The chocolate mint flavor, shortened to “chocomint” in Japan, is very popular in Japan during the summertime! If you’re ever in Japan around June, you can expect to see store shelves full of chocomint ice cream, cake, and especially chocolate! But why do Japanese people like it so much? Let’s find out!
The chocolate mint flavor was first invented by Baskin Robbins in 1945. It was an unusual flavor at the time and perfectly fit with the chain’s brand of selling “fun, not ice cream”. Along with BR’s other 31 flavors, chocolate mint proved to be quite popular.
However, chocolate mint wouldn’t arrive in Japan until 1974, almost 30 years later! Unlike in the US and the UK, Japan didn’t have minty snacks such as Junior Mints or After Eights, so this was a pretty big deal! But when Glico got their hands on it by the mid-1980s, chocomint spread like a wild blizzard!
Similar to the origins of White Day, the chocomint flavor was heavily marketed toward teenage girls. But it wasn’t just the flavor that they loved so much, it was the look! Chocomint’s light mint green aesthetic is very popular and syncs perfectly with its rich, refreshing taste! It was especially popular in the 80s and 90s interior design and sportswear.
As with most things, chocomint’s popularity blew up with the advent of social media. In addition to ice cream and chocolate, there’s also chocomint Mont Blanc, pancakes, doughnuts and even dorayaki! But which ones are are the people’s favorite?
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Bourbon’s Mochi Mochi Chocolat candy brand consists of chewy mochi filled with a rich chocolate filling, similar to daifuku or mochi ice cream. Notable flavors include Chocolate Ganache, Sakura Mochi and Espresso Affogato.
However, its chocomint flavor is a limited-edition treat! It’s chocolate mochi with cool mint inside! This snack is both accessible and luxurious at the same time and is perfect for a summertime refreshment.
Another smash hit from Bourbon, Blanchul Mini Chocolate is a snack brand that features shiroi koibito. Shiroi koibito is a European-style cookie sandwich made of “langue de chat” biscuits with a firm slice of chocolate in the middle.
In this case, it’s dark cocoa biscuits with green mint chocolate in the middle! These mini chocolates are rich and refreshing and would pair well with a warm cup of coffee!
Fujiya’s Country Ma’am is a mainstay in Japanese confectionery. Similar to US’ Chips Ahoy, they’re soft-baked chocolate chip cookies that are full of flavor! The regular flavor line-up includes Vanilla, Cocoa, and Chocolate Mamire (rich chocolate cookies covered in chocolate).
However, this White Mint flavor has their own twist on the chocomint flavor. The cookie is white, but the chips inside are both chocolate and mint. Not to mention, you can eat these frozen as well, which takes these refreshing cookies to whole other level!
We can’t talk about iconic Japanese snacks without mentioning Pocky! Back in 2019, the iconic brand release their take on chocomint. Similar to the mini chocolates, the biscuit part is cocoa, while the chocolate is pure mint.
The cocoa is bittersweet while the mint is smooth. Also, like other Pocky snacks, the stick is crispy, sweet, with just a little bit of the stick left uncovered so it’s not messy to eat!
Along with Pocky, comes the indomitable Japanese Kit-Kat. The Peach Mint flavor is probably the most unique of these chocomint treats. Instead of the sometimes overpowering, buttery taste of white chocolate, the chocolate base uses peach and rum!
Even though Kit-Kat already has a mint chocolate flavor in their regular line-up, the peach mint flavor is specfically for those who want something a little different!
The Japanese snack company Pasco has introduced a steamed chocomint cake for an easy way to curb that chocomint craving on the go. Talk about having your cake and eating it too!
However, if it is breakfast time and you are hankering for that refreshing mint taste, no worries! Japan has the perfect chocomint bagel ready to satisfy your desires! Thus, this begs the question: Which would be better, cream cheese or butter on this bagel?
Japan even has their own chocomint spin on famous desserts! The Japanese chocomint take on an ice cream sandwich includes using Japanese dorayaki as the buns and stuffing them with brightly colored chocomint ice cream, marshmallows, and chocolate sauce.
But, if ice cream sandwiches aren’t your thing, what about chocomint cheesecake!? This cheesecake is a big hit in Japan for the burst of flavor in every bite of this minty cheesecake.
So, are you craving for some chocomint Japanese snacks yet? Tell us in the comments below what snack you would want to try with a minty twist!
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