Cutest Snacks and Best Food Souvenirs From Japan

You probably heard or searched online. Many suggested almost the same food souvenirs; KitKats with strawberry and green tea flavor, Umaibo, Meiji, Pocky and others. In fact, we have Isetan, Don Don Donki, Japan Home, Takashimaya and Daiso in Singapore. I didn't mean not to buy those food items especially you visit Japan for the first time or those are your favourite snacks you have been craving for. After all, we should buy what we like and I would like to recommend other official souvenirs of Japanese iconic delicacies. 

1. Tokyo Banana

I would buy Tokyo Banana whenever I visited Japan. Some from my social circle thought Tokyo Banana was similar to Twiggles and it was not worth to buy. Twiggles texture is firm, no design and too sweet. Well, Singaporeans love Tokyo Bananas. Girls like kawaii stuffs including food. It's quite pricey to use it for souvenirs. Let's do a simple calculation here. We have immediate family members, relatives, friends and colleagues. There are only 4-12 pieces in each box. Buying chocolates, potato chips and other snacks are more economical. Here are my collections of Tokyo Banana:

Tokyo Banana Sakura is designed with full blooming sakura with banana shake flavour. The taste is quite similar to the original Tokyo Banana Miisuketa, which is filled with banana custard cream. The filling is made of banana puree. After baking, banana cake is steamed to bring out a spongy and soft consistency. I tried many sponge cakes at bakery stalls. They are firm and sweetness is either too sweet or bland. 

Tokyo Banana Sakura
4 pieces for 560yen and 8 pieces for 1,080yen

It's too cute that you can't eat it! 

Tokyo Banana Strawberry Cake

Tokyo Banana Strawberry
4 pieces for 560yen and 8 pieces for 1,080yen

Tokyo Banana Giraffe. I named it 'giraffe' because brown patches look like giraffe's skin. There is also a white giraffe sign printed on the plastic. The Japanese banana-shape sponge cake is filled with banana caramel custard cream. The flavour is stronger than original Tokyo Banana. 

Tokyo Banana Giraffe
4 pieces for 560yen and 8 pieces for 1,080yen

I am a big fan of Tokyo Banana. I looked at it again and massaged the cake lightly but it was too cute to be eaten. It is round in shape and the color combinations is eye catching.

Tokyo Banana Heart is the best gift for your sweetheart, girlfriend or wife. Brown and pink hearts were baked on a soft, milky sponge cake. Custard banana was filled with a subtle maple flavour. This is an easy way to make your female colleagues and friends smile by giving her one Tokyo Banana Heart as your Japan souvenir. You may also buy to pamper yourself. Give yourself a treat!

Tokyo Banana Heart
4 pieces for 560yen and 8 pieces for 1,080yen

So many heart shapes

Finally, I can touch the cake. It's too kawaii that I can't bite and break into pieces. 

Tokyo Banana Racco design is inspired by a kawaii, fluffy floating sea otter. It is a soft, sponge cake encasing banana cream added with coffee flavour. From my point of view, coffee taste is the best and the design is the cutest of them all. I bought 8 pieces because of the packaging is nicer compared to four pieces value pack. Although I finished eating Racco, I kept the wrap for a month before I throw away!

Tokyo Banana Racco Coffee Milk Flavor
4 pieces for 515yen and 8 pieces for 1,080yen

Each Tokyo Banana Racco was sealed in a smaller plastic printed with a red ribbon on top as if the otter was wearing a ribbon around its head. 

Tokyo Banana filled with caramel cream is another design for Tokyo Banana. I can't differentiate the taste with other designs. 

Tokyo Banana is available at the airports, train stations, shops and department stores. I reckon you to buy at Tokyo Station, more central. I went to several places that didn't sell all types of Tokyo Banana.

2. Green Tea

Drinking green tea is very healthy. It has anti-aging effect and prevents high blood pressure. Green tea is the best souvenir for elderly, seniors and people who like tea because you won't be able to find green tea with strong taste and fragrant here. 

Kyoto originates green tea products

I bought three packs of green tea from "Iyemon" in Kyoto station. "Iyemon" is Japanese green tea product made from a Kyoto green tea company. Fukujuen is a long established store selling green tea in Kyoto. There are several types of green tea according to the quality of tea leaves, how strong the taste of green tea and mixture with roasted brown rice. I chose green leaves types, which are more fragrant than macho (powdered green tea).



3. Calbee

Jagarico is Japanese potato sticks stuffed in a cup. I bought 4 cups of Jagarico from a neighbourhood supermarket in Koto; dark green (salad), light green (meat and potato stew), red (cheese) and pink (Tarako butter). All taste decent. I also randomly chose 12 different flavours of Calbee packs of sticks or chips. They sell more flavours than what I brought back home except spicy one display on Sheng Siong's and NTUC's shelves. I like the vegetable and prawn flavours, which are available in Singapore. Pizza flavour is not nice at all. Being a fair blogger, this is my unbiased reviews. 

I was regret that I didn't bring enough luggage to buy more Japanese food, toys, bags and accessories! I restrained myself from shopping too much. I went to one of Calbee branch at Shinsaibashi shop in Osaka. There were unlimited flavour, shapes and even colours of Calbee snacks. Soft toys and stationeries were also available. 

 



Umaibo or a puffed corn stick is additively delicious. There are many flavours but corn potage flavour tastes the best. Don Don Donki is selling Umaibo in ample supply. I suggest you not to buy in Japan because it's cheap and bulky. Better safe more luggage space to buy other necessary souvenirs. 



4. Japanese Rice Crackers


Senbei or Japanese rice crackers are common and popular in Eastern Asia and Australia. There are many different sizes, shapes and flavours available in the supermarket. It's recommended to eat with green tea as a casual healthy snack. I tried new flavour, wasabi senbei but it was too spicy for me. I preferred traditional versions coated with sesame, seaweed, curry or brushed with soy sauce flavour. 

I bought two packs of senbei, all seaweed and mixed snacks. In the mixed snacks pack, there was a huge range of Japanese rice crackers assortments. There were curry, matcha green tea, sesame seed, seaweed, sweet, cheesy and salty. Senbei originally from Japan are more crispy and harder than local products. I preferred crunchy but not too hard to chew. 


5. Royce

It is high-class confectionery chocolate brands like Godiva. Royce made high-quality chocolates. There are wide range of chocolate products such as Nama chocolate, potato chocolate, chocolate ice cream and chocolate bars. It seems Nama chocolate is the most popular product among travelers and ubiquitous in many countries. Royce Nama Chocolate is rich with delicate milk chocolate with smooth cream that melt in your mouth in one bite. It costs around 800 yen a box. Each box contains 20 pieces of chocolates. In Singapore, they sell $15 a pack. It's cheaper to buy in Japan. They are available in department stores and airports. My favourite flavours are Au Lait (dark blue box), White (sky blue), Maccha (light green) and champagne (dark green). Au Lait has strong chocolate taste. It tastes like heaven. Mild cacao (brown) has typical taste of chocolate bar like Cadbury. 

6. Japanese Cooking Condiments

These are good souvenirs for your wife, mother, grandmother or mother-in-law. For creative cooking, you may buy at groceries stores and supermarkets in Japan. There are more variety of  Japanese cooking condiments available. During my Japan trip, I bought hijiki, oden stock and miso soup paste. Hijiki is a black or brown seaweed growing wild on rocky coastlines around Japan. Hijiki is one of the healthiest diet among Japanese. It contains vitamins, iron, calcium and dietary fibre. The calcium level in Hijiki is higher than milk. Hijiki is sold in dry and shredded form. You can mix hijiki with rice and add some sesame or other ingredients to enhance the taste of your dish. Oden is Japanese fish cake stew. It is a one-pot dish of fishcake, fish balls, hard-boiled egg, daikon, fried tofu puff and some vegetables. To make a delicious oden, you need to buy a special Japanese soup for oden or sweet miso soup. You can also cook steamboat using miso paste for soup.

Miso soup base

I will write my next post about inedible cute souvenirs that I have seen in Japan.