Welcome back to the NYC Konbini Kitchen! We’re diving into the sweet side of the snack aisle to discover The Unexpected Sweetness of the Konbini Aisle.
Exploring Fruity Snack Combinations and Flavors
Today, we’re trying a few of my old favorites alongside some unique new finds. You might think “Japanese snacks” mean only chips or mochi, but this haul is packed with surprisingly fruity flavors: we have banana, apple, sweet potato, and yes, even chocolate treats! (Cacao is considered a fruit, so it definitely earns its spot in this sweet mix.)
Join us as we taste test some of Japan’s most inventive fruity and dessert-inspired snacks, all sourced from our local NYC konbini stops!
Strange and Wonderful: The Okashi na Banana Review
Lovely fresh banana flavor with an almost cake-like pastry smell when opening the bag. It tastes a lot like banana pudding.
I usually put these in the refrigerator when buying because otherwise the outer texture tends to get oily when left out on the counter in any kind of heat.
The verdict? Okashi na banana is sweet, with a delicious taste.
The banana pastries are soft, but not chewy. This Japanese snack is the perfect mix of banana pudding with a nice outer shell.
Is It Dessert? Potato Apple Pie Baked Wheat Cookie
This Japanese snack has white bean paste, sweet potato, and apple in it – it tastes like a freshly picked apple from a farm somewhere nice upstate here in New York.
The cookie is very soft, and broke apart when I attempted to cut it in half. It kind of smells like candy, too. It has a crumbly texture like a fresh soft-baked gooey cookie when biting and chewing, and a very distinct apple flavor.
The sweet potato isn’t as prominent, but I’m sure somehow it’s helping make it simply delicious!
(This pairs well with Royal Milk Tea).
Bourbon White Chocolate Biscuit and Bata Toast Cracker
I love Bourbon brand sweets and cookie treats; they are always a delight to eat. The characteristics of soft and flaky texture mixed with the distinctly rich but not overpowering chocolate were always my favorite thing to have after working shifts at the Japanese cultural center.
(I always got the mixed assortment bag).
These (obviously) smell like white chocolate, and the scent permeates through the plastic wrapping. There is a hint of soybean oil whole unwrapping that is hard to explain unless you’ve eaten a lot of fried or fresh-baked Japanese goods.
Very soft, delicately crumbly, and the cookies broke apart while trying to cut in half. They have a crunchy wafer exterior with a slightly bitter taste – this is where you could enjoy Pokka coffee or another brand with this snack, I guess.
There is a subtle white chocolate aftertaste in my mouth after consuming.
Tomato Harvest Bata Toast Wheat Cracker: These crackers taste just as the name illustrates – a simple wheat cracker with hints of tomato.
Although the tomato taste is a lot fresher than anything you’d find in an American supermarket, these are pretty average crackers that would be good when you want a snack, but are lacking any dips to accompany them.
Have you tried any of these fruity-flavored Japanese snacks before? If so, what is your favorite snack?
Leave your thoughts in the comment section below, I’d love to hear from you! Also be sure to follow us for more Japanese Snack reviews!
☆ In Asian Spaces ☆ Ephesians 6:12 ☆
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