull Japan was a different kind of high when it named this energy drink. You see, this Red Bull Ocean Blast is lychee flavored, and nothing about the fruit brings blue to mind.
If you’re unfamiliar with it, it looks like a strawberry covered with outies, and under that red skin is a white, sweet, and slightly floral flesh that I will rip off with abandon because it’s delicious. Under the flesh is a dark brown seed that annoys me when they’re too big because that almost always means less of that succulent fruit flesh.
Note that of all the colors I mentioned in the previous paragraph, I didn’t mention blue. So it’s a bit confusing that this is the Blue Edition. Look, I get it. The blue relates to the Ocean Blast name. But Red Bull has a long history of pairing whatever Edition color with a fruit that’s actually that color. Here in the US, Watermelon is the Red Edition, Tropical is the Yellow Edition, and Blueberry is the Blue Edition. In Japan, the Purple Edition is grape, the Ruby Edition is mangosteen, and the White Edition is white peach.
Well, at least the color of the beverage itself reminds me of what’s under a lychee’s skin.
Odd naming aside, this Red Bull has flown up to the top of my favorite Red Bull flavor list. Although, I might be a bit bias because lychee is my favorite fruit in the whole wide world. Opening the can brought out an aroma that’s similar to what rises from a freshly peeled lychee. Its flavor wavers between a sweet lychee and a slightly tart overripe one. I guess it’s hard to fully hide the flavors of the underlying Red Bull. The aftertaste that lingers in my mouth is like what flavors remain in my mouth after eating lychee. From beginning to end, it’s a wonderful experience, if you’re into the fruit as much as I am.
While I love this flavor, it might be awhile before I’m able to drink it again since it’s only available in Japan at the moment. If you happen to see it at a Japanese grocer in the US, I’d definitely recommend picking it up. If you want to buy it from one of the many online Japanese snack shops based in Japan, expect to pay a lot for quick shipping or to wait a lot if you decide to get it shipped via the cheapest option (I waited two months for mine, and I’m closer to Japan than 99 percent of y’all).
But I want more people to try this and I want to drink it regularly. So this is my plea to the powers that be to bring a lychee-flavored Red Bull to the States. I don’t care what color or season Edition it becomes. Even if it’s the Brown Edition, just make it happen.
Purchased Price: $5.99 (plus shipping) Size: 250 ml can Purchased at: NapaJapan Rating: 9 out of 10 Nutrition Facts: (100 ml) 45 kcal, 0 grams of fat, 0.14 grams of sodium, 10.7 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of protein, and 32 milligrams of caffeine.
Here are some interesting new products found on store shelves by your fellow readers. If you’ve tried any of them, share your thoughts in the comments.
Trader Joe’s Maple Pancake Flavored Puffs
(Spotted by Sarah R at Trader Joe’s.)
Great Value Birthday Cake Granola
(Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.)
Herr’s Jalapeno Cheddar Mini Pub Style Pretzels
(Spotted by DJ at Redner’s.)
Herr’s Honey Mustard Mini Pub Style Pretels
(Spotted by DJ at Redner’s.)
RXBar Original Protein Granola
(Spotted by Sarah R at Safeway.)
Open Nature Cinnamon Bun Granola
(Spotted by Sarah R at Safeway.)
Happy Mama Classic Tiramisu in a JarHappy Mama Sicilian Cannoli in a Jar and Tuscan Chocolate Pudding in a JarHappy Mama Italian Cheese cake in a Jar and Italian Chocolate & Vanilla Cake in a Jar
(Spotted by Robbie at Central Market.)
Happy Mama Cherry & Chocolate SpreadHappy Mama Peach & Chocolate and Apricot & Chocolate SpreadsHappy Mama Strawberry & Chocolate and Pear & Chocolate Spreads