This is the second in the series of Oddeaties posts that I’m archiving. Most of this was written by my girlfriend, and I throw my thoughts in at the end. Enjoy.

I’ve always marveled at Japanese snacks transposing other food’s tastes in varied and alien snack forms. When looking at these Hot Cake snacks (a variation of Japan’s Yaokin “Dora-Choco” snacks), I think to myself, “Did someone wake up one night and feverishly want chocolate chip pancakes, but didn’t want to cook them up?”

The snack is part of a larger Dora-Choco line of sponge cake and chocolate snacks, and this one mimics two chocolate chip pancakes and maple syrup in taste, if not in form. The package features a smiling stack of pancakes holding up a fork and knife. I was really not sure what I expected when I tore it open but I’m always up for snacky cakes. The two small (half-dollar sized) cakes are light and spongy with a thick paste between them. The texture is a little odd but not unsettling. The flavour is really what was remarkable – it really does taste like pancakes and syrup with a little chocolate hint. It might not be as maple-ish as one might expect, but rather nutty. This is probably to do with the intricacies of making a maple paste but I liked it none the less. Overall, the product was moist and not a bit stale with just the right amount of sweetness. Not too sweet and definitely not bland.

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