Halal food in Japan

1. Okaki

Most people have tried rice cake/crackers at least once before, right? If not, say hello to Okaki, made of glutinous rice that’s polished, steamed, left to dry and baked/fried to delicious goodness. Sounds simple but the process to producing Okaki can take up to 1 week to complete (Japanese and their pursuit of perfection ).

Head over to Hyobando, located behind Asakusa Kaminari-mon Gate and stock up on okaki or traditional Japanese rice crackers. Yummy flavours include seaweed, red pepper, wasabi and matcha  Wasabi is hands down the best seller – no surprises there!

Don’t be confused by okaki and senbei, though both are made from rice and both are crackers. The difference is that senbei is made from uruchimai, a non-glutinous rice. Texture wise, it would be different!

2. Kibi-dango

Ready for a fun story to accompany your meal? Once upon a time, an old woman went to the riverside to wash clothes. She then found a peach on the river. She took it home to show her husband. At home, she tried to cut the peach in half but suddenly, a boy came out! They called the boy Momotaro. Momotaro grew up strong, powerful, and kind. One day Momotaro heard about the ogres on Onigashima (Ogres’ Island) and decided to fight them off. His parents prepared some millet dumplings for Momotaro to eat on his journey and saw him off.




To cut the story short, kibi-dango is the food that Momotaro took on his adventures. Cute eh? Explains a lot about the cute packaging too! The kibi-dango is individually wrapped and it’ll definitely make perfect souvenirs


Kibi basically means millet and the best thing is that the kibi-dango produced by Koeido Confectionary is certified halal!
Kibi-dango from Koeido confectionary comes in a small package size of 10 pieces per packaging, up to the MEGA size. However, it can only be purchased in Okayama (Chugoku region) or from their online shop. So be sure to grab them if you visit Okayama!

3. Higashi (dry confectionery)

You applied for a week’s leave, left piles of paper work in hurry and have no clue of what to bring back for the boss? I would recommend to get him/her higashi. Higashi are pieces of gorgeous individually decorated sugar and rice-flour sweets


Have you tried the original powdered Japanese tea? (Not the store-bought tea bag sorts!) . The aftertaste is overwhelming, so higashi is the perfect sweet to offset the bitterness of the drink

 
Higashi, like any other candy, is sold by many different brands with different levels of quality. However, if you’re seeking for a higher quality higashi made purely from Wasanbon (Chinese sugarcane, with a different taste and umami compared to others that are made of ordinary sugarcane), we would recommend “Baiko-do” in Kagawa Prefecture. You can find Baiko-do in the Kagawa Prefecture and Setouchi Shunsai-kan (name of the store) in Tokyo, or even in malls throughout Japan.
Higashi is dry and has very little moisture, making the shelf life of this sweet relatively longer. Stock up as this confection is rarely found outside Japan and is very pleasing to the eyes too.

4. Yatsuhashi

Yatsuhashi is one of the best known meibutsu (famous regional products) of Kyoto. Though it looks like a simple, unassuming snack, yatsuhashi is surprisingly tasty!

You can have it either raw or baked. It’s also made from super simple ingredients: glutinous rice flour, sugar and cinnamon!

The baked version will be somewhat similar to senbei (rice crackers). The raw version has a soft, chewy texture and is usually wrapped around anko (red bean) paste or other sweet fillings. Do you fancy apple pie or any other cinnamon based dessert? Then Yatsuhashi is definitely for you

5. Ningyo-yaki

As you stroll along Nakamise, do look out for Kameya, which makes ningyo-yaki – tiny baked doll cakes stuffed with red bean! Plus, you get to watch them being baked. Definitely one of our favourite Japanese snacks.
While you can find the doll cakes in moulds of pagodas and giant lanterns, adorably-shaped characters like Hello Kitty and Doraemon are also pretty common now. Who knew dolls can be tasty as well.

6. Sata Andagi

Most Japanese food are considered healthy with the abundance of seafood and dishes being heavy on the greens and soup. But here’s a fun fact – did you know that the Japanese are in love with donuts? You can find them everywhere in Japan, even in the convenience stores!

Sata Andagi (also means deep-fried sugar) is Okinawa’s specialty donut. They are denser than those modern European style donuts which is crispy brown on the outside and cake-y inside. Again, the ingredients are fairly simple: flour, sugar & eggs
Sata Andagi recipes can also be found online, so if you want to whip up a snack, this is a good start.

Sata Andagi mixes are sold commercially in malls so you can bring Okinawa donuts back home with you!

P.S.: The inhabitants of Okinawa reaches the ages 86 for women and 78 for men on average. Could Sata Andagi be one of their secrets?

7. Soba-boro cookie

Put your hands up if you’re a cookie monster like me! Just like the name suggests, soba-boro cookies are made from soba (buckwheat) flour and lots of eggs.

The texture of Soba-boro is crunchy yet simply melts in your mouth. YUMMY. The buckwheat flour gives a distinct earthy taste and the caramelised sugar…well, do I really need to describe the taste of caramel to you?

As soba-boro is synonymously associated with Kyoto, there are many shops in Kyoto that sells them. If you’re in Kyoto, be sure to check out Marutamachi Kawamichi-ya (丸太町かわらまち屋). In addition to soba boro, Kawaramachiya is also famous for their other soba confections such as soba manju.

8. Light fluffy Chiffon Cake

Asakusa offers many tourist attractions from temples/shrines, shopping streets, river cruise and even an amusement park. Just a 15mins train ride from central Tokyo, you can explore the town by foot or hire a rickshaw (30mins ride for 2 people will cost around JPY 9,000).
Tired from all the walking and shopping? It’s time to replenish those burnt calories with a scrumptious chiffon cake! This is no ordinary cake though, as Otaco is a bakery that specializes in making chiffon cakes using 100% domestic rice flour. They are made fresh daily and the cakes are made without any use of additives, antiseptics, preservatives, alcohol and animal components.

Otaco’s cakes are made with utmost care for quality, thus there are very strict ingredient selections. Their cakes are additive-free, low calorie (roughly over 5% calorie reduction compared to the regular flours) and gluten-free.

9. Warabimochi

This jelly-like treat is different from other mochis you’ve tasted, as the warabi actually comes from a wild plant! Available in many shapes and colours, its the best snack for summertime  Sweet, transparent and sticky – your warabimochi is not only pretty to look at, its tasty as well. Have it dipped in Kinako (soybean powder) or a sweet, sugary syrup for the perfect afternoon tea break or dessert

10. Croquette

While croquettes are known to contain meat, this “magic croquette” in Kyoto doesn’t  Using a veggie-inspired menu, no meat nor alcohol are used in the preparation techniques. Instead, they’re made with potatoes and prove to be a magically, addictive snack!

11. Yaki Kani (Grilled crab)

You probably know by now that Japan’s the king of seafood, right? It’s no surprise that even their grilled crabs are out-of-this-world  Home to the snow crabs, horsehair crabs and red-king crabs, Japan’s famous for their fresh crabs. Enjoy the array of crab cuisines in winter, and the tastiness will drive you insane. Watch as the shell on the yaki kani turns crimson for your cue that the tender meat is ready to be savoured. Add a few drops of lemon onto your platter for that extra zing

12. Sweet potato

This quaint sweet store in Asakusa is your go-to candy land! From sweet potatoes to red bean delights, find them all here  What’s interesting, the sweets are made using a century-old recipe and are absolutely additive-free!

Did you know that the owners have never used a machine while preparing these? These purely handmade sweets are dipped in honey for two days, complementing the sweet taste of the potato. Lightly textured, fragrantly scented and deliciously sweet – your afternoon is now complete

There you go folks! Hopefully, the list will be useful during your visit in Japan, and your friends and family will thank us for it  (Or if you have any friends/family visiting Japan, you know what to show them!)
So, enjoy the sweet treats and you can always go on a diet tomorrow . Sayonara!