All of us in Singapore are just too fortunate – so many of the best brands from other countries have set up shop here. SOPHiSCA is one of them. I’m familiar with the brand as I love to visit Taiwan, and I’ve bought candy from their store near Ximending over the years. There are quirky ones like over-sized lollipops and tongue-in-cheek ones like chocolates designed to look like condoms! You might have spotted their stores at Ion and Changi Airport previously. There’s now a store in Marina Square, next to the Pororo Park!
I know many people had fun pranking their friends and family with the brand’s specialty candy during April Fools’ Day. As for me, I’m intrigued by the creativity of the candy makers (I would SO LOVE to interview them!) and excited at the opportunity of experimenting with these products, not just eating them.😀
In this blogpost, I’ll share with you my take on 3 of the newest products from SOPHiSCA.
This first one is the Brown Rice “Sushi Bento” (S$11.90). I’ve placed the box next to some REAL sushi.😀 The box actually contains chocolate brown rice crispy treats with sushi print on the individual plastic packaging. Parents with inquisitive (and possibly, demanding) children should get a box of these treats. So when you eat real sushi, your kiddo can also eat “sushi” that is actually a brown rice snack.
Sushi made from raw fish could be unsuitable for young children whose digestive systems might not be ready for them, especially raw shellfish which can easily get contaminated. So, while you indulge, let your children enjoy some healthy ‘sushi’ treats from SOPHiSCA.😀
Here’s my neighbor and her adorable son enjoying ‘sushi’. You’ll see more of them in this blogpost
Rating for this product: 3.5 / 5. I think the packaging is gorgeous (there’s an alluring picture of sushi on the cover), it’s relatively healthy as it’s made with brown rice, and each crispy treat is encased in plastic wrapping – very hygienic indeed. I’d give it extra points if there are different flavors, e.g. seaweed, unagi, etc.
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This next product is my favorite because the possibilities are endless with this one: Choco Coloring Pens (S$17.90). It comes in a set of 6 flavored chocolate pens which you can use to decorate “chocolates, cakes, breads, toasts, biscuits”, etc. I used them for macarons…
You can transform plain and boring macarons into ones that look like your favorite cartoon characters, while enjoying a mother-and-child bonding session:
The choco pens contain chocolate in various flavors: white, lemon, honeydew, strawberry, blueberry and milk chocolate. They are all pretty tasty, so there’ll be a lot of finger licking as you work. Hehe!
After I decorated those macarons, I also did some ‘plating’ for a slice of Mother’s Day cake. I used the SOPHiSCA choco pens to fill up some chocolate moulds to make chocolate ‘macarons’, hearts and buttons. I did the lettering by hand… I need more practice, but I guess it’s legible. Ha!😀
Rating for this product: 4.5/ 5. It’s really easy to use – just stick the pens into a mug of warm / hot water till the chocolate flows, and you can start decorating your pastries. Tip: The chocolate runs out pretty fast so buy 2 boxes or more if you want to decorate a whole birthday cake, for instance.
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The final product I’ll share about in this blogpost is the Crayon Candy Sticks (S$9.90). They come in 12 flavors (honey peach, tropical fruit, mandarin orange, pomelo, lemon, green apple, mint, blueberry, grape, strawberry, chocolate and yoghurt). And no, these are not for actual drawing or coloring!😀
If you’ve noticed in the picture above, SOPHiSCA has included a color chart which states the flavor associated with each of the Crayon Candy Sticks. I love that the flavors are stated in Chinese, so mothers can teach their children how to say ‘blueberry’, ‘mint’, ‘pomelo’ etc in Mandarin! You can then lay the ‘crayons’ out on a table and ask the little one to pick out ‘薄荷’ (mint) or any other flavor. Make it a game and make it fun! If the kiddo gets it right, he can get a lick or bite of the candy stick in that flavor.
Another game mothers can play with their children is to teach them numbers or colors. For instance, “pick up THREE sticks” or “give me the BLUE one and the PINK one”. If the kid gets them right, then he deserves a reward. I’m eating one of these crayon sticks as I’m typing out this post, and I can assure parents that it’s not too sweet. In fact, it’s made with “minimal artificial coloring and essence”. Try it yourself first and then get some as teaching tools for your children. I think it’s perfectly fine as an occasional sweet treat with opportunities to learn words in Mandarin, numbers and colors, etc.
Rating for this product: 4 / 5. These crayon candy sticks are really tasty. Far from being just ordinary candy, they can actually be educational tools. After all, there’s nothing quite like positive reinforcement. It’ll help your child enjoy learning more. Of course, don’t forget to brush their teeth afterward.
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These three products are just the tip of the iceberg. Head to SOPHiSCA at Marina Square (#02-32) to check out more of the creative goodies in store. Even as an adult, you’ll feel like a kid in a candy store, because the products are so interesting. You’ll see the world of candy with new eyes. (*Tip: Use my discount code ‘GRACE’ and get 10% off your total purchase. No minimum spending required!)
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Photo Credit: Lots of thanks to Max Clyne At Work for the awesome mother-and-child pictures and product shots in this blogpost!😀 Photos that I took myself are clearly indicated. They were taken using ASUS’ new phone – the ASUS Zenfone Zoom (which is, coincidentally) from Taiwan too!) ALL pictures in this blogpost are copyrighted and are not be used without prior permission from Max / myself.
Disclaimer: Only the Brown Rice Sushi Bento featured above was sponsored (a door gift at their launch event). I purchased the rest of the items myself. #NotAnAdvertorial
