Number 9 – Mochi (餅)
Mochi is a snack with a very long history in Japan. Traditionally eaten on New Year’s, Mochi is proof that hard work pays off. It is made from a special type of glutinous rice called “Mochi-gome” (もち米). Mochi is traditionally prepared in a ceremony called “Mochitsuki” (餅つき lit. "mochi pounding"), where the rice is soaked overnight, and then pounded in a giant bowl by two people with large wooden mallets. In modern times, machines are used to grind the mochi into a thick paste, which is formed into different shapes, or used in other confectionaries.
My favorite type of mochi is called “Daifuku-mochi” (大福餅), which is mochi stuffed with a sweet filling. The most common filling is sweet red bean paste, but there are many other flavors and types out there. There is also Mochi Ice Cream, which is daifuku-mochi filled with ice cream and frozen. You can find various types of mochi at Asian grocery stores.
Number 8 – Hello Panda
In terms of rising popularity, I would say that Hello Panda is becoming one of the most accessible Japanese snacks in America. Hello Panda was first sold in Japan in 1979, and quickly became very popular. It is a small shortbread cookie, puffed out, filled with various types of fillings (Chocolate, Vanilla and Strawberry are very common), and imprinted with little pictures of pandas. They are hard to stop eating once you start, and the cute little panda’s really make you appreciate each bite.
You can find Hello Panda in many grocery stores, and I’ve seen them in the bins of $1 snacks at Target many times.
Number 7 – Yan Yan
Predating the Nutella craze in America, Yan Yan offers various types of crèmes to dip cookie sticks into. There are a whole assortment of types of Yan Yan on the market, including special flavors that tie in with video games, anime, and other characters. The cookie sticks in a pack of Yan Yan include little pictures of animals with quotes relating to them.
You can find Yan Yan in many grocery stores, and I have seen them right next to Hello Panda in Target before too!
Number 6 - Tomato Pretz
Tomato Pretz is a savory snack that to me resembles the snack sticks that Pringles used to make. They are thin crackers that are similar to Pocky, but are coated with seasoning instead. Pretz comes in a variety of flavors, including Salad, Tomato, Roast, and Super Butter. I’ve only tried Salad and Tomato, but Tomato blew me out of the water and has become one of my all-time favorite Japanese snacks. It tastes almost like a pizza Goldfish, but it’s very light and not too salty.
You can find Pretz at Ebisuya in Medford, the Kam Man Market in Quincy, and other Asian grocery stores!
Number 5 – Strawberry Cheesecake Kit Kat - キットカット
Kit Kats are insanely popular in Japan. The name Kit Kat transliterated into Japanese sounds like the phrase “Good Luck” or “Kitto Katsu”. They are given as good luck charms, and are the most popular candy in Japan. Since the year 2000, there have been over 200 flavors of Kit Kat released in Japan. Flavors range from green tea, to banana, to soy sauce.
In this dizzying array of Japanese Kit Kats, there is a standalone winner in my book: Strawberry Cheesecake Kit Kat. Despite being absurdly expensive in America ($6-9 per bag of mini bars), this Kit Kat flavor is incredibly creamy and has a really rich strawberry flavor. If you are willing to shell out that kind of money to try this, or have a friend in Japan willing to mail you a snack, I’d say go for it!
You can find these are both Ebisuya and Kam Man Markets.
Number 4 – Uni Puffs
Uni is the Japanese name for the Sea Urchin, which is probably one of the most intimidating foods that can wind up on the table. Uni is served as a type of Sashimi, or raw fish, found in some upscale Sushi restaurants. Uni has a creamy texture, and doesn’t taste much like fish at all. It has a delicate and nutty flavor, and when prepared carefully, tastes like a buttery pate.
Uni Puffs try and capture the flavor and appearance of prepared Sea Urchin in chip form. I first encountered this snack near Philadelphia, at a Japanese grocery store called Maido. I was curious to try them, and was very surprised at how utterly delicious they were. They taste similar to Bugles, the little cone shaped chips, and have a light, melt in your mouth texture. They are crunchy, but airy at the same time, and have been a favorite since the first time I tried them.
They are difficult to find, and I’ve only found them a few times. I have seen them occasionally at Ebisuya, but they come and go.
Number 3 – Kani Chips
Kani Chips were the first foray I ever had into seafood flavored snacks. Flavored like crab, and colored a bright pink, Kani Chips try and capture the distinct flavor of crab in a chip form.
Kani chips are probably the most addicting snack I’ve ever eaten. They are so light and airy that it feels like you’re eating a crunchy cotton candy. They kind of remind me of Munchos, the really light and airy potato chips. If you are nervous about Uni Puffs and want to start off with another aquatic snack, I’d go for Kani Chips. The little crabs on the package are really adorable too.
They are relatively common in Asian grocery stores, and they go for pretty cheap too.
Number 2 – Pocky
Perhaps the most well-known Japanese snack in America is Pocky. Formerly reserved for the racks specialty stores and mail-order catalogs, Pocky is now available all over the place. You can even find it at Walmart and many local grocery stores.
Pocky was first introduced to the world in 1966, and was a tremendous hit in Japan and the rest of Asia. Originally only available in chocolate flavor, a tidal wave of other flavors (such as Almond and Strawberry) were soon added throughout the 70s up until today.
Here is a big list of available flavors, but for nearly 50 years of constant additions, it’s tough to say how many flavors of Pocky there really are. My top 3 favorite flavors are Panda Cookies and Cream, Almond Crush and Tsubu Tsubu Strawberry (with chunks of strawberry in the frosting!)
Number 1 – Everyburger
To me, the holy grail of Japanese snacks is Everyburger. Tiny little chocolate burgers, complete with white chocolate “cheese”, and a cookie sesame seed bun, encompass everything that comes to mind when imagining how ultra-modern Japanese snacks are made. The producer, Bourbon, spares no details when creating a tiny, sweet, burger experience.
My fiancé and I fell in love with Everyburger when we first discovered them a year and a half ago. Unfortunately, they are rather difficult to find, and pop up randomly in unexpected places. The places in Massachusetts that I’ve found them have been at Ebisuya in Medford, and Kam Man Market in Quincy, but they are elusive, sometimes not appearing for months at a time. My fiancé didn’t even see Everyburger in Japan when she went last summer. My little brother randomly found Everyburger at an international grocery store in San Antonio, Texas. Go figure.
Recently I found Everyburger in a special “reverse” edition, that resembles an Oreo, with a chocolate bun and white burger. If you know where to find Everyburger, leave a message in the comments!
Runner Up - Dragonball Z Cola and Diet Zero
This is probably one of the best pieces of anime merchandise I’ve ever found. I’m not counting it as a snack because it’s actually just slick packaging. I’m a huge fan of diet coke, and the fact that you can drink out of cans with Goku, Vegeta and Freiza on them makes everything about them perfect.
This drink is produced by Dyodo Drink Co. and were released to tie in with one of the latest Dragon Ball Z movies, Battle of the Gods. I haven’t seen them recently, but I bought as many cans as I could last time I found them at Ebisuya. I hear that there are Dragonball Z promotional drinks produced regularly, so hopefully they will make a triumphant return.
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