Final post for this mini travel series will be dedicated to some notable snacks that I've purchased during this trip. I confess I'm a bit crazy about convenience stores in Japan (e.g. Family Mart, Lawsons...)- I would walk into almost every store I pass by, partly because it is so warm and nice inside but mostly because I'm always fascinated with the variety of products and snacks available!
1) Pocky
Pocky is a flavour-coated biscuit stick which is a really popular snack. I love the variety of Pocky flavours available- and the new, seasonal flavours are always a surprise (in terms of quirky flavours) and so yummy.
When in Japan, get their specialty matcha flavoured snacks! The
Uji Matcha Pocky I bought are matcha flavoured biscuit sticks covered in chocolate and almond toppings. An irresistible treat for matcha and chocolate lovers.
Pocky Midi is the fatter, stubbier brother- it usually comes in shorter biscuit pieces with much thicker flavour coating- the winter strawberry special edition I got perfectly captured the sweet tartness of strawberry that goes so well with the chocolate biscuit.
Pocky is available in most convenience stores and pharmacies.
2) Collon
Yet another matcha flavoured confectionery! Collon is a biscuit snack with a cream core- a matcha flavoured one is more commonly found in Japan than elsewhere. Can be easily found in convenience stores.
3) Chocolates
There are many chocolates available in Japan!
Meltykiss only makes an appearance during the winter season- the chocolates do not do well in warm temperatures as they melt easily! Meltykiss is available in SG but some special flavours are not easily found- like the Bourbon one I spotted in a Family Mart.
Dars is also another chocolate bar snack with cream filling. Comes in various flavours, but being a green tea lover, I got the Uji Matcha version.
There also more "premium" chocolates available- like this Meiji Branded "The Chocolate" made of dark chocolate and comes with really fancy packaging.
4) KIT KAT!
I literally go crazy for Kit Kat and the many Japanese inspired flavours available. Kit Kats are mainly sold in souvenir shops and the airport, especially those special flavoured ones. Special flavours are specific to each region and are unlikely to be found in other regions of Japan. For the Kansai region the most commonly found flavours are
Uji Matcha (Kyoto), Hojicha (Kyoto) and Kobe Pudding (Kobe). They can be found in Osaka and Kyoto, in souvenir shops at attractions or JR stations. A tip for buying Kit Kat- purchase them at
Don Quijote (branches all over Japan, some even open 24 hours) or the
Airport where you can get tax free!
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| Uji Matcha flavour- rich green tea flavour |
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| Hojicha flavour- or roasted green tea. I really love how fragrant the Kit Kats are! |
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I'm not a big fan of the Kobe pudding flavour- a bit too sweet for me so I did not buy those Kit Kats this time. Below are some other flavours that are not specific to Kansai area, but I managed to snag them at the Kansai Airport Duty Free shops:
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| Hokkaido Red Bean flavour- which surprisingly tasted so good as a chocolate, red bean flavoured biscuit confectionery. |
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| Wasabi flavoured Kit Kats??!!- You either love them or hate them. Specific to Shizuoka Prefecture. |
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| Strawberry Cheesecake??? Haven't tried this flavour before- can't bear to open its Mount Fuji shaped box. |
5) Ice Cream
I usually take a peek at the ice cream counters at convenience stores and I'm always surprised by the flavours I can find. I wanted to try the
Royce Ice Dessert but I was too full from my heavy ramen meal to stomach any more. Would expect the dessert to be as rich and decadent as the chocolates produced by Royce!
You will also notice various seasonal and Japanese flavoured Haagen Dazs ice cream but perhaps the weirdest are these vegetable flavoured Haagen Dazs ice cream. Takes eating vegetables to a whole new enjoyable level.
6) Crackers
I don't know how Japanese taste engineers do it, but they've managed to capture the taste of Okonomiyaki in a stick. These delectable crunchy crackers really taste like the real deal. And the packaging is so cute- a must snack to bring home from Osaka.
I will leave you with something I found in a Family Mart:
OMG!
A BAYMAX TOFU PUDDING! It looks so so cute, I can't bear to eat it.
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