Marukin Muffin Cake

There was some signs of moisture in this package,
but it was still good. How is that possible?

The Attraction:

I love baked goods and I usually enjoy Japanese snacks, so when I came across a Japanese muffin, it was like trying to tell Pepe Le Pew not to pursue that black cat with white paint on the back. Who can be THAT strong?

The Review:
I have very little doubt this won't be at least OK at the minimum. I can't think of a Japanese pastry that I have tried that has really disappointed me. Let's hope that streak doesn't end now!

I open the package of four and am quickly welcomed with the smell of sweet vanilla. Actually, it reminded me of Tortuga Rum Cakes, minus the alcohol part. I wonder if it'll be moist like a rum cake? I take a muffin out and carefully peel off the perforated wrapping on the bottom (I love the Japanese attention to detail) and take a big bite.

It not only smells like rum cake, it taste like it too! For those of you who have never been gifted a rum cake from someone on vacation or got one yourself when you were away, the cake is similar to a corn muffin, but not quite as dense. There's hints of vanilla and it's soft, light and fairly moist. These muffins are not as moist as a rum cake, but not bad considering the journey it took to get into my mouth.

This looks like the creme brulee of muffins

The Sweet:

Lightly sweetened muffins that somehow taste relatively fresh.

The Bitter:
Doesn't bring anything new to the snack world. What the hell is in this stuff that makes it last so doggone long?

Good stuff!

Conclusion:
This stuff taste good. There's no argument there, but when was the last time you had a baked good come from the other side of the world, endue however long on the grocery store shelf and another 2-3 weeks in your cubbard and not only not have mold, but still taste OK? I've bought pies from local farmer's markets that don't even last a week. What on earth must be in these muffins to have this kind of a half life?

Where it falls short here in the States is that there is nothing particularly special about these muffins compared to anything else you can get at the local bakery or grocery store. Yes, they are tasty, but you can find something comparable that is cheaper, fresher and less processed than this snack a stone throws away. Where this flavor may be more unique in Asia, it's rather pedestrian here in the USA. Now that I think about it, the flavor is probably not even that unique in Asia.

When you sit down to do the math, you'll find that although the flavor is good, it's not worth the premium you would pay both financially and processed food-wise to make this snack investment balance out.

Video of the Week
Earlier this week, the trailer for the new Marvel movie, "Captain America: Civil War" was released. After watching it another 20 times and analyzing every frame, I thought those of you living under a rock might want to check it out also.

This can't end well for someone