The TabeMASU (edible mascot) line gains two Finnish celebrities!
The Moomins is an interesting cultural property because in some spots of the world it’s still relatively unknown, even after the relative success of 2019’s Moominvalley TV series. Many European countries, including its native Finland, are Moomin-obsessed, and Japan happens to be as well. Japan has provided animated adaptations of the titular squishy troll’s adventures since 1969, and the characters can be found everywhere from theme parks to video games.
But you don’t really need to recognize Moomintroll and his castmates to appreciate the soft, cute, and soothing aesthetic they represent. Artist Tove Janssen made up the word mumintrollet to represent softness. The marshmallow-like round-snouted Moomins that resulted embody softness in their every aspect. They’re cute enough to eat—and now you can, thanks to Bandai Candy’s TabeMASU (edible mascot—from tabemasu, “to eat,” and masukotto, “mascot”) project!
The TabeMASU line has recreated plenty of precious little characters in Japanese-sweet format, from Disney’s emblematic mouse couple to Snoopy from Peanuts. This Moomins edition stars Moomintroll, the protagonist, and Snufkin, his philosophical and nomadic best friend.
The set of two sweets costs 398 yen (US$3.48) and each is crafted out of typical Japanese sweet staples like gyuhi (extra-soft mochi rice flour) and mashed sweet white bean paste. The Moomintroll sweet has a milk flavor, befitting his gentle white fur and sweet calm expression.
▼ Could you eat this adorable little face?
Snufkin is an even more complex shape, with his hat and cloak rendered in a rich, leafy green and a bright sprig of orange to serve as his scarf. With all that green in his design, it’s almost expected that he’s flavored with matcha—but there’s a fun twist in that his matcha flavoring also contains black tea leaf, perhaps as a way of showing homage to his European origins.
▼ His harmonica and pragmatic life advice are not included.
The two of them look so sweet when sitting with each other on a plate that you honestly might have trouble eating them.
▼ So…cute…
But if you can bring yourself to devour these tiny, precious Finnish icons, you’d better hurry to snap them up. These candies are on sale now in the chilled desserts sections at Family Mart convenience stores, but they will only be available while stocks last… Much like the incredibly limited-edition life-sized Moomintroll plush from 2019.
Source: Bandai Candy, @Press
Images: @Press
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[ Read in Japanese ]