Tweet
One of my best friends here in RI is an ex-kama'aina, born in Honolulu, and lived a great portion of his life on O'ahu in Kalihi and later, in Pearl City. Dennis doesn't get to get home as nearly as often as I do, so when I myself do get back to Hawai'i, it's important for me not to forget the omiyage gifts I always bring back to him. He has always especially enjoyed the Japanese snacks, as well as crackseed, that I bring him back. He likes the usual Japanese goodies, like grape flavor Hi-Chews, Sakura arare, Pockys, etc., as well as Christopher's Good News bars (Hawai'is favorite!) but his all time favorite omiyage gift is a hard candy that I just call Japanese soda candy; in reality, it is formally known as "Kawaguchi Awawa".
Kawaguchi Awawa is a great little candy that comes in 5 soda flavors...strawberry, grape, cola, "cider", and I forget what the fifth flavor is. It's sold in highly colorful 6.4 oz. bags, with no English writing on it, other than the little stickers that marginally explain what it is. It's a candy that fizzes in your mouth, very similarly to the British import "Love Hearts", another effervesant confection. In keeping with traditional Japanese quality, each candy is individually wrapped. They retail here in the US for about $2.49 a bag. I always make it a point to bring Dennis back 3-4 bags of them. I promised that he'd have some when I got back last trip. Unfortunately, on my last trip over to Honolulu, I looked all over for this candy, and couldn't find a single bag. I went to the place that always has them: Daiei in PC. No luck. Then I went to the Daiei in Kailua. Again, no luck. Hit the Daiei on Keheka. Came up empty. I've have never seen Long's carry this candy, but I tried any way. I don't think there was a bag to be had when I was in Honolulu at that time. No Kawaguchi Awawa for Dennis this time!
Dennis kids me every now and then, in good spirit of course, about not getting his soda candy. I tell him that he'll get them again my next trip over. I think I can do better than this though, seeing I won't be back in HNL until December. Dennis' birthday is coming up soon, and I was thinking it would be so neat if I could get him a few bags of this candy to celebrate his big day. Only problem is that nobody around here as ever heard of them..about the only Japanese candy one sees around here is the rice-paper wrapped millet candy, and that is often a stretch to find.
I've been online, Googled "Kawaguchi Awawa" and have come with a lot of dead links or links to online stores that used to carry it but no longer do. I think it would so cool to present Dennis with this candy for his birthday..he'd be completely caught off guard. So I'm asking: Does anybody have any idea what I'm talking about, and if so, where can I get this candy online?
BTW, the web-site www.japanesesnacks.com isn't much help. That site seems to be the most difficult to navigate site to deal with. It's like an amalgamation of online stores, all linked under the japanesesnack url. Really sharp looking girl, though, grinding on some Pockys on the main page last time I visited.
Also: What's the status on Daiei? I knew back in February there was talk of Daiei shutting down operations in Hawai'i. What's the latest? I'd hate to see them go. I loved shopping there.
If any one can help, to steal from Stuart Scott on ESPN: Holla at me.
Kawaguchi Awawa is a great little candy that comes in 5 soda flavors...strawberry, grape, cola, "cider", and I forget what the fifth flavor is. It's sold in highly colorful 6.4 oz. bags, with no English writing on it, other than the little stickers that marginally explain what it is. It's a candy that fizzes in your mouth, very similarly to the British import "Love Hearts", another effervesant confection. In keeping with traditional Japanese quality, each candy is individually wrapped. They retail here in the US for about $2.49 a bag. I always make it a point to bring Dennis back 3-4 bags of them. I promised that he'd have some when I got back last trip. Unfortunately, on my last trip over to Honolulu, I looked all over for this candy, and couldn't find a single bag. I went to the place that always has them: Daiei in PC. No luck. Then I went to the Daiei in Kailua. Again, no luck. Hit the Daiei on Keheka. Came up empty. I've have never seen Long's carry this candy, but I tried any way. I don't think there was a bag to be had when I was in Honolulu at that time. No Kawaguchi Awawa for Dennis this time!
Dennis kids me every now and then, in good spirit of course, about not getting his soda candy. I tell him that he'll get them again my next trip over. I think I can do better than this though, seeing I won't be back in HNL until December. Dennis' birthday is coming up soon, and I was thinking it would be so neat if I could get him a few bags of this candy to celebrate his big day. Only problem is that nobody around here as ever heard of them..about the only Japanese candy one sees around here is the rice-paper wrapped millet candy, and that is often a stretch to find.
I've been online, Googled "Kawaguchi Awawa" and have come with a lot of dead links or links to online stores that used to carry it but no longer do. I think it would so cool to present Dennis with this candy for his birthday..he'd be completely caught off guard. So I'm asking: Does anybody have any idea what I'm talking about, and if so, where can I get this candy online?
BTW, the web-site www.japanesesnacks.com isn't much help. That site seems to be the most difficult to navigate site to deal with. It's like an amalgamation of online stores, all linked under the japanesesnack url. Really sharp looking girl, though, grinding on some Pockys on the main page last time I visited.
Also: What's the status on Daiei? I knew back in February there was talk of Daiei shutting down operations in Hawai'i. What's the latest? I'd hate to see them go. I loved shopping there.
If any one can help, to steal from Stuart Scott on ESPN: Holla at me.
This is probably "wicked good" news to him, as it appears, based on the Advertiser article, Beard Papa pastries and Liliha's Cocoa Puffs are somewhat similar, save for the flavors. 
Comment