Companies

Travel Guide Series, Snack Company Collaborate On Spicy Snacks; New Rice Crackers Will Incorporate Tastes From Global Dishes

Courtesy of Iwatsuka Seika Inc.
Iwatsuka Seika and Chikyu no Arukikata’s collaborative products

The Yomiuri Shimbun

1:00 JST, June 2, 2024

NIIGATA — Iwatsuka Seika Inc., a snack company based in Nagaoka, Niigata Prefecture, will soon begin selling a new line of products in collaboration with the well-known overseas travel guidebook series “Chikyu no Arukikata” (“Globe-Trotter Travel Guidebook”). These will be an extension of Iwatsuka Seika’s popular “The Hitotsumami” line of beika, stick-shaped rice crackers, which will incorporate the flavors of spice dishes from around the world, and they will go on sale for a limited time starting June 3.

The famous guidebook series was first published in 1979, and it covers information on about 160 countries and regions. In recent years, the Chikyu no Arukikata brand has been used in the food industry to produce collaborative products such as retort pouch curry and cup noodles, but this is the first time it has been used with rice crackers.

The new products are based on five spice dishes from around the world recommended by the editors of the guidebook. The editors have tasted the snacks many times in pursuit of authentic flavor, and have succeeded in creating products with the heat, intensity and umami taste that only these spices can offer. The outer packaging was designed to resemble the cover of the guidebooks.

“We have created tastes that let people experience the world through rice crackers,” said a representative of Iwatsuka Seika. “The best season for beer is about to start. We hope people will enjoy these snacks with beer.”

Three varieties, Garlic Shrimp, Tom Yam Kung and Harissa Chicken, will be available at supermarkets nationwide from June 3, and two more, Bouillabaisse and Jerk Chicken, will be available from July 8.