10 Awesome Japanese Snacks You’ve Probably Never Heard Of But Need To Try Right Now!

Japanese snacks are a delicious and intriguing fusion of Eastern and Western culture, and whilst most of us are familiar with brands like Pocky and have seen the unusual flavored Kit-Kats, there are so many other wonderful snacks that you probably haven’t discovered yet if you have never visited Japan.

For those of you looking for a satisfying and authentic experience, Japanese Taste has done the hard work for you and rounded up 10 of the best Japanese sweet and savory snacks you should try:

More info: japanesetaste.com

The most savory and most satisfying of all the snacking options. A perfect corn snack with a bite that's crunchy on the outside and has a wonderfully hearty flavor on the inside. Umaibo means “delicious stick” in Japanese, and you can buy this snack in many flavors from cheese to chocolate!

Karinto is a popular sweet Japanese snack food made from wheat flour which is deep-fried and traditionally covered in brown sugar. Other variations available to purchase include flavors such as honey, chocolate, and sweet potato. In Japan, karinto are so popular you can even find specialist karinto stores that make unusually flavored karinto such as yuzu, coffee, and burdock root, as well as seasonal versions including sakura (cherry blossom) flavor during springtime.

In Japan, Ramune is a popular carbonated beverage. The drink is traditionally sold in a glass bottle, which has been sealed with a marble. Once the marble is removed from the opening of the bottle, the soda will then burst forth and foam up. These fizzy sweets have the same taste like the traditional citrus-tasting Japanese soda.

Hoshigaki, or dried persimmons as we know them in English, are a popular seasonal Japanese snack food made primarily during the autumn months. Originally from China, persimmons, known as kaki in Japanese, are commonly found in Japan and Korea and make for a sweet, natural snack in their dried form. In Japan, hoshigaki are said to bring good luck and are often eaten on New Year’s Day

Big Katsu are a popular kind of breaded fish snack. They are a type of Japanese dagashi - low-priced candies aimed at kids and are similar to penny candies or sweets that you can find in countries like the USA or UK. Dagashi are usually priced between 10 yen and 100 yen each and are easily recognizable for their colorful packaging featuring cute mascots, making them more appealing to children.

Taiyaki is a popular street food snack that you can find throughout Japan, particularly at festivals during the summertime. It is a small waffle-like snack shaped like a fish and is normally filled with sweet ingredients such as red bean paste, custard, and chocolate.

Kaki no tane is a type of small rice cracker made from mochi rice whose name means ‘persimmon seed’ in English due to their orange seed-like appearance. A popular beer snack that is salty and spicy in taste, it's often sold in a mixture with peanuts called kakipi.

Daifuku is a very popular kind of Japanese sweet snack made from mochi. Mochi is an ancient Japanese dessert made of rice flour called mochigome. Mochi dough forms the outer layer of daifuku, which is usually filled with a whole strawberry and something sweet such as chocolate ganache or red bean paste.

These crunchy and delicious Japanese potato chips come in a stick form and are packaged up in fun instant noodle style cups. Some of the most popular flavors include Hokkaido Butter - flavored with high-quality Japanese butter from Hokkaido, salad flavor with ingredients such as carrots and parsley, and a cheese version flavored with cheddar and camembert cheese.

Tokyo Banana are cream filled cakes sold in Tokyo and one of Japan’s most popular souvenir items. These light and fluffy steamed sponge cakes are filled with a banana custard cream made from banana puree and have a soft texture. They are the official souvenir of Tokyo, and if you ever visit you can find long lines of people waiting to purchase Tokyo Banana cakes in the airport upon departure!