When I first tried this rice snack called Funwari Meijin, it genuinely surprised me.
I’d never had anything with a texture quite like it before.
It wasn’t crunchy, crispy, or crackly like most snacks. Instead, it had an incredibly light, airy texture that’s hard to compare to anything else.
Let’s take a closer look.
Product Summary
| Cooking Method | Puffed |
| Hardness | ☆☆☆☆☆ (Level 0: Ultra Airy) |
| Flavors | Kinako (Roasted Soybean Flour) |
Product Information
| Product Name | Funwari Meijin Kinako Mochi (ふんわり名人 きなこ餅) |
| Manufacturer | Echigo Seika (越後製菓) |
| Quantity | 4 packs |
| Price | Reference price: 200–250 yen |
| Where to Buy | Most supermarkets, occasionally drugstores and convenience stores in Japan |
Package & Individual Wraps
The package is mostly orange, matching the kinako flavor.
It also highlights some of the ingredients used, including Japanese glutinous rice, wasanbon sugar, and Hokkaido soybeans.
Note: Wasanbon sugar
Wasanbon is a traditional, highest-grade Japanese sugar. It features an elegant, melt-in-your-mouth texture that dissolves instantly, along with a mellow and refined flavor. This premium sugar is widely used in luxury traditional Japanese confections.
There are around eight pieces in each individual wrapper.
Ingredients & Other Information
You can check the ingredients, allergen information, and other details on the back of the package.
| Main Ingredients | Vegetable oil, glutinous rice, sugar, kinako, etc. |
| Allergy Information | soy |
Flavor & Texture
Putting the flavor aside for a moment, I just have to tell you about the texture first because it is absolutely shocking.
It gives a tiny crunch the exact millisecond you bite into it, but right after that, it melts away with a soft, airy fizz.
The first time I tried this, I literally said out loud, “Wait, what is this?!”
It doesn’t fit into the category of any typical rice cracker or snack. In fact, I can’t think of any other food in the world that has this exact texture. If I absolutely had to compare it to something, it’s like cotton candy with a crunchy outer shell.
As for the flavor, while it’s incredibly familiar to Japanese people, it might be quite unique for those from overseas.
“Kinako” itself has a nutty aroma similar to peanut butter, and here, it’s mixed with sugar to create a sweet coating.
Even if you’ve never heard of kinako before, I think you’ll really enjoy this “nutty and sweet” combination. It’s a flavor that Japanese people—myself included—absolutely love!
Size
Each cracker is about 3.5 cm wide.
Highly Recommended as a Souvenir!
This is a snack that shocks even Japanese people the very first time they try it.
Between the mind-blowing texture and the unique, uniquely Japanese “kinako” flavor, I bet it’ll be a huge hit as a souvenir!
