5 Unique Japanese Snacks Available at Japanese Convenience Stores
There are loads and loads of convenience stores in Japan. They offer a wide range of snacks from the orthodox ones to unusual Japanese ones. Here are 5 unique snacks you can buy at Japanese convenience stores and take home as gifts.
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1. Suppa Mucho Chips - Fresh Ume Flavor
"Suppa Mucho Chips - Fresh Ume Flavor" is a bag of potato chips with a fresh flavor of Ume (plum). The sour flavor of Umeboshi (dried plum), the soul food of the Japanese, will be refreshing. The combined sweetness of potato and condiments makes the sour taste milder. The light texture of thin slices is so addictive that you will be finishing the whole bag in one go. This unique chips will be a great gift for your friends and family back home.
2. Wasabeef
"Wasabeef" has been a long seller product since its release back in 1987. As the name of the product suggests, the flavor is the unlikely combination of delicious beef and Japan\'s unique condiment, Wasabi. The rich taste of beef with the accent of Wasabi is very, very addictive. With its cute looking package, it is a solid choice for your gift.
3. Jagarico - Tarako Butter Flavor
"Jagarico" is a snack popular for the concentrated umami flavor of potato and its tough texture. It is a stick-like potato snack and it is very easy to eat. There are a various flavors but the recommended is "tarako butter" flavor, which initially was sold only for a limited period of time but it was so popular that the snack company decided to make it a regular flavor. Tarako is a salted roe food made from cod. It is a very popular food in Japan often eaten with rice or used for a pasta sauce. The combination of the salty taste of tarako and the rich flavor of butter is second to none, and is a must-try!
4. KOIKEYA PRIDE POTATO - Mushroom Flavored Salt
"KOIKEYA PRIDE POTATO" is a high quality chips made 100% from domestically produced potato. There are 3 flavors; "Mushroom Flavored Salt", "Secret Recipe Salt and Nori", and "Delicious Wagyu Beef" and these were so popular that they had to temporary stop selling them because the production couldn\'t keep up. All 3 flavors are good, but "Mushroom Flavored Salt" would be an ideal choice for your gift from Japan. The umami of seaweeds and skipjacktuna flakes together with the Matsutake flavor. Matsutake is considered a luxurious food and using it as a flavor for a snack was ground-breaking. The tastes of the ingredients are made even better with blended salt with 3 kinds of salts. Enjoy its elegant taste.
5. Umai Bo
Since its release in 1979, "Umai bo" has been loved by people from all generations. Its cheap price (10 JPY (excl. tax) for 1) and stick-like shape of the snack is the key to the never fading success. It is a corn snack with a whole bunch of different flavors such as cheese, teriyaki hamburger, and some unique Japanese flavors like takoyaki, yakitori, and salted beef tongue. For your gifts, very addictive "Umai bo mentai (spicy pollack roe) flavor" and unique Japanese traditional food "Umai bo natto (fermented soybeans) flavor" are the most recommended.
That\'s the list! There are a whole lot more of unique snacks in Japan. The prices are generally in the range of 100 to 150 JPY. Found the snacks you like and take them home with you!
The information in this article is accurate at the time of publication.