3 Spicy Japanese Snacks You should Try

I am fond of eating spicy foods. Especially, I love spicy snacks with lots of umami and tasty instant ramen with moderate spiciness.

In fact, I often try out such spicy stuff when I find products that draw my interest, but I don’t like overly spicy things very much.

3 Popular Spicy Japanese Snacks to Try

Today, from my favorites, I will introduce my 3 best spicy Japanese snacks, all of which are standard, popular treats in Japan.

Karamucho (カラムーチョ)

First off, Karamucho is a spicy potato snack that has long been loved in Japan. It was introduced in 1984 by Koikeya and now comes in two types; sticks and chips.

Koikeya Karamucho has been one of my favorite potato crisps since I was a kid. These are flavorful, umami-packed fries with moderate heat. 

Bokun Habanero (暴君ハバネロ)

Bokun Habanero is a popular ring-shaped potato snack. Although its name is composed of Habanero and “Bokun (暴君)” meaning “tyrant” in Japanese, These rings are not too spicy.

The snack uses several kinds of spices in addition to Habanero pepper, but umami ingredients extracted from chicken and vegetables calm the spiciness.

So overall, Bokun Habanero is a very savory, addictive potato snack.

Kaki no Tane (柿の種)

Kaki no Tane is one of the most beloved rice crackers in Japan. This snack has about 100 years of history, and today, many Japanese confectionery companies are producing it.

Kaki no Tane is a small orange-colored cracker shaped like a crescent moon. It is a savory, a little bit spicy treat flavored with soy sauce and red chili pepper.

Kaki no Tane is known as Kameda Crisps in some countries outside of Japan, by the way.