10 Best Japanese Snacks in 2022 (Glico, Kit Kat, and More)

We've picked 10 popular Japanese snacks that are available online based on customer reviews. Hopefully, you'll find one that matches your taste!

Many Japanese snacks are delicious, of course, but do you know what other things should be considered besides the taste? Here are some suggestions to help you find a good Japanese snack. 

To help you narrow down your choices, think about the flavors you like. Consider candy, cookies, wafers, biscuit sticks, and chocolates for sweet snacks, and rice crackers and chips for salty snacks.

For whole-food snacks that can provide some vitamins and minerals, choose seaweed, roasted green peas, edamame, or flour-coated peanuts. Dried umeboshi plum, persimmon, and sweet potato are also popular snack choices in Japan. 

If you're looking for traditional Japanese snacks, consider mochi, daifuku, dorayaki, and monaka. Mochi is a Japanese sticky rice cake that's made from rice, sugar, and cornstarch. Daifuku is a mochi stuffed with a sweet filling like red bean paste or fruit jam.

Dorayaki looks similar to mini pancakes. They're made of two round-shaped cakes filled with red bean paste. If you like wafers, it's a good idea to try monaka. They're made of a sweet red bean paste sandwiched between two thin crisp wafers. 

When it comes to flavors, it's a good idea to try out unique flavors that are only available in Japan and online. 

When it comes to Japanese flavors, people usually think of soy sauce, green tea and wasabi. Savory flavors like shrimp, squid and consomme are also popular in Japan.

Kinako is soybean flour made from roasted soybeans. It has a nutty and subtly sweet flavor, a bit reminiscent of peanut butter. Though it usually is sprinkled on top of Japanese sweets or ice cream, you can also find this flavor in candy, cookies, and mochi. 

Curry flavor is commonly found in chips and rice crackers. Unlike any other curry you'll find in Asia, Japanese curry offers a unique taste that's mild and slightly sweet, which kids and people who can't handle spicy foods will enjoy.

Umeboshi, or pickled plum, is an extremely popular flavor with a salty and sour taste. You'll find this flavor in both salty and sweet snacks, including candy, rice crackers, chips, and seaweed snacks. 

The use of seasonal ingredients is very important in Japan and is one thing that makes Japanese snacks unique. For example, many yuzu-flavored snacks come out during the winter. Yuzu is a Japanese citrus fruit that has a sour, mildly sweet taste.

Sweet potato and chestnut (often labeled as "marron") flavors are popular in autumn, and you'll find them not only in snacks but also in drinks and ice cream. For summer, sweet fruits and refreshing flavors like watermelon, honeydew melon, peach, and lemon are a big hit in Japan.

When spring hits, a lot of brands issue sakura-flavored snacks. Sakura, or cherry blossom, snacks offer a slightly sweet taste with a floral scent. These snacks usually come in beautiful sakura-themed packaging, making them an ideal gift for people who like unique snacks.  

Asides from seasonal flavors, you'll find many Japanese snacks come in regional flavors. These flavors are based on popular local ingredients, which can represent the iconic flavor of each region.

Take Kit Kat as an example. Though they come in many flavors, you may want to look for more unique flavors like raspberry, strawberry cheesecake, sake, and rum raisin. It's also a good idea to try flavors that are exclusive to certain areas in Japan, like maple from Hiroshima, cantaloupe from Hokkaido, and sweet potato from Okinawa.

Pringles is another brand that comes up with many unique flavors, including ramen, tebasaki (Japanese chicken wings), and karaage (Japanese fried chicken). You can also find regional flavors like sukiyaki, takoyaki, and butter shoyu (soy sauce) scallop, which can represent popular dishes in Kanto, Kansai, and Hokkaido regions respectively.  

When it comes to Japanese snacks, we can never forget to mention their beautiful packaging. Many Japanese snacks come in eye-catching package designs with anime characters and seasonal themes.

If you're planning to buy snacks as a gift for someone, consider ones that come in presentation boxes or packs that include a variety of snacks. Individually-wrapped snacks are convenient for storage and taking with you. They also make a great choice for portion control and can help to extend the shelf life of snacks.   

When you get tired of the same old snacks at your local store, check out our other favorites from Asia. Some of these come in unique flavors that are definitely worth trying!

Author: Apinya Masuda

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