Jinja and Shoga: Life in the Land of the Rising Sun

            Another fall product: Mont Blanc Pepsi! I saw this at the grocery store last week but was hesitant to buy it, since flavored Pepsi doesn't usually taste all that great. Still, after having Month Blanc ice cream at Baskin Robbins last month and loving it, I decided to give this Pepsi a go. After all, I'd only be out 98 yen if it was awful.
  Before I continue, here's what Mont Blanc is, for those of you in the US who've never heard of it: it's a cake or tart (sometimes a cupcake) made of pureed chestnuts and whipped cream, often on a meringue base. It's named after the Mont Blanc mountain, the highest mountain in the Alps, since that's what it is said to resemble. This dessert was first described in an Italian cookbook, but it then became popular in France in the 17th century before moving on to Japan. (In case you're not already aware, French desserts are HUGE here).
  So there's your bit of dessert history for the day. Now, this particular product...I'd have to say that it's amazingly good! If you can't quite imagine a chestnut/whipped cream flavor, think of something a bit like tiramisu. Oh, and ignore the whole 'Pepsi' taste, since there's none of the usual Pepsi flavor present at all. For a drinkable dessert, I'd give it an 8.5 or a 9. Pepsi finally did a flavored drink right!