Okoshi

Kaminari-okoshi, often called merely okoshi, is a popular Japanese confectionery, similar to rice crispy treats. The main ingredient in okoshi is expanded rice, created by roasting rice grains until they pop. A mix of sugar and butter or corn syrup is used to hold the rice together, and after the additional ingredients have been added, the mixture is formed or pressed in trays, left to dry, then cut into square shapes.

In the middle of the Edo period, street merchants in Asakusa, one of Tokyo's districts, were the main sellers of this crunchy Japanese food near Buddhist temples. The addition of peanuts to okoshi was traditional, but more recent iterations also contain various nuts, dried fruit, chocolate, and sesame seeds, as well as other unusual and intriguing flavors like matcha green tea or caramel.

Nowadays, the majority of okoshi is factory-produced, made in a variety of odd flavors and color combinations, and distributed in attractive, vibrant boxes. There are still traditional street vendors in the Asakusa district who prepare this brittle delicacy and walk customers through the entire process. The Asakusa district's most well-known memento is still the okoshi.

Country: Japan