Japanese Snacks

Cute and Tasty Japanese Snacks
Japanese snacks are confectionery that can be bought for a small amount of money. It is said that there are more than 2,000 Japanese original snack foods, and more than 100 new snack foods newly created in Japan. every yearJapanese snacks are sold in almost every kind of shops in Japan, includes convenience stores (Seven Eleven, Lawson, Family Mart, etc.), large shopping malls and supermarkets. Over the years, Japan has come out with some of the most interesting snack foods ever encountered. The flavor combinations defy reason and the cuteness is off the charts, so Japan is basically like the mad scientist of the snack world. Nowadays, Japanese snacks are very popular especially among tourists, as you will see many tourists buy tons of Japanese snacks and bring them back to their countries.

History of Japanese Snack
Originally, in the Edo Period, Dagashi (old Japanese confectionery) was made with grains and thick malt syrup, eaten as a snack by ordinary people, and called "ichimon gashi" (one coin confectionery) because of its low price. In some local domains, when stored 'hoshi ii' (dried boiled rice) was disposed of, it was used to make dagashi, which soon became established as traditional local food and which is still sold today. In particular, Sendai Domain, Aizu Domain, Shonai Domain, and Nanbu Domain were well known for this. Dagashi was named to mark the contrast with "jogashi", which were snacks of a higher quality, and in the Kansai area dagashi are also called "zatsugashi" (miscellaneous confectionery). In those days the ingredients for dagashi were limited and the use of expensive refined sugar was prohibited. The phrase 'the sweetness of dried persimmons' is associated with traditional dagashi and it is considered to be reflective of the period. Most of the Japanese snack sold today can trace their origins back to the Meiji Period but many of them were developed after the Second World War; there are many kinds, which are made to be fun to choose and not to bore kids and even adults. Some of them contain a chance to win a small gift, and this is one of the reasons they are popular among kids.