How to Buy Japanese Snacks Online?

At present, Japanese snack time generally means a snack between meals, which does not correspond to a breakfast, lunch, dinner, or evening meal. Foodies all over the world adore Japanese snacks for their quirky, curious, and interesting varieties. And for good reason, they are absolutely delicious! Most Japanese treats would have been difficult to find outside of Japan 30 years ago, but now the majority of these are available online with a huge selection!

Japanese Snacks

Snacks and candies in Japan come in a wide range of flavor variations inspired by traditional, regional, and seasonal ingredients. The easy portability of Japanese snacks allows people to enjoy big flavors anywhere and/or on the go. Japanese snacks are so appealing because there is truly something for everyone thanks to the wide variety of textures and flavors, like Japanese sweets. Japanese snacks are confectionery that can be purchased for a small fee. It is estimated that there are over 2,000 Japanese original snack foods and over 100 new snack foods created in Japan. Japanese snacks are sold in almost every type of shop in Japan every year, including convenience stores, large shopping malls, and supermarkets. Japan has developed some of the most intriguing snack foods in the world over the years. Japan is basically the mad scientist of the snack world because the flavor combinations defy logic and the cuteness is off the charts. Eating delicious Japanese candy and snacks is like getting a taste of Japan in just one bite!

What is the history of Japanese Snacks

Originally, in the Edo Period, Dagashi (old Japanese confectionery) was made with grains and thick malt syrup, eaten as a snack by ordinary people and called "ichimon gashi" (one coin confectionery) because of its low price. In some local domains, when stored 'hoshi ii' (dried boiled rice) was disposed of, it was used to make dagashi, which soon became established as traditional local food and which is still sold today. In particular, Sendai Domain, Aizu Domain, Shonai Domain, and Nanbu Domain were well known for this. Dagashi was named to mark the contrast with "jogashi", which were snacks of higher quality, and in the Kansai area, dagashi are also called "zatsugashi" (miscellaneous confectionery). Dagashi ingredients were limited back then, and the use of expensive refined sugar was prohibited. The phrase 'the sweetness of dried persimmons' is associated with traditional dagashi and is thought to be period appropriate.

Discover these traditional and modern Japanese flavors with a tasty sweet or savory snack and discover why Japanese sweets and snacks are so popular.

Examples of Traditional Japanese Snacks

Karinto

Karinto is a traditional snack in Japan that is deep fried and coated in brown sugar. Other flavors are available, but the most common are these brown sugar varieties, which resemble something you'd find floating in an unflushed toilet. Karinto can be found for a low price almost anywhere. This is a classic example of Japanese junk food, consisting of fried doughnut-style batter loaded with fat and sugar. By any stretch of the imagination, these are not low-calorie traditional Japanese snacks.

Kempi

Kempi is another Japanese traditional snack food, which as you can see are strips of candied sweet potato, resembling french fries in appearance, but are hard and sugary sweet in taste. Kempi is cut lengthwise to give it a satisfying crunchy texture, and salt is added as an accent. The umami of salt enhances the sweetness of the potato, which is made more savory by slow frying. They are thicker than chips, and each piece has a strong presence.

Agemochi

Agemochi is made from fried mochi (sticky rice). This dry mochi snack food is broken into small pieces, about 1 cm cubed, and deep fried. Agemochi is usually either crunchy or crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.

Arare

Arare is a type of bite-sized Japanese cracker made from glutinous rice and flavored with soy sauce. Arare has almost become a snacking staple in Hawaii. Arare is also known as mochi crunch or kakimochi. It is a salty crunch made from sticky rice and doused in soy sauce.

Monaka

Monaka is a Japanese traditional sweet made of azuki bean jam filling sandwiched between two thin crisp wafers made from mochi. Its simple process consists of mostly rice or mochi flour mixed with water and stretched into a thin dough. Then it is placed in a mold and baked, while afterward dough shells are filled with various sweet pastes.

Best Buy and Most Popular Modern Japanese Snacks

Pocky

Pocky, produced by Ezaki Glico, consists of chocolate-coated biscuit sticks with variations of strawberry, milk, green tea, honey, banana, and cookies and cream flavored coatings.

Green Tea KitKat

Green Tea Kit Kat is a chocolate-covered wafer biscuit bar with a Japanese green tea taste produced by Nestle. Kit Kats are very popular in different countries.

Caramel Corn

This is a Japanese snack food made by Tohato. It is a toasted crunchy corn cracker that tastes like caramele pop-corn.

Milky

Milky is a Japanese candy snack manufactured by Fujiya since 1951. It is milk taste soft candy. Famous Hokkaido milk is used in candy.

Hello Panda

This is a Japanese biscuit manufactured by Meiji Seika. Each biscuit consists of a small hollow shortbread layer, filled with either vanilla, strawberry, or chocolate filling.

Yanyan

Yan Yan is a snack food made by Meiji Seika. It comes in a package with two compartments. One side has biscuit sticks, and the other has chocolate, strawberry, or vanilla-flavored frosting used for dipping.

Green Tea Oreo

Green Tea Oreo is a sandwich cookie consisting of two chocolate wafers with a sweet Japanese green tea taste creme filling in between.

I'm not sure what to say if none of these delectable snacks made you hungry! Japan's wide variety of snacks continues to impress us, and snackmakers come up with new flavor ideas every year to keep snackers like us interested.

Where to get delicious Japanese candy and snacks that you can usually buy only in a Japan candy store?

Japanese snacks are very popular especially among tourists, as you will see many tourists buy tons of Japanese snacks and bring them back to their countries. Our cravings for Japanese rice crackers, Japanese candy, Japanese snacks, and more Japan goodies are really hard to satisfy especially when you're on the opposite side of the world from Japan. Nowadays, an online store is the best way to get the authentic Japanese snacks that customers are looking for. There are many other websites selling sweets and snacks from Japan that offers international shipping that you can choose from.

However, in Japan Crate, you will be provided with the best quality snacks of your choice when you get your monthly subscription box on this link. September is our 8th anniversary! So join in on our birthday celebrations, because this month's crate is bursting with some of our all-time favorite snacks, guest-sharing goodies, and candies that’ll be a blast to enjoy and get a true taste of the best OG Japan Crate snacks. Get to experience the fun and hassle-free purchasing and express shipping of your favorite snacks in the comfort of your home, now!