Uegaki Beika Co Matcha Uguisu Balls: Uguisu Balls are a classic Japanese snack of bite-sized rice and wheat balls whose appearance is meant to mimic plum blossom buds. To me, they looked more like the shiny round acorns the two sisters chase after while exploring their new home at the beginning of Totoro. In this case, a sticky sugary coating envelops each piece, making it possible for green tea powder to stick to its surface. Slightly soft yet crunchy, sweet and bitter, this snack blends opposites to mixed success; the matcha... (read more) 2.5/5.0
tokyofishmarket matcha japanese uegakibeikaco uguisu balls 2.5
Wakabato Iso Hineri rice crackers: Thought I hadn't tasted this particular brand before, these seaweed-flavored rice crackers are a classic Japanese snack. The rice crackers have a braided texture and curled shape, almost like a tentacle, and are coated with a sweet and savory glaze speckled with nori. Addictive and well balanced, these are the rice crackers I most often crave. Purchased from Tokyo Fish Market. 4.0/5.0
recommended japanese nori ricecrackers tokyofishmarket wakabato iso hineri rice crackers 4.0
味自慢 木于卜饅頭: I treated myself to this unusual snack from the Japanese supermarket Tokyo Fish Market without knowing anything about what it was. Guided by just a few words of English, I understand that it's a wheat cake filled with a red bean paste dyed white and yellow and topped with black sesame seeds. Each cookie is generously sized, but at 235 calories each, you would hope so. The snack overall eats a tad dry and is best accompanied by milk (I imagine it would pair well with tea too). It's intere... (read more) 3.0/5.0
tokyofishmarket japanese redbean cake 木于卜饅頭 3.0
宮木製菓 Assorted rice crackers: Purchased from Tokyo Fish Market, this mix of glazed rice crackers and peanuts is very yummy, with a balanced savory sweet combination (but mostly sweet). My favorite is topped with a nori coating. It's like an Asian version of popcorn mix, but significantly better. 4.0/5.0
recommended japanese asian peanuts tokyofishmarket assorted rice crackers 4.0
鯛 Tai Arare: I purchased this snack from Tokyo Fish Market, a Japanese grocery store in Berkeley, hoping the fish-shaped crackers would be seafood flavored, as many Asian snacks are. The Chinese character on the packaging even literally translates to "red snapper" (though I have to admit that I had to use Google Translate to determine that). Despite the name and shape, the crackers are just regular glazed rice crackers – crunchy, sweeter than you would expect, but still with a savory soy aftertaste. A... (read more) 3.0/5.0
tokyofishmarket ricecrackers soy japanese tai arare 3.0