The Best Christmas Flavors In Japan

Christmas in Japan means chilly evening walks under the twinkling fairy lights. Gazing up at towering Christmas trees decorated with an array of glistening ornaments. And eating… scallop butter soy sauce pizza?! Yes! You read that right – scallop butter soy sauce pizza!

During the holiday season Japan introduces some tasty, interesting and sometimes a little odd Christmas flavors. Here are our top 5 Christmas treats that we think truly sparkle during Christmas! 

Milk Tea 

When you think of milk during Christmas, it’s often followed by cookies. However, in Japan milk is out the door and milk tea is the hottest Christmas flavor! We are no stranger to exclusive Japanese Kit Kats, and this year is no different! This year Kit Kat has released a delectable white chocolate infused with milk tea flavoring! These little wafers of delight capture the taste of a cup of tea that any grandmother would be proud to serve to their favorite grandchild. Not only are they absolutely delicious, but the packaging that they come in are fit for a King’s tea party! 

Kit Kats aren’t the only ones that have caught onto the current hype in Japan. Sangaria, a Japanese beverage company, also has a refreshing Royal Milk Tea available. The Royal Milk Tea is made with 3 famous black tea leaves, infused with 25% real milk. Having a home styled cup of tea while you’re out and about looking for Christmas presents is the best way to enjoy this tea! 

Can’t get enough delicious Japanese flavors, like milk tea Kit Kats? Then try out TokyoTreat! TokyoTreat sends tasty and exclusive Japanese noodles, sweets, snacks, drinks, and much more right to your door in one convenient box. Enjoy a taste of Japan wherever you are!

White Chocolate 

Move over milk chocolate, it’s white chocolate season! Now although white chocolate isn’t quite groundbreaking for Christmas. Japan has some fun alternatives to the classic bar of white chocolate! Tohato Caramel Corn white chocolate is the perfect favorite Christmas flavor that is perfect for sharing with family and friends. The sweet treat is a satisfyingly crunchy and tasty corn puff that has a snow-like white milk flavor coating. There is a hint of the rich milk chocolate flavor that comes through with the combined fresh flavor of cream and honey.

During the cold winter nights, the perfect companion to a hot cocoa is a Manneken White Chocolat Waffle! At first glance it may seem a bit confusing having a Belgium Waffle being claimed as a Japanese treat. However, Manneken has an intertwined history between Belgium and Japan. Founder Isao Araki was traveling Europe when he stumbled upon the waffles on the streets of Belgium. Araki brought the raw materials and molds back to Japan and immediately started making Belgian waffles. After trial and error the Manneken waffle as we know it was developed.

The white chocolate Manneken is reminiscent of cold Belgian winters. Get dreaming of a white Christmas and get one of the best tasting holiday flavors! 

Christmas flavors – pizza?? 

Okay, so pizza isn’t exactly a flavor – but hear us out! There are some pretty interesting pizza flavors that come out of Japan during the holiday season. Think scallop butter soy sauce pizza and mayo jaga pizza! In theory scallop butter soy sauce is an odd flavor on its own, and then using it as a topping as a pizza, wild right? However strange this combo may be, it actually has an incredibly rich and more-ish taste! The specialty pizza is topped with  soy sauce-marinated scallops, clams and shrimp, with a deluxe butter sauce drizzled over the top.

A less hotly debated and enjoyed pizza is the mayo jaga pizza! This pizza is made with tomato sauce topped with potato slices, pancetta, double mayonnaise, corn and paprika. With all of these toppings we think – the more the merrier works best! And you can’t skip the merriness of Christmas with this pizza.

Christmas flavors are usually linked to sweet food like candy canes, gingerbread houses and chocolate peppermint. But Japan is carving a way to deliciously unique savory flavors that we can’t get enough of! 

Japanese smores – daifuku 

Nothing beats sitting around an open fire, marshmallows in hand toasting over the flames. The classic s’mores and marshmallows get a fun Japanese twist with marshmallow daifuku! Usually daifuku consists of a pillowy mochi exterior and a sweet paste center. To make it a little more Christmas-y and s’more like the outlet layer is turned into a soft and marshmallow-esk mochi with a sweet gooey chocolate filling. This sweet treat is the perfect Christmas season complement! 

Christmas flavors – caramel 

Christmas is all about sharing, offering neighbors and friends homemade caramel was a way to share the Christmas cheer.  The best way to share the cheer Japanese style Christmas is with caramel Pocky of course! Pocky is a worldwide brand that has a huge variety of flavors and types, and luckily extra special seasonal items too. During the cooler season Pocky releases the limited edition Winter Caramel flavor that people flock to local convenience stores to get their hands on. The exclusive flavor combines butter, salty caramel, and chocolate to give you a golden melt-in-your-mouth Pocky experience. 

But, that’s not it! Mcdonald’s Japan has just released their McFlurry Christmas flavors. This year, the Pretzel Caramel McFlurry and the Strawberry Cocoa Cookie McFlurry. The Pretzel Caramel McFlurry has crunchy sweet pretzel pieces mixed with two types of salted caramel sauce. The delicious duo combined creates a fun mix of crisp and gooey textures! A matcha made in heaven with the sweetness of the pretzel and the bittersweetness of the salted caramel! Yum! 

Whether you’re after Japan’s take on traditional Christmas flavors like white chocolate or after something a bit more daring like scallops pizza. Let Japan be your wonderland of Christmas treats! 

What is your favorite Christmas flavor? Have we missed out on one that should be included? Let us know in the comments below!