Kuchidoke Happy Turn Rice Crackers

I've been told that "Happy Turn" is a brand that many folks in Japan find familiar and comforting. The happy sembei (rice cracker) on the cover gives them the same sort of warm and fuzzy feeling that an American might get from Tony the Tiger. I'm sure he doesn't yell as loudly or often about how "grrrrrreat" things are, but I think one can do without the bellicose nature of some mascots.

Besides the familiar anthropomorphic rice cracker, I noted the color scheme of the bag. It is most elegant in its largely white design. I'm not sure what inspired it, but this is not a winter release since it is still listed on Kameda Seika's web site as an available product. I expected this to be white chocolate because of that, though there was no indication of that on the bag. That's probably because I've had white chocolate sembei before, and loved it. It was likely wishful thinking. Perhaps these are appropriate for weddings? At any rate, it caught my eye and then it grabbed my wallet.

"Kuchidoke" means "melt in your mouth" so, I was expecting something that was more in line with the kinako or cheese "mochi" sembei that I've had in the past. Those balls of spun fat and rice literally melted in your mouth. When I opened the bag and saw the same old planks of sembei that I have always seen from Happy Turn, I was disappointed, but I remained hopeful that there was going to be some magical quality to these which differentiated them from regular Happy Turn.

As it turned out, there was no magic at all. Don't misunderstand me. These are good sembei, albeit quite vinegary ones. It didn't seem particularly "melt in your mouth" compared to regular Happy Turn. Okay, maybe it was a little bit softer and less crisp, but it was nothing like the "fluffy" sembei I'd had before which literally melted like shelf-stable ice cream in my mouth. These were fresh, somewhat crispy, and rather super-charged in their flavor (like the Happy Turn 200% version, but perhaps not quite as dusty).

This is a very savory rice cracker and a well-made one at that, but it really doesn't deliver much in the way of textural variation. If you like strong, vinegary flavors, then this is going to be a pleasure, but don't expect them to melt away in your mouth or to be a very different experience from conventional Happy Turn sembei.

Kameda Seika Happy Turn Maple Sembei

My husband and I brought back select souvenirs from Japan and had to be extra cautious about large items. One of the big things we brought back was a Happy Turn tin. He won it in a crane game (aka UFO Catcher) and I had a good association both with how it was acquired and with the product inside - the "Happy Turn" (sometimes called "Happy Tan" sembei. We keep the tin in the kitchen and I store my snacks in it. It's a nice way of keeping the multiple open bags and food waiting to be reviewed in an appropriate place.

"Happy Turn" is a very popular brand in Japan and most people know it and enjoy it. If you want to understand just how popular, you need only consider that there is a stamp made with its mascot's image. A real postage stamp. Yes. I haven't seen a Dorito's stamp in the U.S. - but then I haven't been looking either.

The brand's signature is a unique combination of sweet and salty with a heavy emphasis on vinegar. When I saw this maple variety at Marukai market for about $2.60 (around 270 yen), I jumped at the chance to sample it. I only had a few second thoughts when it came time to open the bag. Since vinegar is a large part of the Happy Turn experience, I suddenly realized that maple may not be the best choice. After all, few are the times when I've mixed vinegar with maple syrup and poured it on my pancakes or chugged it down as an elixir.

There aren't many flavor variations on Happy Turn, oddly. Besides the regular variety, there is cheese, this maple flavor, and, very strangely, a chocolate-covered version that is being sold as part of a variety pack. I would pick up said pack if I saw it, but mainly because I'd get to try the cheese version. The chocolate sounds pretty out there, but you just never know. Vinegar is nearly a cure-all and can mix with some pretty interesting flavors... but I'll hold off on the Hershey's syrup and rice vinegar, too.

With some apprehension, I gave it a taste, and it did taste weird at first. There is a definite maple flavor followed by vinegary sharpness. After I had it, I thought that was strange, but then I wanted another, and another, and another. It's strange how it was so enticing even when it seemed like such an odd flavor pairing. Somehow, it worked for me with the sweet, salt, and sour flavors mixing in. Of course, the light crispy cracker was adding something very "more-ish" to the textural delights.

I can't say that this is for everyone, but I liked it. It wouldn't be my first choice of Happy Turn, but it very much won't be hard to finish the bag. I can't say I'd kill to get more, but, if it was on sale, I'd certainly pick up some more for future consumption. At only 20 calories per cracker, it's also not the most calorically dense treat and the flavor is strong enough to satisfy after about 5 or so of them. My only issue with them is that, while they are all individually wrapped, they're done with a twist wrapper. Chances are they'll go stale fast if the bag isn't kept tightly closed or they aren't eaten pretty fast. That's a small complaint, and I can say that Happy Turn deserves the "happy" rating.

The "Happy Turn" download page currently features some adorable illustrations of the king and his castle. You can get it here for the time being.

Halloween Happy Turn (Product Information)

All images were captured from Kameda Seika's Happy Turn web site.

Halloween candy started showing up in shops here shortly before Labor Day. I'm not sure what the official cut-off point is for starting sales of candy that ostensibly is to be distributed at the end of October, but it does seem that any time near start of September is deemed appropriate. Of course, most candy purchased so early sits around and tempts the purchaser and finds its way into happy bellies rather than into Halloween bags and lanterns. And, no, that is not to say that I have succumbed. While I view the enormous bags of tiny candies with curiosity in terms of cost, design, and content, I haven't been compelled to buy any. No, no. I will wait until the holiday is over and they sell them at a reduced price. I haven't been out of mainstream America long enough to forget that!

When I was in Japan, I noticed that the same holiday creep occurred there as does here. Halloween, despite not really being a Japanese holiday, is no exception as evidenced by the options for snacks. Of course, no one is going to be dropping packets of sembei (rice crackers) into the plastic pumpkins of Japanese children since they do not yet trick-or-treat, but packages with a Halloween motif are out there. 

For those who don't remember my review of Happy Turn rice crackers, they are a very popular brand of vinegar, salt, and slightly sweet sembei. I had them quite a few times while in Japan, both in the 200% version that I reviewed and the regular version. In the U.S., I can buy them at the Daiso Japan or Nijiya supermarkets or take your chances on eBay.

The Halloween version of Happy Turn is essentially the same as the regular version. It simply comes in some pretty adorable packaging with a unique Japanese style. Fortunately, you can get your cute mascot on without buying the rice crackers if you are so inclined. You can download two wallpapers in each of two sizes and even some "letter sets" (stationary) templates. The latter is an indication of the fact that Japan is still a culture which embraces a good hand-written letter. You can download them at the following links: orange letter and envelope, purple letter and envelope, orange wallpaper 1024 x 768, orange wallpaper 1280 x 1024, purple wallpaper 1024 x 768, purple wallpaper 1280 x 1024. You can also access them directly through the Happy Turn site, but you'd have to be able to follow the links in Japanese. I'm offering them here for those who can't read it. I don't believe these links will work forever though, so if you want them, I'd suggest downloading them now. I wouldn't be surprised if Kameda Seika removed them after Halloween.

Even if you can't get your hands on the adorable Japanese packaging version, I would recommend sampling Happy Turn if you have a chance (and if you like vinegar flavor). I wouldn't, however, recommend giving it out to trick or treaters. I'm pretty sure they'd egg your house into oblivion.