Candy like Maffy is the reason I spend an embarrassing amount of time peering closely at all the candies in the supermarket. Were it not for such careful inspection of the shelves, I never would have spotted Maffy's package, with its unassuming colors and rather cluttered layout. But you see, when you wander back and forth between the two candy displays in a store so many times you begin to fear the clerks will alert the authorities, you notice things. Like the words "beauty with marshmallow." And the helmeted marshmallow character with a pointer. And the name. Maffy. Say it out loud. Maffy. Kind of fun, isn't it?

...Maffy.

After taking a look at Maffy's website, I realized there was even more to this candy than the apparently beauty-enhancing collagen- and polyphenol-enriched choco center the little marshmallow man is pointing out. For one thing, Maffy has been around since 2003. Beauty with Marshmallow is the newest series in a product line that boasts the cutest marshmallow candies east of the International Peeps Line. And the cute, big-headed Maffy character? It can be purchased in the toy form of your choice: plush, Kubrick and ginormous cell phone dangly. That's because Maffy is co-produced by Devil Robots, a toy company. Which came first, the jangly or the candy? We may never know.

Okay, okay, you're probably thinking. That's all well and good, but how does it taste? And are you more beauty? To which I reply: have you been taking English lessons from my students? And: Maffy is good! The outer marshmallow is soft and fresh, melting to a foamy goo when chewed, but in a good way, like the layer that develops over a mug of marshmallow-topped hot chocolate. And speaking of hot chocolate, that's exactly what the beauty-increasing chocolate center tastes like.

The combination of marshmallow and chocolate made me also think of s'mores, which is why I had the idea to pop a couple Maffy into my broiler for a few seconds to toast them a bit, and -- oh. Oh, Maffy. Under the brown, toasty outer layer was warm gooey marshmallow and soft chocolate, a combinations of textures and flavors so perfect I'll never eat my Maffy any other way.

My Maffy research has further led me to Junie Moon/Gallery Lele, where the Maffy Hearty Party exhibit will be up from April 25 through May 14. Right now the Luv-able & Hug-able Plush Show is going on. I wish I lived in Tokyo....

As you can tell, Maffy makes me happy. Maybe even hearty. I don't know if it makes me beauty, but with the discovery of toasted Maffy, you can be sure I'll finish off my Maffy quickly and won't have to worry about it turning into a sad brown pile, which is what this sad brown Maffy is warning about:

Maffy!