Confectioneries you would like to buy at supermarkets and convenience stores in Japan
Many excellent snacks are sold in Japanese convenience stores and supermarkets.
However, the ingredients of Japanese snacks are often written only in Japanese, and it is often difficult to know which ingredients to avoid.
This article will introduce confections whose ingredients are supposed to be free of alcohol, any animal oils/materials(gelatin,Shortening,Emulsifiers,Margarine).
Most of these can be purchased at convenience stores and supermarkets for about ¥100.
1 Alfort/アルフォート(Bourbon)
Alfort is a chocolate-covered cookie, and there is not a Japanese person who does not know this confectionery. Various flavors are sold in everywhere in Japan. When you go to a particular region, you may find a flavor that is only available in that area.
The ingredients are below.
Sugar (manufactured in Korea, manufactured in Japan), wheat flour, whole milk powder, cacao mass, shortening, whole wheat flour, vegetable oil and fat, cocoa butter, wheat bran, salt / processed starch, emulsifier (from soybean), leavening agent, flavor
(Some of the ingredients depend on the flavor.)
Emulsifier is derived from soybeans. As for shortening, the official Bourbon website states that it is derived from plants.
2 Elise (Bourbon)
Elise is a light and crispy wafer. It is filled with rich chocolate cream and mild white cream.
Two different flavors, milk chocolate and white chocolate, are in one pack. Once you try it, you can't stop.
The ingredients are below.
Wheat flour, vegetable oil and fat, sugar, whole milk powder, cacao mass, lactose, dextrin, soy flour, liquid egg yolk (containing egg), corn flour, glucose, edible processed oils and fats, caramel powder (containing milk ingredients), whey powder (containing milk ingredients), cocoa powder, malt extract (containing wheat ingredients), salt, syrup, butter, emulsifier (from soybeans), sorbitol, flavor (from milk), color (caramel, carotenoids, turmeric), trehalose Emulsifier (derived from soybeans), sorbitol, flavor (derived from milk), color (caramel, carotenoids, turmeric), trehalose, wheat flour, vegetable fats, lactose, sugar, whole milk powder, creaming powder (containing dairy ingredients), cocoa butter, whey powder (containing dairy ingredients), glucose, dextrin, dehidratated milk powder, dextrin Skimmed milk powder, dextrin, soy flour, liquid egg yolk (containing egg), corn flour, edible processed oils and fats, malt extract (containing wheat), salt, syrup, butter / emulsifier (from soy), flavor, sorbitol, color (caramel, carotenoids, turmeric), sodium caseinate (from milk), seasoning (nucleic acid)
(Some of the ingredients depend on the flavor.)
Emulsifier is derived from soybeans. As for shortening, the official Bourbon website states that it is derived from plants.
3 Home Pie (Fujiya)
Fujiya's Home Pie is a national favorite of all ages. Surprisingly, the pie is made up of 700 layers of dough, and you will be amazed at how crispy it is when you bite on it. The buttery flavor is very delicious. It is especially great with a cup of tea or coffee.
The ingredients are below.
Wheat flour (manufactured in Japan), vegetable oil and fat, sugar, butter, fermented seeds (including wheat), whole milk powder, salt, skimmed milk powder, protein-enriched whey powder (including dairy ingredients), food containing milk as the main ingredient, syrup/emulsifier (from wheat and soybeans), flavor (from milk), carotenoid dye
(Some of the ingredients depend on the flavor.)
4 Funwari Meijin Kinako Mochi (Echigo Seika)
This treat is sure to impress you the very first moment you eat it. The light texture that melts in your mouth and the savory kinako (soybean flour) flavor are a wonderful. Ingredients are made from Hokkaido soybeans and domestic glutinous rice. Kinako is one of the traditional flavors used in Japan and is made from soybeans.
The ingredients are below.
Vegetable oil and fat (produced in Japan), glutinous rice (produced in Japan), sugar, soybean flour (produced in Hokkaido), glucose, wasanbon sugar, salt
5 Happy Turn (Kameda Seika)
Once you try Pappy Turn, you will definitely get addicted to it. It is a kind of "senbei," a traditional Japanese snack, but it is softer than regular senbei and its seasoning is sweet and salty. This is the unique flavor of this product. They are individually wrapped and can be eaten without getting your hands dirty.
The ingredients are below.
Rice (U.S.A., Japan), vegetable oil and fat, sugar, starch, glutinous rice flour (Thailand), protein hydrolysate, salt, powdered oil and fat, yeast powder/processed starch, seasoning (amino acid), vegetable lecithin, (some contain soybeans)
(Some of the ingredients depend on the flavor.)
This article introduced snacks available at convenience stores and supermarkets. All of the sweets are popular and well-known among Japanese people.
These snacks are not certified as officially halal. However, their website states that they do not contain any pork- or alcohol-derived ingredients.
Please discover your favorite confectionery in Japan:)
This article was written in April 2022