Dagashi: Umaibo Takoyaki Flavor Corn Puff Stick

Known as one of the most loved Dagashi (駄菓子) treats, Umaibo (うまい棒) is a long-selling puffed corn snack sold by Yaokin popular with children in Japan.

It comes in many unique flavors and only costs 12 yen (about 0.1 USD), which is why many Japanese kids love the Dagashi snack.

According to the official site of Yaokin, there are currently 15 regular flavors in the series, and some have a very Japanese taste, which includes this Takoyaki (たこ焼).

Umaibo Takoyaki

Based on the official site, the Umaibo Takoyaki flavor went on the market in 1987, and today, it is among the top 5 most popular flavors.

The corn puff stick of Umaibo Takoyaki has a dark brown color on the outside because of the flavorings/seasonings applied, and it looks like a burnt snack.

But when you break the stick into two, you can find the puffcorn yellow or plain. Nonetheless, due to the coating, the snack is full of flavor reminiscent of Takoyaki sauce.

Takoyaki & Takoyaki Sauce 

For the unfamiliar with Japanese food, Takoyaki (たこ焼き) is a ball-shaped savory snack made from wheat flour batter mixed with dashi soup stock and filled with a chunk of octopus meat.

We cook the mixture in a special grill pan meant for Takoyaki, and we typically dress the resulting balls with Takoyaki sauce and mayonnaise and dust them with Aonori (青のり) and Katsuobushi bonito shavings.

The Takoyaki octopus balls are crispy on the outside and soft and moist on the inside, while the Takoyaki brown sauce made with lots of vegetables and fruits has a sweet and umami-rich taste.

Taste

As mentioned above, the Umaibo Takoyaki tastes like a Takoyaki sauce. It is savory-sweet and tasty, with Aonori and Beni Shoga (紅生姜) in the snack.

Ingredients/Nutrition Facts

Lastly, let’s see the ingredients and nutrition facts of the Dagashi Umaibo Takoyaki Sauce flavor based on the info on the official site.

Ingredients

Non-GMO corn, Vegetable oil/fat, Sauce, Sugar, Wheat flour, Skim milk powder, Aosa green seaweed, Beni Shoga red pickled ginger, Spice, Egg yolk power, Shrimp powder, Seasoning (including Amino acid), Acidifier, Flavoring, Sweetener (Sucralose), Caramel pigment, Antioxidant (Vitamin E) (Partially including Wheat, Milk component, Egg, Shrimp, Soybean, Beef, Chicken, Pork, Squid, Apple, and Gelatin)

Nutritional Values

Nutritional Values per Stick

Calories	53.00 kcal
Protein	0.40 g
Fat	3.80 g
Carbohydrates	4.20 g
Salt Equivalents	0.200 g