About Sweets in America

I report about sweets and snacks in America because I like them and I am interested in them. Now Japanese sweets and snacks are similar to American sweets and snacks, but I think that there is still a little difference between American sweets and Japanese sweets. I examined three topics to know the difference. The first topic is American traditional sweets. The second topic is popular sweets and snacks in America. The third topic is American healthy sweets. I first talk about Japanese sweets and then about American sweets.

First, I show you Japanese traditional sweets, Japanese popular sweets and Japanese healthy sweets to compare with those of American sweets. Japanese traditional sweet is Japanese-style confectionery. For example, sweet dumpling (dango), manju, sweet bean jelly (youkan), dorayaki, rice cracker (senbei) and so on. Japanese-style confectionery is strained at not only taste but also appearance. They are made by elaborate craftsmen. They are just art.

Next, I show you American sweets. First, I’ll show about American traditional sweets. I searched them on the personal computer and I asked my host family about American traditional sweets. American traditional sweets are Apple pies and cookies and candies. Apple pies are same food which is eaten in Japan. Cookies too. Candies tend to be thought that it is only solid stuff which is made from sugar in Japan, but it is different. But candies include chocolate, gumi and sugar sweets in America. Anyway even if it is not made of sugar and it is a little solid stuff it includes candies in America. Candies in English are wider than candy in Japanese. I also examined about when they eat these traditional sweets. They eat apple pies regularly on Christmas day. They eat cookies at various parties. They serve candies when they visit house of their friend on holiday. Actually, when I went to high school graduation party with my host family and when we picnicked at park with all of each host family cookies were served. Also, American people usually make sweets on their own. The Japanese almost tend to buy sweets, but the American makes them. Various parties are held in America and people who attend these parties make something individually, then they bring them. It seems to be natural for American people to make sweets on their own. Of course, my host family made sweets, too. I also cooked cookies together.

Next, I'll show about popular sweets and snack in America. I examined ranking of sweets and snacks which sell in supermarket and grocery store. I introduce top 10 of the ranking and I explain about some of these. No.1 is Pop Tarts – S’mores. Pop-Tarts are a brand of flat, rectangular, pre-bakedtoaster pastries made by theKellogg Company and it has a sugary filling sealed inside two layers of rectangular, thin pastry crust. There are 7 popular flavers. S’more is the most popular flavor of these flavors. S’more consists of a roastedmarshmallow and a layer ofchocolate sandwiched. No.2 is Marshmallow Fluff. Marshmallow Fluff is stuff which marshmallow is turned as soft as cream. It is like jam. No.3 is Pretzel Flipz Milk Chocolate – 212g. No.4 is Lifesavers – Wint O Green. Life Savers is anAmerican brand of ring-shapedmints and artificially fruit-flavoredhard candy. Wint O Green is mint flavor. No.5 is Wonka Nerds Sour – Apple and Lemon. Wonka Nerds are a form ofcandy currently sold byNestlé under theirWilly Wonka Candy Company brand. No.6 is Candy Corn. No.7 is Reeses Nutrageous Chocolate Bar. No.8 is Oreo Dunkems. No.9 is Reeses Peanut Butter Cups which is a classic American candy bar. No.10 is American Candy Pile. I also introduce top 5 of the American traditional sweets ranking. No.1 is Ice Cream. No.2 is Chocolate cake. No.3 is Apple Pie. No.4 is Jell-O. Jell-O is as same sweet as Japanese jelly. No.5 is Cheese Cake. From this result, the more parties they have in America, they make something to eat. Cakes and Pies are the best dish for bringing to party. I felt unexpected that cookies are not in the ranking.

Third, I'll show about American healthy sweets. There were a lot of high calorie sweets in America, but there were also low calorie sweets because it is said that America is fat large country by the world. For example, it is yoghurt. I was surprised at a lot of kinds. When I went to grocery store in Minnesota, a lot of yoghurt displayed and there were more than 20 flavors. There was vanilla flavor which I have never seen in Japan. There were low calorie chocolates, too. Low calorie chocolates are popular now in Japan. I think that the popularity came from America.

There was not so much difference between Japanese sweets and American sweets, but I show you some features of American sweets. The first feature is the taste. I thought that the taste of even the same sweet is different between the US and Japan. American sweets were too sweet anyway. When I arrived at Minnesota, the sweet which I had first was cake. It was too sweet to have, so I could not have it. I had some sweets then, but most of them were too sweet for Japanese people. I cooked cookies with my host sister. I was surprised at the quantity of sugar, but it is natural for American people. I was convinced that why American sweets are too sweet. The feature of American sweets strained cute design. Though its feature is similar to Japan, but how to design is different. Japan people turn sweets themselves such things as fish, flower, etc… While American people show cute design by topping marble chocolate, chocolate chip and so on. So it can say that Japanese sweets are beautiful and American sweets are cute. Popular sweets were similar both Japan and America. American sweets are cheap and good, so I thought that American sweets became popular in Japan, too. Though Japan sweets are turning to similar to American sweets, I found that taste and design are different by countries. Through this report, I wish that Japanese sweets become more popular all over the world, too.

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