Weird Candy: Lamb Curry Caramel

I have Donna and Masa to thank for this gift from Japan, much easier to share with my coworkers than their previous gift from Japan, paper underwear from a vending machine. The underpants were supposed to be large, but they were closer to my shoe or glove size than my underwear size, Japanese large. "Didn't they have sumo-size," I asked.

These Genghis Khan caramels from Hokkaido were, I was told, lamb curry flavored. And, indeed, they had a pronounced curry flavor mixed with a caramel sweetness, a hint of onion and the slight taste of a meat bullion. It was a novelty, and it was far from foul, but it didn't really speak to me. So I brought them to my office. Few took me up on the offer. "Two weird," more than one said. A couple who did try them said things to the effect of "odd, but not bad." One person, however, bit in and exclaimed, "This is awesome!" He got seconds.