Kari Kari Japanese Premium Snacks Review – 4 Flavors Reviewed

Packaged snacks are often predominantly filled with poor-quality oils and flours. 

Kari Kari, a relatively new entrant in the snack aisle, claims to be a ‘healthy’ and ‘guilt-free’ snack option prepared with rice and roasted peanuts. While this does sound like a good combination of the three macronutrient groups, our Kari Kari Japanese Premium snacks review scrutinizes the nutrition and ingredient labels. We also tested these on parameters like taste and texture.

Are these Japanese snacks worth a try?

Brand-provided information on the four Kari Kari Japanese Premium snacks variants are presented below. 

Here’s what we looked for during our Kari Kari Japanese Premium snacks review.

The crunch of the rice snacks, freshness of peanuts, and the flavor profiles- we were anticipated top-notch quality, as these snacks are priced relatively higher than other packaged snacks (chips etc) in the market.

How did Kari Kari fare?

1. Taste

We gauged seasoning levels, freshness, and flavor intensity. Does the overall flavor of the snack justify the flavor tag on the label? Is the intensity of the flavor subtle or strong? Individually, do the nuts taste fresh? Are the peanuts raw/unroasted? 

2. Crunch

The crispy, crunchy bite is what makes snacks like these palatable. Do these ‘roasted’ snacks have a pronounced crunch?

3. Ingredients

What are the key sources of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins? Are these nutrient-dense? Would these ingredients be consumed otherwise? Does the brand specify the quantities? Does it contain artificial additives like colors, flavors, or preservatives? What did we find?

4. Other Parameters

Price

A 60-gram pack is priced at Rs 50/-.

Packaging

The brand suggests their snack packs are ideal for short work breaks/road trips. Is the packaging travel-friendly? Do they help retain freshness? 

Shelf Life

These have a shelf life of one year. 

Made using rajma and chana, these Cornitos Crusties are YUM!

We reviewed four variants of Kari Kari Japanese Premium Snacks. Following are in-depth details from our review. 

All four variants had a similar packaging. The snacks are packed in a matte black plastic pouch that is non-resealable. 

1. Chilli Garlic

This Japanese snack is a blend of elongated but hollow, longer than pine nut-sized rice snacks. These also contain some halved, some whole peanuts that are peeled. While some were long in size, others were small and plump. The Chilli Garlic variant features a reddish hue.

The aroma is majorly nutty with undertones of garlicky warmth. There was also some oily aroma observed. 

The main ingredients are rice, roasted peanuts (35%), soy sauce (water, soybean, wheat, salt), edible common salt, dehydrated vegetable powder (garlic, onion), maltodextrin, sugar, spices and herbs, thickening agent (E1451), acidity regulator (E330), permitted natural color (E150a), emulsifier (E471), flavor enhancers (E627, E631). 

The peanuts have a mild crunch but the rice snacks have an intense one. That said, this bite of peanuts is not an indicator of freshness. The peanuts have the signature nutty taste and do not taste rancid. Salt levels are on point.

Labeled as bold and zesty, are these snacks anything like it? The rice snacks have a medium to high spice level and an aftertaste of garlic. This spice lingers on and when paired with peanuts, this makes for a REALLY tasty snack. We liked this variant the best. 

2. Salt Pepper

Here, some black pepper specs were seen on the rice snacks. The peanuts were almost the same. However, this variant had unpeeled peanuts. The aroma is nutty.

This variant uses rice, roasted peanuts (35%), soy sauce (water, soybean, wheat, salt), edible common salt, dehydrated vegetable powder (garlic, onion), maltodextrin, sugar, spices and herbs (black pepper, chilli), hydrolyzed vegetable protein, thickening agent (E1451), acidity regulator (E330), permitted natural color (E150a), emulsifier (E471), flavor enhancers (E627, E631), and yeast extract. 

Just like the above variant, we got no complaints about the texture of the rice snack. The peanuts, however, could have been roasted for a longer duration to add a bolder crunch. This snack does not leave the palate or fingers feeling oily.

The balance of salt and pepper is impeccable! In addition to the black pepper spice, we tasted some red chilli heat with hits of sweetness. Since most snacks are prepared using wheat flour, the rice snacks lent a unique but desirable flavor. 

3. Wasabi

The packaging and aroma are identical to the above variants. The Wasabi variant had some green specs on the glossy-looking beige-colored rice snacks. Some were puffed, some were flat, but most were hollow.  

The main ingredients are rice, roasted peanuts (35%), soy sauce (water, soybean, wheat, salt), edible common salt, maltodextrin, sugar, herbs and condiments (onion powder, parsley, chilli), thickening agent (E1451), acidity regulator (E330), permitted natural color (E150a), emulsifier (E471), flavor enhancers (E627, E631), and yeast extract. 

Similar to our experience with the other Kari Kari Japanese Premium snacks variants, the crunch of peanuts is less than that of the rice snacks. That said, among the range, the Wasabi variant had the crunchiest peanuts. The bold crispiness of the rice snack was spot-on.

Wasabi, also known as Japanese horseradish, primarily has a pungent flavor profile. This was reflected fairly well in the rice snack. A strong pungency was paired with pops of spicy and sweet flavors. 

That said, the peanuts did not have the Wasabi flavor, they were only salted. Therefore, though the Wasabi flavor may feel strong or overwhelming, when munched on with the peanuts, the flavors are balanced and desirable. 

4. Spice Mania

The packaging and appearance are more or less the same- mustard yellow and glossy.

A desirable aroma that resembles roasted nuts was observed. 

This variant uses rice, roasted peanuts (35%), soy sauce (water, soybean, wheat, salt), edible common salt, maltodextrin, sugar, spices and condiments (chilli, coriander, onion, cumin, turmeric, ginger, fennel, fenugreek, black pepper), thickening agent (E1451), acidity regulator (E330), tomato powder, permitted natural color (E150a), emulsifier (E471), flavor enhancers (E627, E631), and yeast extract. 

In terms of texture, the peanuts were marginally under roasted. They lacked the characteristic crisp bite. That said, this lack of crunch does not impact the taste. The rice snack, on the other hand, showcased a bold crunch that we liked! 

Taste-wise, the peanuts have a subtle salt seasoning.  The overall balance of salt (when peanuts are eaten with the rice snack) is quite good. All-in-all, this variant features a light spicy, tangy and slightly sweet flavor profile. The spice level was moderate, which is surprising as this is called ‘Spice Mania’.

While Kari Kari snacks do use artificial additives, these still make for a better snacking option as the base ingredients (rice and peanuts) are more nutrient-dense as opposed to potatoes/starch. Moreover, these are roasted and not fried.
Kari Kari snacks are significantly lower in calories than the snacks we regularly see/consume. Although there is not a lot of difference in the carbohydrate content, Kari Kari offers more protein and less fat than an average pack of potato chips.

Here are some interesting FAQs on Kari Kari Japanese Premium snacks

After the data collection, tasting, and most importantly, analyzing the ingredient and nutritional labels, Mishry quite liked Kari Kari Japanese Premium Snacks. Not only are these roasted and marginally lower in calories (100 grams of potato chips have 590-600 Kcal, Kari Kari has under 470 Kcal), but these aren’t fully carbohydrates and fats, like packaged snacks usually are. 

That said, if only these had crunchier peanuts and not as many additives, we would have given it a higher rating. 

Have you tried Japanese dishes/snacks before? Did you savor the flavors?