Pop Japan

Because rice is the staple food in Japan, the Japanese are able to innovate in its preparation and are even able to produce different sweets and snacks from it. One of the more popular rice snacks originated in Akita Prefecture. Called the kiritanpo, this kind of rice snack is a food that people from Akita can be proud of. To cook such a good snack, one must have freshly cooked rice first. The rice is then mashed into a smooth filling-like mixture. It is then shaped into cylinders around Japanese cedar skewers. They are then toastaed over open coal or hearth for a more rural taste and feel. Sometimes served with sweetened miso, the kiritanpo can also be served as dumplings in soups. 

Tags: food, kiritanpo, japanese snack, rice snack, akita prefecture, freshly cooked rice, filling-like mixture, japanese cedar skewer, sweetened miso, soup dumplings