6:12 PM

Why Are Japanese Snacks Addicting?

Ha! Ever wonder why are Japanese snack foods so addicting?


Well it sure isn't their loads of high fructose corn syrup, or their huge sizes. Every thing here lacks a lot of sugar, & is usually more of a rice based bland sugar or real sugar. And nothing comes in even an American size serving...except the occasional American made candy bar, if you are lucky.

Go to a restaurant & your Pepsi is most likely going to be spiked with some sort of citrus flavoring to "enhance" your well-being. However, I am certain that it is to make up for the lack of sugar in the drink.

So as the article points out, "One of the ways that Japanese snack makers keep consumers coming back for more is by including 'rare characters' in random packages." Now there is a concept that you never would see Americans getting hooked on. Looking for characters in our snacks but having to eat multiple packages in hope to find the one odd one? Right, our attention span would have given up after the first few packages & when we saw there was no real "prize" in finding this rare character, we would eventually want our bad high fructose corn syrup filler back.

However, I must say, in Japan, being around others, old & young, this has started to rub off. Along with so many odd flavors that you can't find in the States, eventually you learn to live without the sugar & enjoy just trying new & random little treats in cute packaging...when you can get to them. Sometimes you have to beat off the children to even get close to the snacks "aisle".

*For those who live here or get these fun little snacks in care packages sent back to the States this article points out to look for:

  • A Heart Shaped Pinky
  • A Koala No March koala WITH eyebrows
  • Apollo with reversed colors (brown top, read bottom)...that is the pink strawberry things in the upper right corner of the photo
  • Penguin shaped Ottotto

Now who is paying that much attention to their food?

1 comments:

Anonymous said...

OOOHH Amy,

Melinda sends my kids all those snacks. My kids LOVE the Koala cookies. I love reading your blog. You are so funny!

Jen Mays