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    Uncategorized

    Vegan Snacks In Japan

    Last updated - November 21, 2020; Published - February 25, 2017 By Rhian Williams 4 Comments

    Want to know more about vegan snacks in Japan?

    Eating vegan in Japan can be a bit of a minefield - between the language barrier and the fact that fish and seafood products seem to creep their way into EVERYTHING, it can be a tricky situation to navigate for many foreigners.

    So, I decided to put together a list of tips and tricks for eating vegan in Japan, which I'll be featuring on my blog as part of a two-part series. And, because we all know being hangry when travelling is just the worst, I've decided to start with vegan snacks in Japan!

    I've compiled a list of vegan-friendly snacks that you'll easily be able to get hold of from most supermarkets, convenience stores or by the roadside.

    Quite conveniently, a lot of traditional Japanese snacks happen to be naturally vegan, and also gluten-free.

    Obviously ingredients do vary from brand to brand, so I can't 100% guarantee that all of these products listed below will be vegan, but this is just a rough guide of the types of foods you should be looking out for!

    Mochi

    Mochi are sticky rice cakes often filled with sweet red bean paste. You can buy lots of different types of mochi in supermarkets, convenience stores, traditional Japanese sweet shops and just by the side of the road.

    For the best quality, most authentic-tasting mochi, I'd suggest buying something from a traditional mochi shop.

    However, one thing to bear in mind is that mochi does sometimes contain dairy products, so if you're dairy-free, it's best to avoid mochi ice cream, or cream-filled mochi.

    Walnut mochi filled with sweet red bean paste:

    Vegan Snacks In Japan

    Mochi being cooked on the roadside in Asakusa:

    Vegan Snacks In Japan

    Sticks of mochi topped with sweet chestnut paste and cherry blossom-flavoured (!!) white bean paste:

    Vegan Snacks In Japan

    Mochi filled with sweet edamame bean paste:

    Vegan Snacks In Japan

    More of the above:

    Vegan Snacks In Japan

    A selection of different types of mochi:

    Vegan Snacks In Japan

    Dried/candied fruit and vegetables

    I'd recommend branching out from raisins and trying out some of the more unusual dried and candied snacks available in Japan.

    Sweet potatoes are popular, as well as beans, and in terms of fruit, dried persimmon is delicious. These all tend to be naturally gluten-free.

    I love these candied sweet potato slices:

    Vegan Snacks In Japan

    More candied sweet potato - it tastes reminiscent of marron glacé:

    Vegan Snacks In Japan

    Candied beans. Sounds weird, tastes amazing:

    Vegan Snacks In Japan

    Dried sweet potato - it tastes a bit like dried mango but less sweet:

    Vegan Snacks In Japan

    Veggie crisps

    Finally, a savoury snack! Vegetable crisps seem to be super popular in Japan at the moment. They're generally slightly thicker than the ones sold in the West.

    These also tend to be naturally gluten-free, though it's best to double-check yourself.

    Vegan Snacks In Japan

    More vegetable chips but using lots of unusual vegetables like French beans, okra, pumpkin, radish etc:

    Vegan Snacks In Japan

    Similar to the above but for dogs:

    Vegan Snacks In Japan

    Deep-fried salted broad beans:

    Vegan Snacks In Japan

    Crispy little sticks of deep-fried, sugar-coated sweet potato deliciousness:

    Vegan Snacks In Japan

    Same as above but using purple sweet potatoes (!) instead:

    Vegan Snacks In Japan

    Puffed rice

    These are a very traditional Japanese sweet snack.

    They're basically clusters of puffed rice glued together with sugar, and also tend to be naturally gluten-free, though some of them may contain gluten in the form of soy sauce.

    Vegan Snacks In Japan

    Same as the above but in a different shape:

    Vegan Snacks In Japan

    Bread

    Japanese bakeries are amazing and smell divine. However, a lot of bread in Japan contains dairy products which is unfortunate.

    The types of bread that tend to not contain dairy are the ones filled with nuts and dried fruit, like this delicious rye loaf filled with dried cranberries and chestnuts:

    Vegan Snacks In Japan

    Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you found this helpful. Do you have any useful tips for eating vegan snacks in Japan? If so, please share below!

    You can also check out my post about vegan drinks in Japan!

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    1. Sarah

      December 30, 2017 at 12:50 pm

      Thank you for this, Mochi sounds amazing! I’m in Okinawa as a vegan so it’s different than America for sure.

      Reply
      • Rhian Williams

        December 30, 2017 at 1:17 pm

        That's great to hear, glad you liked the post! I'd love to go to Okinawa one day...

    2. Best Vegan Recipes

      August 04, 2018 at 8:44 pm

      I've beloved vegan foods and recipes. They not just cleanse your body, also does
      the detox and helps to get rid of pounds. I'd personnally love to lead in your blog on gluten free
      diet plan.

      Reply
      • Rhian Williams

        August 05, 2018 at 1:02 pm

        That's great, thank you very much!

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    Hi, I'm Rhian! I make easy, undetectably vegan + gluten-free recipes, including healthy comfort food and naturally sweetened desserts using plant-based ingredients.

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