One of the things that surprises many travelers visiting Japan is the high quality of convenience stores (Konbini). The sweets corner, in particular, has become a symbol of Japanese culture, offering products with quality rivaling specialty shops, available 24 hours a day. Seven-Eleven, Japan’s largest chain, has undergone a major rebranding of its sweets. The new concept is “Happy Texture” (Shiawase Shokkan).
New products, rolling out sequentially starting Tuesday, January 20th, focus on “the feeling of happiness the moment it enters your mouth.” In Japan, when expressing the deliciousness of food, great importance is placed on texture (Shokkan), such as “mochi-mochi” (chewy/soft) and “fuwa-fuwa” (fluffy). With this renewal, the packaging has also been completely redesigned, creating a lineup that offers excitement before eating and surprise when tasting. Also, in time for the Valentine’s season, there is a rich selection of chocolate products perfect for treating yourself.
Melting Texture Cheesecake
The price is 270 yen (291.60 yen including tax), available nationwide in Japan starting Tuesday, January 20th.
The feature of this cake is that while it is a baked cheesecake, it possesses a “melting” texture like a rare cheesecake. This unique texture is created by using cream generously and baking it at a high temperature for a short time. A biscuit layer is laid at the bottom, allowing you to enjoy the contrast in texture with the smooth cheese section.
Quattro Chocolate Eclair
The price is 368 yen (397.44 yen including tax), available nationwide in Japan starting Saturday, January 24th.
This is an éclair where you can enjoy the different textures of the “snap” (paki) of the chocolate and the “fluffy” (fuwa) dough. The product name “Quattro” means four, indicating the use of four different chocolate ingredients. The aroma of cream using couverture chocolate overlaps with the rich depth of dark chocolate cream. It is a luxurious item using the most ingredients in the history of Seven-Eleven’s éclairs.
Cloud-like Dorayaki with Red Bean and Whipped Cream
The price is 278 yen (300.24 yen including tax), available nationwide in Japan starting Saturday, January 24th.
“Dorayaki” is a traditional Japanese sweet consisting of sweet red bean (Azuki) paste sandwiched between pancake-like patties. This new product pursues a fluffy texture like a “cloud.” By using meringue made from whipped egg whites and a special baking method at low temperature, it is thicker than conventional dorayaki and has a very soft finish. Inside, it sandwiches red bean paste from Tokachi, Hokkaido, and milk whipped cream, offering a distinctly Japanese flavor.
Ghana Chocolate Dorayaki
The price is 230 yen (248.40 yen including tax), available nationwide in Japan starting Tuesday, February 3rd.
This is a collaboration product with the popular chocolate brand “Ghana” from the major Japanese confectionery manufacturer “Lotte.” A fluffy and elastic cocoa-flavored dough sandwiches rich ganache and melt-in-the-mouth chocolate cream. It is a hybrid sweet that arranges the traditional dorayaki in a Western style.
Ghana Chocolate Canele
The price is 270 yen (291.60 yen including tax), available nationwide in Japan (excluding Okinawa) starting Tuesday, February 3rd.
This is also a collaboration product with Lotte “Ghana.” It adds the milky richness characteristic of Ghana chocolate to the unique “crispy outside, chewy inside” texture of a canelé. Although it is a sweet originating from France, it has become very popular in Japanese convenience stores in recent years.
Chocolate Orange Japanese Style Parfait
The price is 398 yen (429.84 yen including tax), available nationwide in Japan (excluding Okinawa) starting Tuesday, February 3rd.
In Japanese convenience stores, the layered dessert “parfait” in a cup has evolved uniquely. This product arranges the classic combination of chocolate and orange in a “Japanese Style.” The base uses orange-flavored Kudzu jelly, creating a unique “jiggly and chewy” (puru-mochi) texture. On top of that, chocolate mousse, milk mousse, and rich chocolate mochi are layered.
Melting Rich Raw Chocolate
The price is 420 yen (453.60 yen including tax), available nationwide in Japan starting Tuesday, February 3rd.
Bite-sized raw chocolate (Ganache). It pursues the aroma of rich cacao and the ultimate melt-in-the-mouth feel that disappears the moment you put it in your mouth. During the Valentine’s season in Japan, such high-quality chocolates gain popularity.
Whole Strawberry Chocolate Daifuku
The price is 260 yen (280.80 yen including tax), available nationwide in Japan (excluding Okinawa) starting Tuesday, February 10th.
“Daifuku” is a traditional Japanese sweet where filling is wrapped in soft rice cake (Mochi). This product uses a whole fresh strawberry, wrapping it in chocolate-flavored bean paste and soft mochi dough. It is a fusion sweet where the acidity of the fruit, the sweetness of the chocolate, and the chewy texture of the mochi come together.
Rich Chocolate Pudding
The price is 320 yen (345.60 yen including tax), available nationwide in Japan (excluding Okinawa) starting Tuesday, February 10th.
White chocolate cream is topped onto a milk chocolate pudding made with two types of chocolate. Chocolate cream sauce is contained at the bottom, allowing you to enjoy the rich chocolate flavor until the very last bite.
Sales Floor Colored with “Happy Bubbles”
The new package design adopts a motif called “Happy Bubbles,” resembling colorful bubbles. The shelves of Japanese convenience stores change rapidly with each season and campaign. Fluffy, melting, chewy. Why not look for the “texture” your heart desires at Seven-Eleven to match your mood of the day? Popular items often sell out quickly, so if you find a sweet that interests you during your stay in Japan, please give it a try.
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