Delio(s)

I'm aware that I write a lot of posts that are either about food or mention food. In fact, if I look at my labels, there are more posts labeled "food" than any other topic. The big reason for this is that I am, after all, a housewife now. I probably spend more time every day dealing with food or food-related activities (shopping, cleaning up, etc.) than any other activity aside from sleep. It's also something I take great care with because it is one of the few areas in which I can economize.

I also currently reside in a country that is obsessed with food. Everyone may think that Americans are preoccupied with food but it's a whole other beast in Japan. Prime time shows on the major networks spend an hour doing nothing but showcase food. They find a variety of creative ways to dwell on the subject including regional cooking showcases, chef cook-offs where where they all prepare the same dish in a creative way, and panels of talking heads who gasp in shock at the incredible methods of preparation or taste of the latest food fad.

The other thing which tends to make me talk more about food is that foreigners who suddenly find something which reminds them of something from home or is from home will always feel a little spark of excitement. That's pretty much the reason for this post. Previously, I hadn't come across any Cheerios-style cereals in Japan and a few days ago, I found the Delio cereal pictured above.

This bag is pretty small at 160 grams (3.5 oz.) and cost 400 yen ($3.41). When you open the bag, the o's look like anemic cheerios covered in shiny glaze. This may mislead one into thinking they are sugar-coated and very sweet. Though the bag says "honey taste", they aren't all that sweet, particularly when compared to their closest relative, Honey-nut Cheerios.

The glaze-looking stuff on the cereal seems to have more to do with keeping the cereal crisp rather than making it super sweet. It reminds me of something Chevy Chase said in one of the National Lampoon movies where he played a maker of food additives. He mentioned making a non-nutritive coating for cereal which kept it from getting soggy. It was a joke in the movie but I'm pretty sure it's a reality in this cereal.

The flavor has a much more intense fresh grain taste than other toasted oat cereals and it actually tastes pretty nice. Given the high price for the small quantity though, I wouldn't buy it again.