It's been a big month for the venerable snack brands Kinoko no Yama and Takenoko no Sato. In September, the company behind both, Meiji, shared the results of its nationwide "general election," in which voters chose their favorite of the two sweets.
Fifteen million people voted in the elections and in a nail-biter of a finish, the Takenoko party won. The internet gobbled up the news, but let's focus instead on the brands' latest limited releases.
Fall varieties of both of the chocolate snacks are out now across the country. Head to your local convenience store to pick up Kinoko no Yama's sweet potato variety or give Takenoko no Sato's chestnut-flavored offering a try. Both boxes cost ¥216 and will only be around for a limited time.
The Takenoko are serviceable, but given the abundance of chestnut-flavored fall snacks, also overly familiar. The winner is the Kinoko sweet potato variant, which offers a far more interesting balance of sweet chocolate and earthier potato tastes. What seems like a bit of a risky combo ends up being an autumn winner.
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