Top Japanese Snacks You Must Try While Traveling

If you happen to visit Japan, you will be pleasantly surprised by the variety of Japanese food choices you can choose from, other than sushi and ramen.

When we talk about mouthwatering snacks to eat when traveling, you can order Japanese snacks, called “okashi”, add a bizarre modern touch to the ancient heritage and let you plunge headlong into the nation’s food culture.

The main focus of this article is to point out some of the best and the most delectable Japanese snacks that you can eat while you are traveling internationally.

The Importance of Snacks in Japanese Culture

Junk food is a big part of Japanese lifestyle. Even they serve as sweet treats, they also represent the land’s season-to-season rhythm and letting-you enjoy food culture in the country.

It is an art of Japanese snacks to be crafted with beautiful pieces of work and put in charming packages that is why they make excellent souvenirs or gifts.

Popular Japanese Snacks to Try

1. Pocky

Pocky sticks are pretty famous to be a Japanese snack item the world over. These are thin, crispy sticks that are covered in chocolate or some other flavor.

They come in a variety of flavors such as strawberry, matcha green tea, and even savory choices like tomato and cheese.

2. Kit Kat

It may not be an exclusive Japanese food but it spreads like wild fire in the country due to the kooky flavors you just don’t get anywhere else.

For instance, peculiar tastes such as matcha, sakura (cherry blossom), and wasabi are included. Fit Kat snacks are distributed in more than one region in Japan and are one of the most popular souvenirs there, due to the wide variety of flavors.

3. Taiyaki

A fish-shaped cake that mostly has a sweet red bean filling inside is referred to as Taiyaki. Most of the time you can bump into these stands at street food courts or fairs.

Some other fresh ideas provide sweet fillings such as custard, chocolate or even different salty toppings.

4. Onigiri

Onigiri or rice balls are not really snacks yet convenient and very popular in Japan. These rice balls in the shape of triangles or sometimes rounds (covered in seaweed) are usually filled with umeboshi(plum), salmon, or tuna salad depending on the buyer’s preference.

5. Mochi

Mochi is a glutinous rice pounded into a chewy rice cake. Nourishing taste temptation includes sweet fillings such as bean paste, fruit, or ice cream.

Daifuku, a type of mochi filled with sweet bean paste, is particularly popular.

6. Senbei

Senbei pertains to the traditional Japanese rice crackers. They show up in different shapes and sizes as well as in numerous flavors.

There are salted soy sauce ones and there are sweet flavors ones. Thi back to the way they were originally made.

7. Wagashi

Typically eaten with tea, Wagashi is a Japanese candy. These delicacies are handcrafted from ingredients like mochi, mochi, and fruit. Their motifs normally connect with the season.

8. Matcha-flavored Snacks

A popular taste is the matcha / (powdered green tea), which can be found in a lot of the snacks from Japan. For instance, there are matcha flavoured cocoas, cookies, ice, and cream. Also, potato chips with the flavor of a matcha tea can be found.

9. Kakigori

Kakigori is a perfect choice for a summer ice cream dessert. It’s almost always topped with fruit syrups, condensed milk, or flavored syrups with occasional fruit or mochi. The most common flavors are strawberry, melon, and matcha.

10. Dagashi

These are the inexpensive Japanese candies and snacks children love to nibble on. They are usually very colorful and look like presents and have different types of treats in them like sugar candies, small senbei, and flavored gummies.

Where to Find Japanese Snacks?

There are a lot of Japanese snacks you must try while traveling: You can buy those different kinds of Japanese snacks in different places during your tour:

• Convenience Stores: Places like 7-Eleven, Lawson, and FamilyMart are the standard in the country and they are the ones who offer the most diverse choices of snacks.
• Supermarkets: Really, the eating of the local food is a matter of personal preference being there are entire aisles that are filled to the brim with various snacks and sweet stuff.
• Department Stores: The first floor of the department stores, which is called “depachika,” is usually the place where they have food halls with the variety of snacks and confectioneries.
• Specialty Shops: Some shops thrive in regional snacks or a certain type of desserts.
• Street Vendors: Street vendors who provide, to visitors, freshly made goods such as taiyaki or kakigori at their stalls, at festivals and other touristy places is commonly seen.

Seasonal and Regional Specialties

Japan’s snack culture is based on both seasons and regional product types. In the course of your journey, be sure to pay attention to:

• Seasonal manufacture: One of the most exciting aspects of the advent of fall is the arrival of the limited or seasonal flavored Japanese snacks. Thus, in the spring, the cherry blossom, a Japanese word called ‘sakura’ is used to decorate some of the products.
• Regional specialties: Each part of Japan has its own kind of food. For example, in Hokkaido the major constituents are mainly sweets made from milk while in Kyoto the local wagashi will have the things to do with.

Health Considerations

When eating the snacks made in Japan, be aware that certain ingredients may not be included in your diet or you may be allergic to them. Some of the most common ingredients found in Japanese snacks are:

• Gluten: Quite a few Japan snack varieties are made from wheat flour so sweet treat options are there.
• Soy: Equal with starchy Japanese treats, soy sauce is one recurrent flavoring found in Japanese snacks.
• Nuts: Here comes a danger that some snacks may include nuts or be processed in places that also process nuts.
• Dairy: Apart from the butter and ice cream, one can get the milk from the Sapporo milk factory in Hokkaido.

Make sure to know at least a few Japanese words so that you can ask about ingredients or see if there is allergy information on the package if you have any dietary needs.

Snack Etiquette

Remember these etiquettes while binging on the snacks in Japan:

• Generally, it is regarded as impolite to eat while walking in the streets, except when at fairs or in special zones.
• Attach your garbage properly. Public garbage cans are not readily available, which is why you will have to carry your garbage with you until you come across a suitable garbage disposal site.
• When sharing snacks with others, you should be considerate and trigger the use of serving utensils instead of using your hands.

Conclusion

The available food choices give you many opportunities to explore Japanese cuisine, but traditional and modern snacks will give you a chance to dive deeper into that country’s food and culture.

Pocky, Kit Kats with weird tastes, and even wagashi (traditional candies) are excellent to start with, but it is just a few of the many treasures you can discover.

While you are in Japan, don’t be afraid to try foods that you have never tried but that could, in the end, become your favorite ones!

This is a reminder to people on special diets, it is important to look out for any food allergies, observe both local customs and manners, and enjoy the discovery experience of new tastes and diverse flavors.

Local Japanese people would argue that none of their country’s foods can be savored without learning some basic Japanese on top of tasting them, until the rest of us gather some language competence on the side.

The love for the traditional, the deep respect for the culture, and the almost surgical precision are all parts of the Japanese food society. Good luck with your Japan food journey!