This is the Kasugai Tsubu Gumi Premium Rich Melon, a limited edition featuring three distinct melon flavours: muskmelon, honeydew melon, and Furano melon.

Each variety was well represented in the bag, with a distribution ratio of 21:18:18. The confectionery employed a double-layer technique, incorporating fruit juice both in the outer candy shell and the inner gummy centre to achieve a layered flavour experience.

The packaging included a flavour map, positioning each melon type across three axes: brightness (top), freshness (bottom left), and richness (bottom right), indicating the intended sensory emphasis of each variety.

Musk Melon This variety featured a green-hued soft candy shell encasing a translucent gummy core. Containing 96% muskmelon juice (as a percentage of fresh juice equivalent), it delivered an immediate burst of sweet, aromatic brightness from the shell. Upon biting through to the centre, the flavour deepened into a rich, musky note reminiscent of the intensely sweet, juicy core of a perfectly ripe muskmelon. The finish introduced subtle notes of fruity acidity, offering both complexity and balance. This was the most aromatic and multidimensional of the three, and the clear standout.

Honeydew Melon This flavour presented a cream-coloured candy shell with a similar gummy centre. Made using red-flesh melon juice (percentage not specified), the initial impression was one of gentle floral sweetness that was less immediately identifiable as melon. The transition to the centre brought forward delicate honeyed notes with a clean, juicy acidity. Compared to the muskmelon, it lacked aromatic intensity but offered a fresher, more restrained profile with subtle complexity.

Furano Melon With an orange shell and yellow gummy centre, this variety was made with 2.3% Furano melon purée (equivalent to fresh juice). The initial bite released a mild sweetness with a trace of acidity, but the core delivered the deepest melon intensity of the three. Rich, sweet, and highly aromatic, the Furano melon finished with a rounded juiciness characteristic of red-fleshed melons cultivated in the temperature-variable Furano Basin of Hokkaidō.

Although apple juice was listed among the ingredients, it remained firmly in the background, with the distinctive melon profiles taking centre stage. Consistent with the broader Tsubu Gumi Premium series, these jellybeans exhibited excellent textural contrast and impressively layered fruit character.

This Kasugai Tsubu Gumi Premium Rich Melon contained 75 g. It was produced in Japan and purchased in Sydney, Australia in 2024.