The floral and sweet fragrance of lychees fall into a category of deliciousness all of their own. But as a tropical fruit more associated with East Asia, it’s not a flavour you find much translated into Western foods. And even when it is, it’s strength is a step down from the Asian attempts. Lychee flavoured candy is something you’ll find only in Asian supermarkets. And even then, the vast majority are manufactured by Japanese companies.
This is Meito Droplets of Lychee Candy. Each piece of this hard sucking candy resembles a ‘droplet’ of juice from ripe lychees.
As you can expect from the Japanese, that allusion created by the packaging is accurate – each candy has the refreshing flavour of lychees at the height of their ripeness, just before they become over ripe. There’s nothing shy about this lychee flavour – it’s bold and absolutely delicious.
While I’ve come to prefer gummy candy over hard candy, the hard candy format works here to prolong enjoyment of the lychee flavour. It’s much easier to stop after one piece, whereas the fleeting satisfaction of chewing gummy candy keeps you eating more.
Meito Droplets of Lychee Candy was purchased in Tōkyō, Japan in 2014.