Happy Plum Stick Candy
Have you ever wondered what kind of sucker Martians would enjoy way yonder in Mars? Because I totally have. Like, just right now.
In the many short seconds I’ve been considering my own ridiculous question, this is what I came up with: Happy Plum Stick Candy.
The fact that it comes with a cryptic warning further cements my well-thought-out answer.
You know what these are…or do you…?
They’re sealed with a twist.
And have wrappers imprinted with a flower.
They’re the strangest suckers you ever saw, right? This is the sucker’s top.
And its back/bottom.
The side.
And this? Um, this is just a mess. See, I had the brilliant, absolutely brilliant idea to saw through the candy with a sturdy knife. And my brilliant, absolutely brilliant idea was not so…brilliant.
I couldn’t just bite through the candy to get more shots. Seriously, I literally couldn’t—my dentist had advised me not to chew on ice cubes as a general teeth tip because it can cause cracks, so I’m passing along this advice to you folks because I care about your ability to chew, truly I do.
Um, what was I saying? The yellow part of the possibly Martian-approved sucker tasted like a muted honey, and the preserved plum contrasted nicely with its sourness. (The flavor of the center was very much like that of the Preserved Fruit.)
An interesting candy in taste and look, for sure, and one good enough to pass along to a friend…who may or may not believe in Martians.
I really like a black sugar version of these – the Taiwanese REALLY love their black sugar (I would know – my family only keeps brown sugar in the house!) and the center is really just a dried plum. Obviously I only like the black sugar part, but the sour plum offers a nice flavour contrast. I guess it would be too sweet otherwise!
Wei-Wei
Hi, Cindy,
I just wanted to let you know I just spent practically half of my 3-day weekend reading your blog — it was that enjoyable and addicting!
Thanks for all the fun. And I look forward to reading more about your Asian food adventures. I am so jealous you live by a Daiso, which I had the good fortune to visit once. I spent the whole day there.
One thing you might add for your sweet red bean consumption: BBBig ice cream bar, found in Korean supermarket freezers.
cheers,
Sooj
I got so excited seeing this post. I’m like, “I know I suggested this! Maybe! A while ago!” I had it as a kid and of course, as a kid, I loved the sucrose, but not the plum inside. I saw this kind of candy the other day too! (Only, not in lollipop form. Just a ball of the yellow sugar and the preserved plum.) Maybe I should buy that for the potluck…hahaha! Probably not. I’m sure the people would be too weirded out! In my painting class last quarter, I used to bring food all the time. Mostly Japanese snacks. Snacks in general, haha. I had wanted to start a regular potluck thing (because one had been informally started in the ceramics class and I thought that that was fun but that the painting students were missing out.) It’s pretty amusing seeing people’s reactions.
“Hi, want some?”
“*pause* What is it?” And their hand will hesitate a bit while they’re looking at it.
One time I brought little mochi balls and this one girl was trying to sniff it! I was like, “No, don’t sniff it! You’ll inhale the powder and I don’t want you to choke!” (The same thing had happened to me 2 or 3 times when I tried eating Beard Papa’s cream puffs. Damn that deadly powder.)
Wei-Wei: I’ve *never* heard of black sugar! And after looking at its photo on the link I provided, I don’t think I’ve seen it in Asian markets, either. I wonder if it’s because it’s (mostly) popular in Taiwan? Brown sugar, however, is definitely commonplace in my local stores. This Happy Plum Stick Candy was the only version I saw. I’d be interested in trying the black sugar one, though.
Sooj: Thank you for your lovely comment.
I love hearing from readers (especially where y’all are from, and what your rockin’ grandmas used to buy you). Reader comments make the effort of this blog worthwhile.
And thanks also for the B.B.Big Red Bean Ice Bar recommendation. I’ll have to look for it the next time I visit one of the larger Asian markets in my area.
Lian: Oh, I totally didn’t recall you mentioning this candy before. Sorry for the oversight, if you had, because you know I would’ve been happy to credit you.
And um, it sounds like you buy things to bring to potlucks? Well, I don’t have anything to say about that other than, *high-five*! I, too, usually bring store-bought or restaurant dishes to potlucks. I’m way too self-conscious about my cooking to subject others to it. But despite bringing “safe” things, I’ve had similar reactions like yours. I brought boxes of mochi ice cream to one work potluck that went mostly untried. My old co-workers stuck to the KFC, homemade celery bisque, and homemade fruit cocktail. And at another job, I really wanted to bring some Asian snacks in because these co-workers were more adventurous eaters, but I chickened out and brought in Pocky.
I’ve never heard of black sugar either! It sounds really interesting. I’d want to try it. I wonder if I’ve seen it already, passing it for brown sugar.
And that is SUCH a SHAME! Who could pass up ice cream mochi?! SERiously!!! Just tell them it’s ice cream and it’s reeeeally reeeally delicious, and proceed to eat them one by one to “prove” and “show them” what they’re missing out on. (Being sure to rub your tummy and make “om-nom-nom” sounds, of course.)
Lian: You’re too cute! Your demonstration suggestion reminded me of something my cousin Cathy told me her daughter Olivia, the Candy Sniffer Extraordinaire, likes to do—rub her tummy when she eats something delicious, while saying, “Yummy!”
I can imagine it now if I pull an Olivia or do as you suggested…I’d look at the people like they’re the crazy ones, and go, “What? I learned this from a three year old.” Or, “This? I learned it from my blogging friend whom I’ve never met in person.”
Haha, I like to give people advice that will make them look crazy in front of other people. *Ironically happy grin*