Popular Japanese Convenience Store 7-Eleven Reveals Its Top 3 Snacks!

Recently, 7-Eleven Japan released a popularity ranking of their best selling products in their Seven Premium brand. In this article, we'll introduce the top 3 items in the snacks category so you can see which snacks are well loved by the Japanese!

■ 1st Place: Thick-Cut Baumkuchen Made With Hokkaido Milk / 324 Yen (Incl. Tax)

These thick-cut baumkuchen made with milk from Hokkaido took first place. Originally, it was sold under the name "Moist Thick-Cut Baumkuchen," but the recipe recently changed in April 2019. Besides the truly exquisite and delicious taste, its most distinguishing feature is that the cake is cut into large chunks and packaged individually.

There are 10 pieces in each bag. Unlike the typical ring-shaped baumkuchen, you can enjoy it a bit at a time since it's wrapped up piece by piece, and you don't have to worry about any leftovers drying up. With this, you can be reassured that the cake pieces stay moist and fresh no matter how much time passes.

As expected from an item with "thick-cut" in its name, each piece is quite large in size. We measured the slice to see just how big it was, and it turned out to be about 2.5cm in thickness, and about 4-5cm in length. They look like they were cut into large bite-sized pieces, but it might actually be a bit difficult to actually eat it all in one go.

However, if you look closer, you'll notice that there's a little cut in the center of the baumkuchen so that you can simply break it into two bite-size pieces. It's a very slight detail, but it really shows the high thought and consideration involved in the design of many Japanese products. It also makes for a great snack to share with your friends and family.

These baumkuchen are the perfect dessert to share with friends and family for an everyday snack or when you're feeling a bit peckish.

The cake has a strong, milky aroma, it's moist and smooth, and it doesn't feel too buttery or sweet. You'll feel pretty full after eating 2 or 3 of these!

It's good eating them just as is, but we looked around to see if there are other ways to enjoy it. After some trial and error, we found that fruit jam or dipping it in chocolate sauce was the best combination. Marmalade was especially delicious as the citrusy acid added a great touch. If you have the opportunity, you should definitely try it this way, too!

■ 2nd Place: Thick-Cut Potato Chips Seasoned with Ishigaki Salt / 213 Yen (Incl. Tax)

The Thick-Cut Potato Chips Seasoned With Ishigaki Salt ranked in at number two. You can enjoy the pure delicious taste of potatoes with the defining touch of salt from Ishigaki Island in Okinawa. It has an amazing texture as it's thicker than your average potato chip, 

It's a large party sized bag filled with 150g of chips in each bag. It might be a bit much for eating on your own, but you could really enjoy it with your friends and family.

Each chip is really big and thick. There are grooves cut into its service, and salt and other seasonings can stick to it very well with the elevated texture.

While it's a classic salt flavor, it's also made with kombu (seaweed) powder and yeast, so rather than just a simple salt flavor, it might be more accurate to describe it as a "salt flavor with a umami-packed punch." This deep, savory umami flavor makes it a truly special item.

With a slightly large amount per bag, it's difficult to finish it off in one sitting, but try it with some chocolate sauce! The combination of lightly salty flavors and the sweetness from the chocolate come together for an amazing, addictive taste! You can enjoy it almost as if it's a sweet dessert - just drizzle a little over it when you want to change up the flavors.

Each bag comes with 150g and it only costs 213 yen (incl. tax). Considering the price and how much you're getting, this might just be the reason for how it got ranked so highly!

■ 3rd Place: Chocolate Peanuts / 108 Yen (Incl. Tax)

And in third place is the Chocolate Peanuts, roasted peanuts covered in chocolate. Chocolate peanuts have been loved by Japanese people since they were young, so chocolate and peanuts is a sure-fire combination for the Japanese.

Each 75g package contains around 11-12 bite-sized chocolate peanuts. Since the chocolate is laid out on a tray and can't be resealed, you either have to finish it once you open it or you may want to keep them in the fridge.

A large peanut is stuffed inside smooth chocolate that melts in your mouth. The peanuts and chocolate balance each other out very well, and as soon as you put in your mouth, you'll find yourself reaching for another immediately! It's so delicious, you won't be able to stop.

It also is a great side dish to alcohol. We found that it particularly goes well with whisky (Jim Beam to be more exact). Peanuts and chocolate take the flavors and aroma of the whisky to another level. It only costs 108 yen, so you'll easily be able to enjoy it in a variety of situations, such as with alcohol or when you're craving something sweet.

■ They're All Great for Sharing!

Lastly, here at tsunagu Japan, we analyzed the three items introduced in this article for the reason for their popularity as follows:

・Easy to share with others
・Very cost effective - delicious and large in quantity
・Classic sweets that Japanese people are familiar with

In recent years, the best-selling products are leaning towards individually packaged party-size items that are great for sharing. Cost effectiveness is also very important, and it makes sense that cheap and large quantity items sell well. Classic items also do well, as many people reach for them as a safe choice that is sure to be delicious. What will be in store for the Seven Premium sweets rankings in 2020? We can't wait to see what the results will be!

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