Top 25 Japanese Snacks You Should Try Next
All over the world, snacks are highly loved and consumed by individuals in different continents. The Japanese snacks are no exceptions having come a long way down from the 1860s to current times. With the industrialization came an increase in the demands of Japanese snacks as people spent more time at work and in the offices. The resulting effect was that these snacks gained more appeal and popularity as well.
In Japan, there's a common complaint that snacks do not last long in the market as they come and quickly go as well. However, there are several others that have stayed on for quite some time. There still are several new snacks that come into the market to replace the ones that have left. If you have not tried a Japanese snack before, you are really missing a lot. To help you in making a choice, here is a list of the top 25 Japanese snacks you should try next.
1. Tokyo Banana: This particular Japanese snack is one of the most popular snacks in Japan. Simply, the Tokyo Banana is more like a sponge cake that has been filled on the inside with banana custard cream filling. Just in case, there are other varieties you might want to look out for such as the Banana Caramel/Banana Shake.
2. Jaga Pokkuru: This is simply potato chips processed in the form of french fries. In order to retain the skin flavor, the large Hokkaido potatoes are cut and left unpeeled. To complete the process, roasted salt from Okhostsk is then sprinkled on it.
3. Strawberry Cake: This Japanese snack is also made by the makers of the Tokyo Banana. They almost have the same outlook except that the strawberry cake comes with a strawberry filling instead.
4. Shiroi Kobito: Another popular snack in Japan, the Shiroi Kobito is greatly loved for its crispy taste and the special chocolate it comes with. Originating from Hokkaido, this snack comes in two flavors; the white chocolate and the conventional chocolate cream. Its taste is more like butter cookies that have been flavored with fine sugars.
5. Japanese Kit Kats: In Japan, there are so many varieties of Kit Kat. It's not always easy making a choice from the so much available.
6. Hiyoko: This snack is shaped like a small chick. Within the pastry shell is a sweet lima bean paste that has a taste very similar to egg yolks.
7. Royce' Chocolates: These come in various varieties such as Nama chocolates, pure chocolates, chocolate chips, chocolate bars and chocolate wafers. Amongst all of these, the Nama chocolates are the most popular. They come in two flavors; the liquor and the non-liquor flavors.
8. Tokyo Campanella: This Japanese snack is one processed into a tri-layer cookie sandwich with a chocolate taste. It is made from high-quality cocoa and cacao imported from France and baked into a crispy form.
9. Castella: Introduced into Japan back in the 16th century by the Portuguese, the Castella snacks are sponge cakes with a simple taste and still retains its popularity till this moment. They are made with flour, starch syrup, sugar, and eggs.
10. Imagawayiki: More popularly sold in the streets, these snacks are well known for their resemblance to thick pancakes. They are most times either filled with custard, potatoes, red beans paste, fruit jams, curry or meat.
11. Anmitsu: The Anmitsu is another Japanese snack processed from ingredients such as boiled peas, mochi, anko, ice cream, agar jelly or fruits. When served usually in a bowl, a small pot of Kinako or black syrup accompanies it by the side.
12. Daifuku: This is a mochi filled on the inside with sweet fillings such as anko. They are quite big enough to comfortably fill your palm and to make it less sticky for you, they are dusted with potato starch. They are very common in Japan and come in at least ten different varieties.
13. Pocky: These are biscuit sticks that are wrapped with chocolate. To let you eat them without getting chocolates on your hands, a free chocolate zone is left on the sticks where you can easily hold them. Several flavors such as the strawberry and the almond chocolate varieties exist.
14. Dorayaki: The Dorayaki consists of two castella pancakes and anko with a few other ingredients. To make these, the anko and other ingredients such as whipped creams or chestnuts are sandwiched between the two castella pancakes.
15. Senbei: These are another popular Japanese snack known as the Japanese rice crackers in English. They can be grilled before eating. They come in so many different sizes, shapes and varieties.
16. Manju: Possessing a bread-like outer shell, the Manju is a Chinese-style steamed Japanese snack that comes with a sweet inner filling. It is a bread-like bun that has a slightly chewy and somewhat sticky texture.
17. Kaki No Tane: They are senbei rice crackers that look like the seeds from a kaki fruit. It possesses a distinctive spicy taste as a major ingredient in its preparation is Chili powder. Most times, it is served with peanuts.
18. Umaibo: Another wonderful Japanese snack, the Umaibo are corn puffs that come in several flavors, both sweet and savory. Some of its flavors include caramel and takoyaki.
19. Anpan: The Anpan is a sweet bread roll mainly filled with red bean paste. It was invented by a former Samurai in the 18th century.
20. Monaka: A Japanese sweet, the Monaka is filled with mochi, chestnut paste or red bean paste.
21. Bisuko: The Bisuko is a cookie. It is made by sandwiching two plain biscuits together with vanilla cream.
22. Konpeito: These are star shaped traditional Japanese candies that are rough in texture.
23. Amanatto: These are a variety of beans such as the black soybeans. In processing this, they are boiled in sugar and then allowed to dry.
24. Choco Bananas: They are bananas usually coated with chocolate or strawberry chocolates.
25. Arare: The Arare is made from glutinous rice and given a flavor of soy sauce. At its center, peanuts or peas are usually inserted.
Check these out and let us know what you think. Happy snacking!