Japanese Food Tips

Karinto is a traditional Japanese snack similar to arare (rice crackers), another traditional Japanese snack. Both karinto and arare have a hard texture. Arare is made from glutinous rice and usually has a soy sauce or salty taste, while karinto is made from flour and has a sweet taste. Karinto is made from dough and formed into a stick shape by first kneading flour, water, yeast and other ingredients together, then frying in oil, and drying before finally coating with a syrup made from brown or white sugar. The most popular colors are brown or blackish. Recently, many other kinds of karinto have been sold, and there are various colors. Flavors include matcha (green tea), caramel, cream cheese, wasabi (Japanese horseradish), sesame, and so on. The prototype of karinto was introduced from the Tang Dynasty (China) in the 8th century. At the end of the 19th century, it became popular among the ordinary people around the Tokyo Asakusa district. Karinto ranges in price from about 100 yen to much more expensive types. When you come to Japan, why not try karinto and buy it as a souvenir?