10 Japanese Snacks to Stay Toasty

When you’re snowed in and stuck at home, there are many ways to pass the time. Bingeing your favorite television shows, learning a new skill, and, of course, one of our favorites: munching away on delicious snacks! If you’re hungry, hunker down with some of our winter favorites below. These are just a few of the snacks you can try in our Japanese snack boxes!

1. Spicy Mini Heart Senbei

Keep the cold away with mini heart-shaped rice crackers that are bursting with spices! These senbei rice crackers may be bite-sized, but they’re big on flavor, made with mustard, seaweed, goma (black sesame), and chili powder. Tiny and perfect for sharing, these mini senbei are sure to warm up your stomach and your heart!

2. Black Sesame Taiko: Kumamon Design

Speaking of goma, another winter snack we love is this black sesame snack brought to you by the beloved bear mascot, Kumamon! Black sesame has many uses in Japanese cuisine, and not just as a garnish, but even in desserts like pudding and ice cream! Black sesame is loved for its fragrant, nutty flavor, and it pairs well with almonds in these crunchy, sweet discs.

3. Gudetama Golden Pack: Tamago Kake Gohan

Japan loves mascot characters like Kumamon, and Gudetama is another favorite, famous even outside of Japan because of his relatable laziness! It only makes sense to recommend him with one of Japan’s comfort foods: tamago kake gohan, which is literally “egg over rice.” Tamago kake gohan is a pretty typical Japanese breakfast, where a raw egg is cracked into a hot bowl of rice and mixed in with soy sauce for flavor. Try out the delicious combination of egg and soy sauce in these fluffy rice puff sticks!

4. Hokkaido White Raspberry

The northernmost and second largest of Japan’s main islands, Hokkaido is famous for its powdery white snow, fresh produce, and dairy products. In fact, Hokkaido produces more than 50% of Japan’s dairy products! Milk from this region is famous for being extra creamy, and it is incorporated in many sweets Hokkaido is known for, including white chocolate. The Hokkaido White Raspberry is made with a crisp rye cookie covered in smooth white chocolate and dried raspberries for a sweet contrast of sweet and tart flavors.

5. Funwari Meijin Mochi Puffs: Kinako Flavor

We love mochi puffs all year round, but especially in the winter because they’re as fluffy and airy as freshly fallen snow! The kinako(roasted soybean flavor) is a Bokksu fan-favorite, with some describing it as a peanut-butter-like flavor, but better! We also recommend the creamy Hokkaido milk flavor, which feels like a cloud melting in your mouth.

6. Sapporo Okaki Oh! Yaki Toubiki

Hailing from Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaido, comes this tasty corn snack! Corn is a top crop from Hokkaido, and the toubiki varietyis loved for its sweetness, boasting a sugar content even higher than melon! Each Sapporo Okaki bag contains dried toubiki corn mixed with okaki rice crackers flavored with soy sauce.

7. Fried Butter Corn

There’s nothing like hot corn on the cob slathered in butter, and this bag of fried corn kernels is an umami-packed experience! Buttermilk and soy sauce are added to the corn for a mouth-watering experience. You won’t be able to eat one kernel at a time!

8. Jaga Pokkuru

Another one from Hokkaido? This is the last one on this list, we promise, but Hokkaido seriously is an agricultural powerhouse! Who can resist buttery potato crisps that taste just like a fresh order of french fries? Jaga Pokkuru are lightly salted, with each fry consistently crispy. Try it out for yourself and see why this is one of the most popular souvenir snacks from Hokkaido!

9. Golden Sweet Potato Cake

We sing about chestnuts roasting on an open fire, but what about sweet potato? Come fall and winter in Japan, it’s not uncommon to see food stalls pop up around tourist attractions to sell hot sweet potatoes, which many visitors buy to keep their hands warm and their tummies full. You’ll feel that same warmth right when you open one of these Golden Sweet Potato Cakes, as you’ll be enveloped in its buttery aroma complemented with cinnamon and rum.

10. Hoshino Hojicha Latte

Many people know matcha, but have you tried hojicha? Hojicha is another type of green tea with a distinct toasty flavor that is often described as nutty and caramel-like. Sounds like the perfect tea to pair with many of our snack box items! Pour one of these packets into a cup, add hot water, and enjoy an instant hojicha latte!

Just because you can’t get out of the house because of the snow, doesn’t mean you can’t experience food from all over the world! With monthly subscription boxes from Bokksu you won’t run out of tasty treats in the winter!