Häagen-Dazs Soybean Flour Brown Sugar Mochi Ice Cream (Hanamochi): The ice cream aisle in Japan consists largely of individual single-serving sized portions (kiddie-sized), whether for popsicles or regular ice cream. The most ubiquitous ice cream brand seems to be Häagen-Dazs, which has many exclusive Japanese flavors. Their Hanamochi series, originally introduced in 2015, features mochi-topped ice cream. The brown sugar soybean flour flavor I purchased has a peanut-colored powder that often coats traditional mochi treats. You ideally wait about 5 minut... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended icecream japanese coop hagendazs soybean flour brown sugar mochi ice cream (hanamochi) 4.0
Bandai Sumikkogurashi Taberareru Mascot: I stumbled upon these extraordinarily cute treats at my local Family Mart convenience store and couldn't resist getting this special Halloween offering. It came in the refrigerated aisle and features Sanrio characters from a series I'm unfamiliar with called Sumikkogurashi. Each character has a bean paste filling (according to the website, these two characters were milk and maple flavored) and the exterior is a slightly firmer but also generally soft marzipan-like coating. I've had this t... (read more) 3.0/5.0
familymart japanese bandai sumikkogurashi taberareru mascot 3.0
Akai Bonshi Coconut Choco Sand Cookies: When I first came to Japan, I was surprised to always see the word "Sand" on cookie products but realized that "sand cookies" are a basic type of thin cookie somewhere between shortbread and sugar. This bag contained three varieties of sandwich cookies: pineapple, mango, and banana, which have different creme fillings. They're all pleasantly tropical and are equally sweet and rich, with a toasted coconut coating. Purchased at Queens Isetan grocery store in Tokyo. 3.5/5.0
recommended akaibonshi coconut choco sand cookies 3.5 japanese queensisetan
Coop Ginger Ale: This small single-serving can comes from my local grocery store, Coop. From what I've experienced of ginger soda offerings in Japan, they tend to have a spicier ginger flavor and are less sweet than what you'd find on American supermarket shelves (like Canada Dry or Seagram's). That's perfect for me, as I like very gingery sodas. Even as a store-brand offering, this is a great quality ginger soda. According to Tasty Snacking archives, this is the 40th ginger soda that I've had, and it's d... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended coop japanese ginger ale 4.0
Frito Lay Pizza-La Ebimayo Chips: Pizza-La is a takeout pizza chain in Japan second in popularity only to Domino's. While I haven't actually had their pizza before, I have had pizza in Japan several times from chains like Pizza Hut, takeout at grocery stores, and acclaimed pizzeria restaurants, so I've experienced some of the regional specialties tailored to Japanese tastes. In particular, it's common to see mayonnaise drizzled across the top of pizza pies, giving the pizza a creamy, tangy, and sweet flavor (the sweetness ... (read more) 3.0/5.0
chips japanese fritolay pizza-la ebimayo 3.0 queensisetan
Kamakura Gelato Soymilk gelato: I went on a day trip to Kamakura, a city about an hour south of Tokyo, to visit several temples, and when it started raining, I ducked into a gelato shop that many Japanese people appeared to be enjoying, a short walk from the Hasedera temple. A scoop of soymilk gelato was a little over $3 USD and had a deep roasted flavor and dark beige color. The texture was smooth, the flavor more light than creamy. They had a lot of other entiching flavors I wish I could try, but a single cup was just ... (read more) 4.0/5.0
recommended gelato japanese kamakura kamakuragelato soymilk 4.0