One of Japan's most popular dessert items — the Garigari-kun popsicle — is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, and its maker, Akagi Nyugyo Co., is starting off the revelry with a special limited-edition flavor.
The first of 2021’s special Garigari-kun flavors is “Adult Garigari-kun Kiwi.” The fittingly green-hued bar is made with both green and gold kiwi, plus a whopping 44% fruit juice. While slightly pricier than the regular Garigari-kun offering at ¥100 before tax (rather than ¥70), it’s a small increase to enjoy something special.
Kiwi can be a tricky flavor, but Garigari-kun pulls it off, thanks in large part to that real-juice boost. The texture remains the same as a regular popsicle from the company, albeit with seeds sprinkled inside for an unexpected crunch. The taste nails the sweet-tart fruit it is based on, with none of the weird syrupy feel lesser takes on it can have. Only complaint? This would be top-notch in the summer, rather than early spring. But the bar has been set for the rest of the 40th-anniversary rollouts.