Kinoko no yama & Takenoko no sato (Japanese chocolate snack)

 Kinoko no yama :きのこの山 (Also known as Chocorooms)

Takenoko no sato :たけのこの里

Did you know that there is always a serious controversy about snacks in Japan?
It is called the "kinoko-takenoko controversy". In Japan, this controversy has led to a flaring up of social networking sites and a loss of trust among friends. You cannot talk about Japanese snacks without knowing about the "kinoko-takenoko controversy".

...I'm just kidding. Surprised?😜
But when the topic of Japanese snacks comes up, it is the "Kinoko no yama" and "Takenoko no sato" that are often talked about in such an exaggerated manner.
If you can tell the difference between these two snacks, you are a Japanese snack connoisseur.

Packaging

This time I bought a package that contains both Kinoko-no-yama and Takenoko-no-sato. This pack is recommended for those who eat these for the first time, as they can compare the two flavors.

They come in two pieces that are attached to each other like this. As far as I know, there are no Japanese snacks sold in this way🤔

The attached part has a cut line, so you can easily cut it by hand.

Looks

Let's start with Kinoko-no-yama.

Kinoko-no-yama means "mushroom mountain". I guess that means this package is like a mountain where you can get a lot of mushrooms. As you can see, it is shaped like a mushroom. The columella is made of pretzel and the pileus is made of chocolate.
A chocolate snack in the shape of a mushroom is very rare. I like this kind of strange feeling that is unique to Japanese snacks😂
There were 5 chocolates in one bag.

Next, Takenoko-no-sato.

Takenoko-no-sato means "village of bamboo shoots". Like the mushroom mountain, the packaging is probably designed to look like a place where you can get lots of bamboo shoots.These are, of course, shaped like bamboo shoots.
The cookie is covered with chocolate. The chocolate has a pattern on it that looks like the skin of a bamboo shoot.
There were also 5 cookies in a bag.

By the way, bamboo shoots may not be familiar to non-Asians.
In Japan, the image of bamboo shoots are associated with spring, quiet villages, and home cooking. It is a nostalgic image. For example, they are famous as an ingredient to be cooked with rice. But at least they are not used for sweets😂

Both kinoko-no-yama and takenoko-no-sato are snacks with a nostalgic image. And so is the design of the packaging, right?

Flavor

First, let me clarify what you are most concerned about.
This snack does not contain any mushrooms or bamboo shoots as ingredients, nor does it taste or smell like them. So please feel free to enjoy it 🤗

Kinoko-no-yama is more of a chocolate than a snack. The chocolate has a strong flavor and tastes very good, just like fine chocolate. The pretzels add a crunchy texture that complements the chocolate.You can smell the savory pretzel smell, but not so much taste it. The chocolate is rich.

Unlike Kinoko-no-yama,  the main ingredient in Takenoko-no-sato is cookies, and the chocolate adds flavor to the cookie. Unlike pretzels, the cookie portion of Takenoko-no-sato is coarser and chunkier. The cookies are not as sweet, and the chocolate is sweeter than the Kinoko-no-yama. The cookies and chocolate blend well in the mouth.

Okay, so back to the beginning. I would like to talk about the "kinoko-takenoko controversy". 
As you can see, Kinoko-no-yama and Takenoko-no-sato are snacks made by the same manufacturer based on the same concept. But their tastes are completely different. Therefore, it is often debated which one tastes better, and this is called the "kinoko-takenoko controversy". Mage, the manufacturer of these products, has held an official election to get the ball rolling. 

Ridiculous? If you can't really talk about this, you can't call yourself a Japanese snacks lover. Every Japanese person belongs to either the mushroom party or the bamboo shoot party. Incidentally, I was a member of the bamboo shoot party when I was a kid, but now I belong to the mushroom party. 

Which one are you? Let me know your opinion by comparing them. yum yum😋

Kinoko no yama & Takenoko no sato official web site :
https://www.meiji.com/global/food/chocolate/chocorooms.html
 https://www.meiji.co.jp/sweets/chocolate/kinotake/

Amazon.com : 
(Kinoko no yama) https://a.co/d/fyvpYN2
(Takenoko no sato) https://a.co/d/iuPVElL
(Mixed) https://a.co/d/1QZjtfz

Amazon.co.jp :  
(Kinoko no yama) https://amzn.asia/d/9dGQncR
(Takenoko no sato) https://amzn.asia/d/0iQD5Ds
(Mixed) https://amzn.asia/d/6Q237Qd