This is the Kanro Puré Gumi Yuzu Mikan. It derived its flavour from mikan and yuzu fruit juice concentrates.
A departure from their usual practice, where the lucky shape in a bag of hearts is typically stars, this flavour featured a maple leaf as the lucky shape among the hearts. Unfortunately, luck wasn’t on our side, as all the pieces in the bag were hearts.
Each heart-shaped piece, measured approximately 3 x 2.5 x 0.5 cm. The halves were shades of orange and yellow, with the orange half flavoured with mikan, while the yellow half was infused with yuzu, emitting a vibrant and juicy citrus aroma. The sour crystals on the surface introduced an initial tangy acidity and a subtle crunch. After a few bites of the firm, pulpy gummy, the distinct notes of each flavour emerged.
Eating the halves individually, the mikan flavor came through vibrantly, featuring the fresh juicy sweetness of the fruit with a balancing hint of acidity. The use of juice was evident, as it did not have the numbing effect on the tongue usually caused by citrus oils. In contrast, the yuzu flavor was notably less fragrant than expected, due to the use of the fruit’s juice rather than its zest. Nevertheless, the uplifting floral notes of the yuzu emerged, tasting like the jelly-like component in a yuzu marmalade. When the halves were eaten together, the yuzu contributed a floral quality to the mikan in the body of each bite. However, the bolder flavors of the mikan meant the already subdued yuzu flavor was not identifiable, with the mikan dominating the flavor profile into the finish. We enjoyed the fresh flavor of these gummies, but the yuzu flavor would have been more successful if it had its own dedicated whole gummy rather than sharing with the mikan.
This Kanro Puré Gumi Yuzu Mikan contained 52 g. It was produced in Japan and purchased in Hong Kong in 2023.