The Anime Blog - We Go Beyond Anime!

Senbei, okaki, and arare, the elusive Japanese rice crackers. Or I should say, good senbei, okaki and arare are elusive. I’ve had my fair share of senbei and arare mixes, most of which have been underwhelming in terms of excitement and enjoyability. They all seem to taste the same with varying differences in texture and size. Everything tastes like shoyu (soy sauce), nori and sugar. These flavors are great, but given the huge diversity in appearance and packaging, shouldn’t there be just as many flavors to match?... Continue Reading...

There’s a hierarchy of confections and snacks (okashi) in Japan, for those who didn’t know. At the top of the Japanese sugar mountain are wagashi. ... Continue Reading...

Here’s an East meets West snack that I’ve been putting off reviewing for a loonngg time. I usually don’t mind chowing down on the new and unusual, but something about the packaging gave the product a sinister quality. Maybe it was the command “Just Pack” or maybe it was the way the product was wrapped like cheesey, overly processed sausages, OR maybe it’s because the product actually was cheesey, overly processed fish sausage.... Continue Reading...

I like senbei (Japanese rice crackers). They satisfy my carb craving in a wheat free manner (mostly) so I can add another notch to my eating right regimen (Yeah right! Who am I kidding?). They’re also a good way to get my nori fix when the Seaweed Shakes come around (who else [...]

When I first started down my Japanese snack journey, many things were new, strange, and often times, frightening. Fish snacks skewered on sticks and lathered in soy and sake can look pretty daunting to an average Jane. All the Japanese words on the packaging, while written in romanji, are still a mystery to the uninitiated. And, seriously, who would have ever thought that any beans, besides jelly beans, would make good dessert eat’n? ... Continue Reading...

Nothing reminds me more of summer than soda pop. It speaks to me more than pools or sunburns or even picnics. Why? Because I was always drinking cola while I was swimming, burning, or eating at a picnic. Cola is the common unifier during the summer months that was the one thing always present during my childhood summers. I don’t drink soda any more. Maybe three, sometimes four times a year, but only a can even then. Too much sugar, sodium and caffeine in the colas have driven a wedge between us. Ironically, I still really like cola flavored candy. Picking up this candy in the dead of winter really brightened my day.... Continue Reading...