The Ultimate Guide to Japanese Snacks in Anime

If you’re an anime fan, you’ve probably found yourself craving some of the delicious Japanese snacks in anime that your favorite characters enjoy in each episode. There are a lot of great Japanese snacks and drinks portrayed in anime, and some become even more popular because of anime. The only thing that could make your anime marathon better is to have some of these snacks to enjoy yourself! Here are some popular snacks that you’ve probably seen in anime and where to get them!

Most Popular Anime Foods: Ramen

One Japanese food that has been popularized by anime is ramen. This is mostly thanks to the anime Naruto, where the title character expresses his love for the dish and can often be found in a local ramen shop enjoying a hot bowl of ramen. The word naruto is also the name of a cured fish ramen topping that has a unique pink swirl. Ramen has become popular enough that you can find ramen shops in some American cities and you can usually pick up instant ramen noodle packets in local grocery stores. If you want to try some more interesting flavors, consider trying some of Bokksu’s ramen cups!

Softy Anime Snacks Shakugan no Shana: Melon Pan

Melon pan is another familiar anime Japanese snack. It is a type of sweet bread with grooves that resemble a melon, but it typically does not have any melon flavor. Melon pan has a crisp cookie dough crust and a fluffy inside, and many Japanese people eat it as a snack or as a whole meal when in a rush. Melon pan can be seen most prominently in the anime Shakugan no Shana, where the main character Shana enjoys it as a breakfast food. Melon pan is typically found in Japanese bakeries, but if you can’t visit a bakery, try making it yourself! Bokksu has a simple melon pan recipe that you can customize with different flavors and toppings.

Most Famous Anime Japanese Snacks: Taiyaki 

Taiyaki is a snack that shows up often in anime, and it’s easy to see why. The cute fish-shaped cakes translate well to animation and are an easily recognizable treat. Taiyaki is made of a pancake-like batter filled with sweet red bean paste. You may have noticed it in anime like Kannon and My Hero Academia. Taiyaki are traditionally sold at food stands in Japan, but you can find strawberry and chocolate mousse filled versions of taiyaki on Bokksu! The recipe for taiyaki is fairly simple, so you can also try making the classic version yourself!

The Sweet and Chewy Snack in Anime: Dango

Dango is another Japanese candy that is perfect for anime. Dango is similar to mochi, and is a chewy and sweet rice flour ball. Dango are often served on skewers, and one of the most popular types of dango is hanami dango, which is a skewer consisting of pink, white, and green dango enjoyed during cherry blossom viewings in Japan. Dango is a prominent snack in the anime Clannad, which even has an ending theme song about dango featuring dango with cute faces. If you want to try this snack yourself, you can find it on Bokksu as well! The Mocchan Dango Mochi is inspired by hanami dango and features three different flavors.

The Fluffy and Filling Bread in Anime: Anpan

Anpan is a sweet bun filled with red bean paste. This popular Japanese snack can be found in many anime, but the most notable is the children’s anime Soreike! Anpanman. In this anime, the main character is a superhero with an anpan head who fights crime. Bokksu offers traditional anpan as well as some unique flavors like chocolate and matcha!

The Savory and Fun Octopus Balls in Anime: Takoyaki

Takoyaki is very popular in Japan, so naturally it has been featured in many anime. Takoyaki translates to octopus balls, and it is essentially delicious octopus covered in batter and fried with different toppings and sauces. You may have spotted takoyaki in an episode of Assassination Classroom where Korosensei cooks it for his students. It was also featured in an anime from the 1990’s called Takoyaki Mantoman about a group of takoyaki that fights crime. Takoyaki can be difficult to find outside of Japan, but Bokksu’s Takoyaki Tei Corn Puffs perfectly capture the flavors of takoyaki and are a delicious way to experience them!

Whether an anime features sweet or savory Asian snacks, it’s hard to avoid getting some serious cravings. With Bokksu Boutique the next time you’re watching your favorite anime, you don’t have to dream about trying the delicious Japanese snacks they have—you can enjoy them too!