WEEKLY CANDY: Yan Yan

Photos | Drew Lazor Once a week, Team Meal Ticket shares its latest sugar-laden fixations. Do not tell 0ur dentist. IN QUESTION: Yan Yan is the brand name of a Japanese line of snacks that consist of crunchy, slightly sweet "biscuit sticks" packaged with a Dunkaroo-esque frosting dip. Flavors include vanilla, chocolate, strawberry or "yogurt." Staying cognizant of the number of sticks to ensure even frosting distribution, as well as rationing the frosting to protect from the dreaded "all sticks, no dip" problem, is a serious fat man's thinking man's game. AVAILABLE AT: The amazing candy aisle at Hung Vuong Supermarket (Wing Phat Plaza, 11th and Washington), the little candy shop on the parking-lot side of Viet Huong (also in Wing Phat Plaza), and pretty much any store where fine fish sauces are sold. HOW MANY DO WE TYPICALLY EAT IN ONE SITTING?: Try to keep it one package if we're not sharing, but sometimes it becomes a two-fer situation. The sticks are so damn crunchy, can't help it. FINER POINTS: Yan Yan makes for a great late-night or midday snack but by far the most awesome aspect here are the bizarre animal-themed sayings printed on each biscuit stick. Many make general sense ("Duck: Go For A Swim," "Octopus: Lucky Number 8") or are informative ("Giraffe: Tallest Mammal"), but most are either weird and cryptic ("Fox: Beware of Lies") or just apropos of absolutely nothing ("Stag Beetle: Love It"). juliana Posted 2010-09-30 01:06:23

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WEEKLY CANDY: Yan Yan

POSTED: Wednesday, September 29, 2010, 9:35 PM

Filed Under: Weekly Candy

Photos | Drew Lazor

Once a week, Team Meal Ticket shares its latest sugar-laden fixations. Do not tell 0ur dentist. IN QUESTION: Yan Yan is the brand name of a Japanese line of snacks that consist of crunchy, slightly sweet "biscuit sticks" packaged with a Dunkaroo-esque frosting dip. Flavors include vanilla, chocolate, strawberry or "yogurt." Staying cognizant of the number of sticks to ensure even frosting distribution, as well as rationing the frosting to protect from the dreaded "all sticks, no dip" problem, is a serious fat man's thinking man's game. AVAILABLE AT: The amazing candy aisle at Hung Vuong Supermarket (Wing Phat Plaza, 11th and Washington), the little candy shop on the parking-lot side of Viet Huong (also in Wing Phat Plaza), and pretty much any store where fine fish sauces are sold. HOW MANY DO WE TYPICALLY EAT IN ONE SITTING?: Try to keep it one package if we're not sharing, but sometimes it becomes a two-fer situation. The sticks are so damn crunchy, can't help it. FINER POINTS: Yan Yan makes for a great late-night or midday snack but by far the most awesome aspect here are the bizarre animal-themed sayings printed on each biscuit stick. Many make general sense ("Duck: Go For A Swim," "Octopus: Lucky Number 8") or are informative ("Giraffe: Tallest Mammal"), but most are either weird and cryptic ("Fox: Beware of Lies") or just apropos of absolutely nothing ("Stag Beetle: Love It").

juliana

Posted 2010-09-30 01:06:23

my cousin's AIM screenname is yanyanfrosting1. stag beetle. love it.

WEEKLY CANDY: Hello Panda :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper

Posted 2010-11-03 15:18:14

[...] candy geniuses behind many a whimsical snack-gem like Choco Baby and previous Weekly Candy star Yan Yan. The candy’s light shortbread shell protects a creamy, near-decadent filling. The chocolate [...]

Jackie

Posted 2010-10-01 11:02:31

This might be my favorite feature to date. I love Yan Yans! Strawberry is the best and no they never give enough frosting!

I nominate pocky or hi-chew for next week!

Brian

Posted 2010-09-29 19:19:28

In Japanese mythology, foxes are the ultimate trickters, which explains "Fox: Beware of Lies." I'm just as lost with Stag Beetle though.

WEEKLY CANDY: Meiji Chocorooms :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper

Posted 2011-01-28 13:40:18

[...] comes to dunking cookies into a vat of chocolate frosting, these little toadstools are kind of like pre-dipped Yan Yan. I think of it as built-in portion control. Meiji is a mainstream candy brand in Japan, producing [...]

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Founded in October 2008, Meal Ticket is a City Paper blog about food, drink and assorted other things that make you go mmm. We do recipes, interviews, restaurant news, commentary and much more. We don't do restaurant reviews here — those are handled in print, mostly by our critic (and Meal Ticket contributor) Adam Erace. Got a tip, question, thought or concern? Just want to say hello? Please shoot a note to caroline@citypaper.net.

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