Strawberry Wonders: Savoring Asia's Berry Best Snacks
Japan loves strawberries! Every dessert in the country has a strawberry-flavored version. You can find strawberry mochi, shortcake, chocolate, sando, and similar treats in sweets shops and convenience stores all over the country. Join us as we embark on a flavorful journey to explore strawberry snacks across Asia, starting with Japan’s favorite treats.
Strawberries in Japanese Culture: More Than Just a Flavor
Strawberry cultivation in Japan started in the 1880s. At first, they were rare and expensive ornamental plants, but after World War II, they became widespread and affordable. The vibrant red hues of these fruits symbolize joy and good fortune in Japan. Hence, they are often eaten during celebrations and festivities. Common Japanese strawberries include the super-sweet Amaou, the white-colored Hatsukoi no Kaori, and the sweet-sour Tochiotome. The strawberry season lasts from January to May. In certain regions, it could begin as early as December.
During the peak season, people visit local farms to pick these fruits and enjoy them on the spot or take them home for the perfect farm-to-table experience. This practice is known as ichigo-gari, and the best time to participate is from late January to mid-February. January 15 is Strawberry Day in Japan. The weeks before and after this date are filled with strawberry-themed festivals. During these celebrations, people eat free strawberry samples and enjoy strawberry-infused traditional snacks, such as strawberry-flavored mochi, ichigo daifuku, and strawberry shortcake.
Strawberry Mochi: Japan's Chewy Berry Treat
Strawberry mochi is a Japanese dessert that combines the chewiness of rice cakes with the fruity sweetness of strawberries. Mochi is made by pounding and shaping steamed glutinous rice. Filling the rice cakes with whole strawberries creates what is known as strawberry mochi. When this filling also includes sweet red bean paste (anko), we can refer to the dessert as ichigo daifuku, a popular mochi variant.
Strawberry mochi tastes fresh, juicy, and sweet. The sticky rice cake gives the treat a unique chewy texture that sets it apart from other strawberry-flavored snacks. It’s the perfect combination of natural and artificial treats. You can find strawberry mochi on Bokksu Market by heading to the “Sweets” category and browsing the “Mochi” section. We offer authentic products from Japanese brands like Kubota and Seiki. You can filter your options by product type, brand, flavor, and more. Simply ensure that all required fields are marked on the left side of your screen.
A Tour of Strawberry Chocolates: From KitKat to Meiji and Beyond
Let’s explore the deliciously diverse world of strawberry chocolates, where traditional flavors meet inventive creations. These treats showcase how each brand uniquely captures the essence of strawberries in their rich, indulgent chocolates, providing a sweet slice of Japan's favorite berry innovations. Let’s dive in!
Strawberry KitKat
The Strawberry Otona no Amasa chocolate bar made by Kit Kat is one of the most popular snacks in Japan. It has a light, bittersweet flavor that’s ideal for adults. The product consists of several wafers coated by strawberry-infused melted chocolate. This product was created by Nestle Japan and is exclusive to the region. However, you can get it in the U.S. by shopping at Bokksu Market.
Lotte’s Strawberry Offerings
Lotte is a multinational candy and cookie manufacturer from South Korea. It's famous in many countries across the world, including Japan. Lotte has launched several strawberry-flavored chocolate products. However, our favorite is known as Lotte Ghana Strawberry Pink Chocolate. This is a limited edition product that blends the sweetness of milk chocolate with the tanginess of strawberries.
Bokksu is not responsible for the accuracy of the products’ nutritional or allergen information. Warning: California’s Proposition 65 may be in effect. For more information,visit www.P65Warnings.ca.gov. Some Bokksu Market products are produced overseas and may have a Production Date printed on the packaging, rather than a Best Buy Date as is standard in North America. If your product appears expired, do not be alarmed! This is most likely the Production Date. All items have been double checked to ensure they are not expired and safe to eat.
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Meiji Melty Blend Chocolate
Meiji is the biggest Japanese chocolate brand in the world. They have dominated the domestic market for decades, ever since their founding in 1916. Meiji’s products range from basic milk chocolate bars to the more complex flavored chocolate. One of their most popular treats is the Melty Blend Chocolate with a fruity strawberry burst. This product has a milky melted chocolate coating that literally melts in your mouth to reveal a strawberry-based center.
Bokksu is not responsible for the accuracy of the products’ nutritional or allergen information. Warning: California’s Proposition 65 may be in effect. For more information,visit www.P65Warnings.ca.gov. Some Bokksu Market products are produced overseas and may have a Production Date printed on the packaging, rather than a Best Buy Date as is standard in North America. If your product appears expired, do not be alarmed! This is most likely the Production Date. All items have been double checked to ensure they are not expired and safe to eat.
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Meito Strawberry Chocolates
Japanese confection company Meito is famous for creating candies, chocolates, and ice cream. Some of their releases are downright addictive. The company has two main strawberry-infused offerings: Tsubuyori Strawberry Chocolate and Creamy Chocolate Strawberry Bites. The former consists of both tangy and milk strawberry chocolate flavors, while the latter is made of miniature bites of creamy strawberry chocolate.
Bokksu is not responsible for the accuracy of the products’ nutritional or allergen information. Warning: California’s Proposition 65 may be in effect. For more information,visit www.P65Warnings.ca.gov. Some Bokksu Market products are produced overseas and may have a Production Date printed on the packaging, rather than a Best Buy Date as is standard in North America. If your product appears expired, do not be alarmed! This is most likely the Production Date. All items have been double checked to ensure they are not expired and safe to eat.
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Glico Strawberry Chocolate
Glico Pocky is arguably the most famous sweet snack ever to come out of Japan. Traditional Pocky is made of biscuits coated with high-quality chocolate on one end, leaving the other end free for your fingers to hold. While Glico has a few strawberry flavors, some of them, like the Strawberry and Crunchy Strawberry variants, don’t contain actual chocolate. The main product that fits into our category of interest is Glico Caplico no Atama, which features pieces of creamy strawberry milk chocolate.
Bokksu is not responsible for the accuracy of the products’ nutritional or allergen information. Warning: California’s Proposition 65 may be in effect. For more information,visit www.P65Warnings.ca.gov. Some Bokksu Market products are produced overseas and may have a Production Date printed on the packaging, rather than a Best Buy Date as is standard in North America. If your product appears expired, do not be alarmed! This is most likely the Production Date. All items have been double checked to ensure they are not expired and safe to eat.
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The Best of Strawberry Cookies
Now it’s time to move on to baked strawberry treats. There are different types of strawberry cookies available in Japan, each with a unique baking style. Let’s explore these cookies and how they capture the essence of the berry.
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Flavored Biscuits: You can fill fluffy buttermilk biscuits with dried pieces of strawberries and coat the snacks with strawberry-flavored glaze or syrup. Simply add diced strawberries and buttermilk to the flour when making the dough.
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Sandwich cookies: You can make these Oreo-style cookies by pressing baked biscuits or wafers against some strawberry-flavored cream.
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White Chocolate Chips: Most people use dark chocolate for making chocolate chip cookies. However, for this recipe, you need melted white chocolate, strawberries, unsalted butter, parchment paper, a baking sheet, a heat-safe glass bowl, and basic cooking utensils. Add strawberries and white chocolate to the flour mixture before baking. The berry’s moisture may keep the chocolate from sticking so always place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Must-Try Strawberry Desserts and Baumkuchen
Strawberry can be used to create the perfect after-lunch foods. We’ve already mentioned some of the classic Japanese strawberry desserts, like the chewy strawberry mochi, juicy ichigo daifuku, and spongy shortcake. The iconic Japanese strawberry shortcake is famous for its layers of sponge cake, whipped cream, and strawberry fillings.
Other desserts in this category include cakes with strawberry toppings or cream, chocolate-dipped strawberries topped with coconut flakes, and ice cream flavored with the juicy fruit. There is also strawberry sando, which is a soft bread sandwich filled with room-temperature strawberries and whipped cream.
While the classics are fantastic, more modernized desserts are becoming increasingly popular in Japan, especially strawberry baumkuchen. This dessert is a soft brioche cake originating from Germany. People in Japan enjoy its sweet strawberry flavor with springtime tea.
Bokksu is not responsible for the accuracy of the products’ nutritional or allergen information. Warning: California’s Proposition 65 may be in effect. For more information,visit www.P65Warnings.ca.gov. Some Bokksu Market products are produced overseas and may have a Production Date printed on the packaging, rather than a Best Buy Date as is standard in North America. If your product appears expired, do not be alarmed! This is most likely the Production Date. All items have been double checked to ensure they are not expired and safe to eat.
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Strawberry Candy Favorites: Gummies and Hi-Chew Treats Unwrapped
Another modern way to enjoy these fruits is through chewy strawberry treats or candy. These candies are infused with sweet fruity flavors and sold by some of the top candy brands in the world. You can find gelatin-based chewy sweets known as gummies that offer a burst of strawberry with each bite. Skittles, for example, is famous for making strawberry-flavored gummy candy. Also, Hi-Chew offers one of the world’s most unique chewy candies, including a mango and strawberry variant.
Bokksu is not responsible for the accuracy of the products’ nutritional or allergen information. Warning: California’s Proposition 65 may be in effect. For more information,visit www.P65Warnings.ca.gov. Some Bokksu Market products are produced overseas and may have a Production Date printed on the packaging, rather than a Best Buy Date as is standard in North America. If your product appears expired, do not be alarmed! This is most likely the Production Date. All items have been double checked to ensure they are not expired and safe to eat.
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Strawberry Snacks Across Asia
It’s been great exploring Japan’s strawberry snack offerings. Now, it’s time to discuss similar snacks from other Asian countries and examine how different cultures incorporate this beloved fruit:
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Strawberry-coated almonds (Korea): People in Asia enjoy roasted almonds coated with strawberry-infused chocolate. Although this nutty and tangy treat can be made at home with chopped nuts, it’s much easier to buy the Strawberry Cookies & Creme flavor of HBAF Korean Style Almonds.
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Strawberry tanghulu (China): This is a Chinese snack made by skewering fresh strawberries on a stick and coating them in crystallized sugar syrup.
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Strawberry cream tteok (Korea): The famous Korean rice cake (tteok) may be filled with strawberry powder, whipped cream, and cream cheese to create a delicious dessert.
From Farm to Snack: The Making of Strawberry Flavors
Although strawberry cultivation in Asia focuses on growing indigenous species from Japan and China, farmers in the region do not shy away from growing international species as well. Hence, the Asian strawberry industry continues to flourish. Japan marries the traditional aspects of cultivating wild strawberries with the use of cutting-edge technology. They use this technology to protect berries from adverse weather conditions throughout the year and during transportation to factories that turn them into snacks and desserts. Today, China, Japan, and South Korea are three of the biggest strawberry producers in the world.
Health Benefits of Strawberry Snacks
Strawberry snacks can be both delicious and healthy, as they come with the following benefits and more:
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Preventing heart disease, certain cancers, and high blood pressure.
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Managing type-2 diabetes, osteoarthritis, obesity, and memory loss
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Aid digestion, metabolism, and overall gut health.
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Provide low nutrition calories and gluten-free snack options. (Please review recipe ingredients and recipe ratings or feedback to be sure)
Innovative Packaging and Marketing of Strawberry Snacks
If you’re used to brands marketing sweet treats to teens and sour flavors to adults, you may be surprised that the promotions for strawberry snacks in Asia follow a different route. Everyone in the region loves strawberries, whether sweet or tangy. Hence, brands market and promote these products to appeal to various demographics. They all use unique strategies to achieve this, but you can expect to see packaging with images of juicy strawberries.
Global Appeal: The International Love for Strawberry Snacks
The flavors of strawberry snacks transcend cultural boundaries to delight taste buds worldwide. Besides the fact that strawberries are very tasty, they also complement the tastes of cakes, biscuits, chocolate, ice cream, and many other treats. The diversity of this berry makes it one of the most popular snack and beverage flavors in the world.
The Endless Charm of Strawberry Snacks
From crunchy cookies to fluffy cakes, there are hundreds of ways to enjoy the natural sweetness of tasty strawberry snacks. Explore these flavors through Bokksu Market and other global outlets, where you can find traditional sweets like strawberry mochi and modern delights such as chocolate-covered strawberries.
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