Complete Guide to Japanese Snacks

Japan is known for its delicious cuisine; from sushi to ramen to curry, there is a wide variety of food on offer. But something else Japan is well-known for is its array of unusual snacks. In this blog, we take a look at some of the must-try Japanese snacks.

Dorayaki

It may look like a normal American pancake, but a dorayaki is actually filled with red-bean paste; a well-loved filling in Japan. It is formed by layering two pancakes and filling the inside with sweet Azuki red bean paste. You can find dorayaki on the streets of Japan from street food vendors, in restaurants and cafés, or you can buy them from supermarkets.

Unusual Kit Kats

Japan is known for its weird and wonderful flavours, and they have incorporated this with the English chocolate wafer bars, Kit Kats. You can find variations of Kit Kats across Japan in convenience stores and supermarkets, so get your teeth into some of the fascinating 300 flavours of Japanese Kit Kats such as:

- Edamame- Cinnamon cookie- Gold leaf- Wasabi - Green tea- Blueberry cheesecake - Melon

Dango

A sweet treat that is adored in Japan, dango is made from mochiki (rice flour), and the texture is similar to mochi . Traditionally a festival food, it is often served on a skewer for ease of eating. Dango is created by adding water to rice flour and mixing it until it becomes a stretchy consistency. The sticky mixture can then be formed and moulded into balls, which is then steamed or boiled. There are many different variations of flavoured dango, with the most common being soy sauce, red bean paste, soybean powder, or edamame.

Monaka

CC by City Foodsters (Monaka waffle with sweetened red bean ice cream) Similar to an American ice cream sandwich, monaka is the Japanese version, although most of the time you won’t find ice cream in it. Typical fillings include red bean, sesame seed or chestnut jam. If you are to find ice cream filling in a monaka, it won’t be of the usual vanilla; instead, red bean paste is a common flavour. The wafer is made from mochiko flour, and its texture is similar to an ice cream cone.

Castella

There are many different styles of Japanese sponge cakes, with castella being a popular choice. The cake is made from sugar, flour, eggs and starch syrup which creates a slightly sweet taste. The texture is bouncy and moist, with the top and bottom being a dark brown crust and the main cake being a yellow sponge.

Anpan

A Japanese pastry with red bean paste, anpan is well-loved throughout the country for its sweet taste. Anpan is essentially a bread bun filled with red bean paste, usually, but it can come with other flavours such as white bean, sesame or chestnut. Invented in 1875 by Samurai Yasubei Kimura while Japan was westernising, anpan was an instant success because it was a hybrid of both western bread and Japanese taste. You can get your hands on anpan in most Japanese convenience stores, supermarkets and bakeries.

Edamame

CC by viviandnguyen_ (Edamame) One of the most popular snacks in Japan is edamame; it is often served as a starter or to accompany some drinks. They are soybeans in their pods that are either boiled or steamed and then they are served with salt on top. You can enjoy this delicious snack in many restaurants and bars across Japan, but you can also pick some up yourself in most supermarkets.

Pocky

CC by Abdulla Al Muhairi (Japanese snacks) Arguably one of the most well-known Japanese snacks in the Western world, Pocky is a chocolate-coated stick . Although a simple concept, it is famous across Japan and can be bought in almost all convenience stores and supermarkets. There are a variety of weird and wonderful flavours, such as:- Almond crush- Matcha- Melon- Grape- CoconutWe hope that you are enticed to try some new snacks and give your taste buds an experience to remember with some of the unusual Japanese flavours. Here at Oriental Mart, we are an online Asian supermarket, and we offer a wide variety of Japanese snacks in the UK . So, no matter where you are, you can get your hands on some delicious Japanese snacks.