Japanese snacks will be your new choice in case you are willing to take a risk and change all the rules in the snacks game. A quick scroll through https://shopjapantastic.com/product-category/food/japanese-snacks/ and you’ll see what I mean. It is a new world of tastes, textures and mixes that may likely shatter your mind. These snacks are not just sweet, but also spicy, and not in a way that you would like.

Take, for example, Pocky. You might have heard of it. It is a basic idea; chocolate-dipped biscuit sticks. But do not mistake its simplicity. Japanese versions are available in wide range of flavors: matcha (green tea) and strawberry cheesecake. Every bite makes you think you are trying something new, it is light, crunchy, and with the right amount of sweetness. It is not a typical snack and it is quite simple to become addicted to it.

Now we shall discuss the salt side of the things. Seaweed chips, anyone? They are strange, though I can assure you, they are addictive. The salty and mildly umami taste along with the crunch of a chip makes it a snack that is not in the ordinary but strikes all the right chords. At first I was skeptical, but in the course of the first handful of them I was unable to stop. And that is only half of the iceberg. Everything including wasabi-flavored peanuts, rice crackers, which have been kissed by the sea is also present.

But the most fun part? Experiencing things you could have never imagined to like. I recently unzipped a pack of shrimp chips (yes, with the flavor of shrimp in it) and was ready to dislike it. Two chips in, I was hooked. This comes as a surprise pleasure that makes Japanese snacks great. You have an idea of what is going to happen, but then–whip, wham–you are struck with a taste combination that is not only weird, but weirdly good.

Let’s not forget the candy. The Japanese candy does not only depend on sugar. It almost seems that its flavours are more considerate, not as overwhelming. Take mochi for example. It is a soft and sticky rice dough that is stuffed with sweet fillings such as red bean paste, strawberry, or matcha cream. The bites are all soft pillows, fruity, chewies. And the candy which chews as you gnash. Like a magic in your mouth.

And by the way, the fun does not end with the flavours. The packaging is a experience of its own. The snacks are wrapped in a mini work of art. The use of bright colors, adorable designs and even the manner in which everything is structured makes one feel that they are not simply eating, but they are unwrapping something special. I think it is a mini party each time I open a bag of snacks that is made in Japan.

The thing is, the Japanese snacks are more of the experience than the taste. It is the trip, a snack at a time. It can be as simple as putting your toes into the water with something you are well known with or it can be a great plunge into the water and try flavors you never knew existed. And by the way–how unusual is it that you are able to dine so differently that it is like a slight adventure? That is the charisma of Japanese snacks. It is not so much about eating but about finding new flavours, new textures and new snacks.

Therefore, next time you are in the mood to change your snacking habit, you do not need to be afraid to do something different. It is quite possible that you will find yourself more actively seeking that wasabi almonds or that strawberry mochi than you may think. And the best part? It’s all just a click away.