Coming from a local pharmacy in Omotesando, I obviously found medecines, protein bars and... snacks! (who would believe a pharmacy would also sell junk food?!)
Let's have a deeper look.
First, those snacks are visually pleasant to see! It looks more like toys than food.
Is that really eatable? No way to check it. Every single word is Japanese. Ive many doubts about the nutritional quality of high processed food, but I'm also taking in consideration that Japanese are really careful about hygiene so it just can be safe.
Eating was first considered as a primary need. Like drinking, sleeping, exercising, eating was essential to survive and still is. We just see it differently. Now, It is no more about the calories needed, it is about a set of values we belong to. We do not only want to feed.
Those 'kawai' packagingS cater for the Japanese demand of excentric, cute, dinstinctive, high-marketed products. Our expectations are increasingly higher and higher.
We consume more than we need to match the society. We buy a particular to belong to a specific group. We 'overbuy' to buy ourselves a status.
Many people think the more expensive what they buy is, the socially higher they feel.
My TEATIME products, Most of the products bought are from the Korean confectionary LOTTE, a subsidiary company of LOTTE Group.
Lotte Confectionery produces Crunky candy bar and the Chic-Choc cookie (a chocolate chip cookie), one of the most famous brands in South Korea. Additionally, they produce other baked snacks, including the Margaret cookie. Lotte is also popular for their cookies called 'Kancho' (also known as Koala's March in Japan), which are small cream-filled cookies shaped like koala bears and packaged in a unique octagonal box. Im my tea time selection!
Ghana milky chocolate bar (60g), is the most popular among all Lotte Ghana chocolates.
Concerning chocolate bar's packaging, RED = MILK, BLACK = DARK. the 'dark one' contains a maximum of 50% cocoa! I'd rather say a minimum...
Ghana refers to the country located in West Africa, famous for its cocoa production.
Ghana is the world's second cocoa producer, On the top is its neighboor: Cote dIvoire.
Chocolate is made of cocoa, sugar but this one contains palm oil, rapeseed oil and artificial aromas... could be avoided!
Chocolate pies from LOTTE, 'countryside package' attraction!
It shows a bedtime story's landscape: a traditional Normandy-style house with its thatched roof, squirrels, green grass and the French flag colors. Disappointment when we come to the product: The biscuit is a basic waffle with an hazelnut filling.
A real SNACK TIME needs its original PRETZ
the taste is as great as the vintage packaging!
A similar product is commercialized in France and called "Mikado", it is mostly covered chocolate. It actually comes from Glico which agreed to give the licence.
The PRETZ finger biscuit is the original one, the first one to be launched by the Japanese confectionary Ezaki Glico in 1934.
Here are the 2 best sellers in Japan: the salad and butter flavors.
Tohato, another Japanese food company specialising in snack food, and selling this eye-catchy caramel corn.
This caramel corn is usually sold in a plain coloured package. The most famous one got the red package, so this one must be a special edition. The lower yellow part represents the corn and the upper one.. a fish?!
explanation:
This is the 'golden week' here soon in Japan:
The first national holiday during Golden Week is April 29, which was the birthday of the former emperor Shouwa. Now, this day is called showa-no-hi (Showa Day). The second holiday is kenpou-kinen-bi (Constitution Memorial Day), May 3. Then, May 4 is called midori-no-hi (Greenery Day) during which shows appreciation for nature.
Finally, the last day is kodomono-hi (Children's Day) on May 5th, dedicated to the healthy growth of children. Children's Day is also called tangono-sekku. It's Japanese boy's festival and is traditionally the day to celebrate and pray for the health of boys. Japanese families with boys hang up carp streamers (koinobori) outside because carps are believed to symbolize successes in children's lives. Also, samurai dolls called gogatsu ningyo are displayed in their houses.
Hence the fish symbol figuring on the packaging :D
have good snacking!
