Kiwi Gummy

Here we have an imitation of a Kasugai Kiwi Gummy candy from Japan. The source material is a sweet, soft, and juicy gummy that features actual kiwi puree in a gelatin + pectin based candy. Kasugai gummies are softer gummies that are more in line with a gummy lifesaver than a Haribo gummy bear--almost like a thick jello.

The flavor: The kiwi in the candies is a blend of kiwi puree with artificial kiwi flavoring. My task, then was to make my kiwi candy-like with a hint of realism. TFA Kiwi Double hits the candy kiwi in this mix. The actual gummies feature the occasional kiwi seed from the puree and therefore present a more realistic element. E-liquid is a homogeneous mixture though, so I modified the fake, cloying taste that Kiwi Double can impart by brightening and lifting it up with a touch of TFA Quince. The result of the Quince addition adds a missing 'tart' element provided by the seeds that would otherwise be lacking.

The gummy: The source candy is a sweet, soft gummy, with juiciness overriding much of the stickiness. To suggest this, I used a combination of CAP Jelly Candy and TFA Swedish Gummy. CAP Jelly Candy provides volume for the profile without the chemical off-notes that something such as TFA Gummy provides. TFA Swedish Gummy suggests the waxy texture found in Swedish Fish and so was used to provide a bit of structure and softness that Jelly Candy can lack.

Overall Profile/Conclusion: The candy is very sweet and I relied on the flavors themselves to provide much of that. A bit of Ethyl Maltol was added to smooth it all over and keep the candy vibe alive. The Kiwi Double/Quince combo infuses itself into the gummy base to provide an illusion of juiciness that might not otherwise be present with weaker, duller flavors. The overall vape may be a little bit tastier than the actual candy, but that cannot be helped--flavor is paramount here.