From our other sites
The story
On the October 16 broadcast of “Matsuko & Ariyoshi’s Fleeting Paradise,” a viewer asked Hiroiki Ariyoshi and Matsuko Deluxe whether there are any foods they dislike because they turned out different from what they expected — and the two ended up agreeing on a popular sweet they find overrated. On 5ch, this sparked a debate centered on macarons, with critics calling them “all looks and no substance, overpriced for what they are” while defenders insisted “if it tastes good, it tastes good.” The thread also branched into opinions on other once-trendy sweets like Mont Blanc, tapioca, and tiramisu, along with a broader unease about how “rediscovered booms” get treated as something new.
Fri, Oct 16, 10:45 PM
Comedian Hiroiki Ariyoshi appeared on the October 16 broadcast of TV Asahi’s “Matsuko & Ariyoshi’s Fleeting Paradise,” where he candidly named a popular food he’s never actually found tasty.
It came up when a viewer’s email asked: “Are there any foods you dislike because they’re not what you expected — like sweet potatoes, which are sweet even though they’re a vegetable, or soggy senbei, which are soft even though rice crackers are supposed to be crunchy?”
Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here
What people said
Both are so 'French'
Macarons have been around forever and they're delicious — these two are just trashing them because they became trendy, it's annoying.
Matcha is having a huge boom overseas right now, but if people there started saying 'matcha's not even that good, is it really worth the hype?' we'd say the same thing — it's been a classic staple forever, who cares.
Matcha's a massive boom over there, honestly.
Fast food chains are cranking out matcha stuff left and right.
It's like anything matcha just sells.
Matcha and Hello Kitty are on another level lol
Isn't what you just did also complaining? lol
Ariyoshi and Matsuko at least get paid for their complaining — I'm more worried about you complaining for free lmao
I've heard dragon fruit doesn't ripen after picking, so it tastes bland when you eat it in Japan, but it's actually good when you eat it where it's grown — wonder if that's true
They're weirdly expensive too
Like, if I'm gonna eat that, there's gotta be something with better bang for your buck
That stuff is so bad it barely feels like food from this world
Ah, so it's kind of like rakugan (a dry, pressed Japanese sugar candy) in Japan?
Can't stand smooth, silky pudding either
Give me the firm kind soaked in bitter caramel any day
They're something you eat when someone gives them to you
Even getting them as a gift doesn't make me happy
If even a below-average one isn't at least decently tasty, I wouldn't call it a tasty food.
The thing is, I can't even muster the motivation to go hunt for a good macaron lol
Even though it looked so delicious
All show, no substance
LADURÉE and places like that got hyped up, but I'd say Japan's actual pastry-making skill is on another level
Not my favorite, but I'm happy to receive them as a gift
But Mont Blanc is basically always good though
Tapioca's been around forever too, but it bugged me how it got treated like some brand-new boom among young people
Actually, tapioca shows up in 'Shokudoraku' ('The Art of Gourmet Eating'), a bestselling gourmet novel from the Meiji era
Which means Japanese people have known about it for over 120 years
So tapioca was treated as a Western thing back then, huh
When I spot nata de coco in a vending machine every once in a while, I end up buying it
Tiramisu really stuck around as a staple
Nata de coco is sort of hanging on in there too
Shame maritozzo never really caught on
Chain restaurant roast beef bowls were so bad I grew to hate them
But then I had roast beef at a hotel buffet party and it was on a completely different level, totally blew me away
The gap between the good stuff and the bad stuff is way too extreme
Aren't the tiny tapioca pearls floating in coconut milk that have been around forever basically a different thing from the big tapioca pearls in the milk tea that became a huge trend?
But there's been big black tapioca pearls in milk tea since I was a kid?
Canelés were actually good though
I think taste is a matter of personal preference, sure
But macarons really are weirdly expensive
Compared to other stuff sitting on the shelf at the same shop, they feel like they're obviously overpriced for what they are
Background and Key Points of This Discussion
“Matsuko & Ariyoshi’s Fleeting Paradise” is a long-running talk show, and part of its appeal lies in its format: viewer submissions kick off candid, unfiltered reactions from the two hosts. Macarons are a sweet that often draws criticism for being “all looks, no substance” and “overpriced for what you get,” and the thread split clearly into supporters and critics on this point. The discussion centered on two main issues: personal taste when it comes to macarons themselves, and a broader unease about how overseas-born trends — like tapioca or matcha — get consumed as if they’re brand new. It’s worth noting, though, that the claim about tapioca appearing in the Meiji-era novel “Shokudoraku” (“The Art of Gourmet Eating”) came from a single post and wasn’t backed up with further evidence. From there, the conversation branched out into individual verdicts on other “overrated/underrated” sweets, including Mont Blanc, tiramisu, and roast beef rice bowls.
※This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “Ariyoshi Hiroiki and Matsuko Agree on an Overrated Super-Popular Sweet: ‘Feels Like a Low-Rebound Pillow,’ ‘What Is It Even Made Of?’” on 5ch.
Leave a Reply