Chocoball – Aloe Yogurt

Summers get really hot and sticky in most parts of Japan, so chocolate is different from what we get here in colder climates. Chocolate has to have it’s recipe adjusted to account for shelf stability and susceptibility to melting, so it’s always going to taste a little different if you compare big brands against ones in the Frigid North.

I bring this all up because when I think of Chocoball as a brand, I think of how it’s a classic product of the local climate. Well, that and the toucan looking mascot. Kyorochan is iconic, if nothing else. These little balls have been around since the 60s, and since then they’ve played around with many different fillings. I can’t say I’ve been diligent in trying many of them, mostly because I’m busy with Morinaga’s other brand, Hi-Chew. That isn’t to say I don’t like Chocoball, it just doesn’t draw me in the same way.

Having said that, I do see some flavours that occasionally draw my eye enough that I want to pull the trigger. This particular one drew me in because the spheres seemed to be quite large, they came in a pouch instead of the iconic box, and they have aloe vera inside.

These seem to be a more upscale product offering from their usual affair. The pouch also only has 7 balls, though to be fair these balls are massive in comparison to their usual tiny pellet sized ones.

These are essentially a chocolate covered gummy. The chocolate has a tangy yogurt flavour with a somewhat noticeable aloe herb flavour to it. I recall someone mentioning to me as a kid that most aloe vera products have lots of sugar and flavouring added, because the actual plant tastes horrible on it’s own. Having tried it relatively unadulterated, I tend to agree. The gummy is actually somewhat closer to the actual plant than the super sugary grape flavoured syrup it usually comes in. The gummy also doesn’t seem to have much flavour to it, though that could be because of the flavour of the chocolate shell overpowering it.

The outer chocolate layer is soft and gives way to the gummy fairly nicely. The center is a gummy, almost mochi like in it’s texture. It doesn’t stick to the teeth, but has a nice bouncy chew to it. It’s nothing as tooth breaking as Haribo, but it’s got a nice bite to it and doesn’t disintegrate right away. It works really well with the chocolate shell and the overall experience is basically chocolate covered gummy perfected.

I’m a bit sad at how hard these are to find where I am, because I would definitely get these again. The flavours work really well together, and the balls, as big and unwieldy as they may seem, are quite a good size. Definitely would get this again and recommend you grab some if you can even find them.