Can we tell the difference between Black Thunder and Black Thunder Excellent chocolate bars?
Being the hard-hitting reporters we are and constantly on the go covering Pac-Man's visit to Krispy Kreme and buying five large fries from McDonald's for research, we often have to eat as we move. I'm probably not alone when I say Black Thunder chocolate bars are a great choice when you need a sugar boost that you can discretely keep in your bag or pocket if it isn't too hot out.
That may also have been why our writer Snufkin found herself at the Black Thunder section of a 7-Eleven. However, it was here that she found a Black Thunder unlike any other. These surprisingly delicious little bars occasionally come in 'Premium' flavors, but this was even beyond that… It was Black Thunder Excellent!
You don't see many products with 'Excellent' in the name, probably because it doesn't really leave any room for improved versions in the future. Nevertheless, Black Thunder has dared to dream and released this version of the classic chocolate flavor for more than twice the price of a regular Black Thunder bar. Considering a regular bar is only about 35 yen, the Black Thunder Excellent still isn't terribly expensive at 95 yen ($0.65) each at 7-Eleven stores where they're exclusively sold.
In front of the box holding the Black Thunder Excellent bars was a challenge: 'Can you tell the difference?' This is because these excellent bars are made mostly in the same way as regular ones, but with high-quality cocoa beans for what they call a 'rich and luxurious absolute chocolate sensation.'
Snufkin fancies herself a Black Thunder aficionado and was certainly up for the challenge of distinguishing gourmet bars from regular ones, so she picked up one of each and took them home.
She decided to start with a visual inspection and the moment she opened the wrapper of the Black Thunder Excellent, she was hit with a scent unlike any Black Thunder she ever had before. It was like chocolate with a high cocoa content.
The rich cocoa could be seen in the bar as well with a darker and denser appearance. On the surface, it might look like the regular bar has more cookie crunches in it, but checking inside they seemed about the same, it was just that the Excellent bar had thicker chocolate over top.
Snufkin chose the regular Black Thunder to start with and was filled with the comforting feeling of its familiar chocolatey flavor and crumbly texture.
With that out of the way, it was time to partake of the Black Thunder Excellent. Taking a bite there was no question this bar was built different, but surprisingly she felt the original Black Thunder was more delicious the moment it touches the tongue with its strong sweetness. When she first bit into Black Thunder Excellent she momentarily thought it didn't taste like anything.
However, that was Black Thunder Excellent's gambit. It starts off weak and takes its time as the rich cocoa aroma gradually fills the mouth. It's a fragrance so fine that it doesn't need the simple sweetness of sugar to delight the taste buds. Its texture was a little harder too, but that had more to do with the higher chocolate content than the cookies.
In conclusion, the sign's doubt that everyone would be able to tell the difference turned out to be unnecessary, because it was all too easy to do so. Black Thunder Excellent reminded Snufkin of those fancy chocolates found in department store food sections and for just 95 yen, that's a pretty sweet deal on some not-so-sweet chocolate.
Photos ©SoraNews24
● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
[ Read in Japanese ]
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
SoraNews24
31-07-2025
- SoraNews24
7-Eleven Japan's latest spicy curry promises to take our voice away, but does it deliver?
The Midsummer Gourmet event is serving up some fiery new dishes for the summer. For many people, when summer food is mentioned, it will conjure up images of cooling ice creams, refreshing salads, or decadent barbecues. However, Japan has a notable addition it likes to include among its summer lineup: spicy food. So, when we heard about 7-Eleven releasing their Midsummer Gourmet: Spice Enthusiasts event, we weren't overly surprised. Although, when we heard there was something so spicy that you'd end up losing your voice, well… consider us intrigued. Some might question the logic behind the triple combination of hot (food temperature), hot (spiciness), and hot (weather), but there has been a long-held belief in Japan that a little bit of spice, like capsaicin, can help combat natsubate (literally 'summer heat fatigue'). Throughout summer, the hot weather is thought to reduce people's appetites, affecting their nutritional intake, but a dash of chili can help to stimulate the production of saliva and boost your appetite. So, there is some science involved in this hot-ception. There's nothing like a good sweat to beat the summer sun, even if it means your mouth is on fire instead. We recently went to 7-Eleven's presentation where they introduced their latest spicy products to the audience. While many of the foods looked tasty, there didn't seem to be anything with the wow-factor. That was until Tatsuya Sato, Senior Merchandiser of the Rice and Noodles Department, described one of the curries as being 'so spicy you'll lose your voice.' The product in question is the Kashmir Curry, the creation of which was supervised by the popular Indian and Pakistani restaurant, Ginza Delhi, and is priced at 645 yen (US$4.34). Of all the event's new dishes, it carries the highest 'Level 3' spiciness. People familiar with Indian curry might be familiar with Kashimiri Curry, but the curry offered by Ginza Delhi was developed by the store itself and the name chosen later. In fact, it was originally meant to be called Madras Curry, due to that being the owner's image of spicy curry. However, a mix-up when designing the menu caused the name of Kashmir Curry to be born. With such a dangerous curry on hand, which one of our reporters was brave enough to step up to the challenge? ▼ A brave man steps forth. Our Japanese-language reporter P.K. Sanjun is no stranger to spicy food. Perhaps in part due to his Korean ancestry, he has successfully challenged many spicy foods during his travels and successfully cleared his plate. Surely there was no better man than him to tackle this beast of a curry. Sitting down at the table, P.K. remarked at how he was looking forward to being able to say, 'I've never eaten anything this spicy at a convenience store before.' He picked up the spoon with trepidation and took a bite… ▼ !!!! ▼ 'I still have my voice!!!' Being a product of collaboration with Ginza Delhi, the curry is definitely spicy, and people who are not good with spice will probably be unable to finish it. On the other hand, it's still at a level where you can enjoy the taste. While not quite at the level of the original version at the restaurant, 7-Eleven have done a good job at attempting to recreate the store's signature bitter deliciousness, and not just the spice. Unfortunately, it was not so spicy for P.K. to lose his voice, so there was either some slight exaggeration, or perhaps Tatsuya really can't handle his spice well. Having said that, it was evident that great effort was made to replicate the flavor of Ginza Delhi. The Midsummer Gourmet: Spice Enthusiasts event will be held over the course of several weeks, so it will be exciting to sample the new products as they come out, but the Kashmir Curry is definitely worth a try. Although, maybe keep some yogurt on hand—just in case. Photos ©SoraNews24 ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! [ Read in Japanese ]
Tokyo Weekender
28-07-2025
- Tokyo Weekender
Nintendo Confirms That Mario and Princess Peach Are Just Friends
Just imagine: You're a heavily stereotyped Italian plumber born in Japan who, rather than fixing toilets, has spent 40 years of his life repeatedly rescuing the same damsel in distress. One morning, you wake to find that she's set her Facebook relationship status to single, and the world loses their mind, mourning a relationship that, beyond a kiss on the cheek, never existed. Your inbox is blowing up, blame flying in every direction. You've got nine missed calls from your brother and a Snapchat from a fire-breathing tortoise that you can't bring yourself to open. You then pull on the only pair of overalls the world has ever seen you in and go out to save her once again, because that's all you were programmed to do. This is exactly what Nintendo have done to their golden boy, Mario, blindsiding him via text. But while this revelation may have come as something of a shock to the world's most famous tradesman, it also raises the question: How much of this is our fault? The Breakup Text Our story begins on the Nintendo Today app, a pocket calendar of sorts that allows users to customize their phone with Nintendo-related themes while also delivering updates on their consoles, games and trivia pertaining to their most beloved characters. In a message — since removed from the app due to the daily nature of its updates, but immortalized on X via screenshots — Nintendo officially stated: 'Princess Peach and Mario are good friends and help each other out whenever they can.' It's unclear what prompted Nintendo to distribute this information, and in the days since, it appears that both Peach and Mario have declined to comment on the situation. What has been apparent, though, is how heavily invested people were in a relationship that was never confirmed to exist — a revelation that suggests that we, collectively, decided on one of two things: Either Mario was only putting in the effort because he and Peach were lovers, or that the act of him saving someone who had been kidnapped was deserving of more than just thanks. Were We Led On? Thankfully, I don't have any idea what it's like to be kidnapped by a menacing tortoise and locked in a castle surrounded by lava and ruin. At the same time, I have no trouble imagining someone, regardless of orientation, giving their rescuer a kiss on the cheek upon realizing that they were being saved from a life of torturous tortoise marriage. That was all Peach ever did upon meeting her savior. As we all grew up watching Mario's eyes turn to hearts in response at the end of each game, we decided that they were an item — as if it would have been more normal for her to shake his hand and ask if they could stop at McDonald's on the way home. Of course, I'm playing contrarian here. Of everyone I've spoken to about this, not one person was of the belief that Mario and Peach were just friends — myself included. The story of a woman in danger being rescued by her embattled lover is a tale as old as storytelling itself. Batman, Indiana Jones, The Bodyguard , Drive . They and countless others all did it and continue to do it, and critics and audiences alike will always pay to see it. It's a time-worn formula that, when done well, works. So much so that we probably can't help but go looking for it. Nintendo just let us fill in the blanks with Mario and Peach. The issue now is that those blanks no longer exist. What Was Really Lost Ultimately, I think the real reason this became an international topic of interest is because Mario and Peach have been a part of all our lives in one way or another; when something so enduring is unexpectedly and unnecessarily altered, we can't help but have a reaction to it. Nintendo's announcement doesn't change anything. The games will still play out the same way (unless this is foreshadowing a title in which Mario goes on some kind of bachelor's trip to Vegas, mushrooms included (Nintendo, if you need a writer, I'm available)). But what it does do is alter people's perception of something that they more than likely associate with the better times in their life and memories that they created for themselves. Whether it's in books, films or video games, we need stories. But perhaps just as much, we need gaps in these stories — parts we can fill in for ourselves, which allow us to put our own perceptions and experiences into a work, making it our own in a roundabout way. Nintendo's declaration of Mario and Peach's platonic relationship may have given us a chance to examine how we fill in those gaps. But maybe it's better not to know everything. Perhaps we'd all prefer to guess and speculate about these fictional characters and their relationship to one another. Now, for better or worse, we need not wonder any longer. Related Posts What Super Smash Bros Character Are You Based on Your Zodiac Sign? How To Find Tokyo's Secret Nintendo Bar Inside the Nintendo Museum: Everything Revealed So Far
Asahi Shimbun
23-07-2025
- Asahi Shimbun
VOX POPULI: Snufkin shows the freedom found in solitude and simplicity
'One can never be truly free, if one admires someone else too much.' Such counsel could only come from someone like Snufkin—a philosophical wanderer, poet at heart, who values freedom, independence and solitude above all else. It's the kind of advice he might offer to those who idolize him, gently warning against the dangers of attachment. A beloved figure in the Moomin series, Snufkin follows a ritual all his own: He departs on solitary travels before winter sets in and faithfully returns to Moominvalley with the coming of spring. At "Tove Jansson and the Moomins," an exhibition currently on view in Tokyo celebrating the artistic world of the Finnish creator behind the beloved literary family, Snufkin stands out as a crowd favorite. Every illustration and sketch of the free-spirited wanderer draws a cluster of admirers. With his trademark wide-brimmed pointed hat pulled low and a harmonica in hand, he is often depicted fishing beside his close friend Moomin. His enduring appeal seems rooted in his steadfast devotion to freedom. Author Tove Jansson (1914–2001) once reflected on Snufkin's personality and his inner contradictions. As cited in 'Tove Jansson' by Mayumi Tomihara (1954–2025), a Japanese scholar of French philosophy and Swedish literature, Jansson described the nomadic vagabond as someone who, alongside his longing for freedom, is inevitably drawn to solitude. This disposition, she noted, contains 'a self-centered weakness.' Jansson, a Finnish national, was born into a minority Swedish-speaking family. During World War II, as Finland found itself precariously positioned between two powerful and hostile forces—the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany—she began creating the Moomin characters as a means of escaping the turmoil of those dark and uncertain times. As a longtime reader, I've always been drawn to Snufkin's philosophical yet unpretentious words. In one scene from the Moomin books, he advises his friends to leave behind the gemstones they find in the valley, keeping them instead as memories. 'It's much more fun to keep things in your head than in a suitcase,' the contemplative wanderer says. I've come to believe that Snufkin is a restless traveler because he can only compose poetry and songs when tested by harsh environments. That's why he sets off each year before winter, leaving behind a sorrowful Moomin. He brushes aside sentimentality and embraces solitude with quiet dignity, carrying his ego without apology. There's something profoundly moving in that image. —The Asahi Shimbun, July 23 * * * Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
