Japan, with its rich history and culture, also offers diverse cuisine. When it comes to souvenirs, you will be surprised to know the number of amazing vegan options the cuisine has to offer. If you live in Japan and are planning a trip back to your home country or you are visiting Japan and want to buy Vegan souvenirs, this list got you covered.
Green tea & Matcha
Tea is naturally vegan and Japan has very high-quality green tea and matcha available. Make sure to buy loose tea leaves for the green tea, and for matcha, buy ceremonial-grade matcha. You can also pair it with a Japanese-style tea container.
Japanese Sweets
Japanese sweets, like mochi, daifuku, etc are made with rice flour & some sweet filling inside, red bean paste being the popular option. There are other Japanese fruit flavor sweets as well which are also very delicious. There are non-vegan sweets as well, so make sure to check the ingredients.
Rice Crackers
Rice crackers make for a great tea-time snack. They are available in different flavors like soy sauce, wasabi, chili, etc. This one is my personal favorite. Make sure to check the ingredients as the non-vegan options are also very popular.
Seaweed Snacks
Another popular snack in Japan is the Seaweed (Nori). You can buy seaweed sheets or other seaweed snacks. It is used in making sushi, onigiri, ramen, and many other Japanese dishes. Seaweed is also a good option for people who are health conscious. Sometimes there are fish extracts or flavoring added to the seaweed, so please check the ingredients before you buy.
Soba & Udon
Dried Soba & Udon make for great Japanese souvenirs. Japanese people often give Soba & Udon for summer & winter gifts. The noodles can be enjoyed hot or cold and they are lightweight, small in size & easy to carry back.
Wasabi Paste
When thinking about Japanese condiments, Wasabi is the first thing that comes to mind. It is great for people who like the spicy kick. These are easily available at the convenience stores. At some spots, they also sell fresh Wasabi, make sure they do not have any animal product in it.
Soy Sauce
Soy sauce is a very popular Asian cooking ingredient. In Japan, you can buy high quality soy sauce which is brewed traditionally and has a very rich & deep flavor. Bonito flakes are also added to soy sauce, so make sure buy get the vegan one.
Pickled Vegetables
Different regions in Japan specialize in different types of vegetable pickles. Redish, cucumber & plum are the most popular ones. These pickles can also be enjoyed with different cuisines, which makes it an awesome vegan souvenir.
Miso Paste
The fermented soybean paste, Miso, is used in Japanese cooking in various ways. On cold winter days, having a hot miso soup is very comforting, or cooking that delicious miso ramen. It can also be used to cook base for Japanese dishes. There are different types of Miso paste available, white & red miso paste are the most popular ones.
Kombu
This is a type of seaweed, kelp. It is used to make vegan broth for Japanese cuisine. Someone interested in Japanese cuisine will love it. Dried Kombu has a long shelf life as well.
Furikake
Furikake is seasoning for rice which has a burst of flavor. It can be used to make onigiri or simply sprinkle on the rice to enjoy. Vegan options in Furikake are a bit less but you can look for seaweed, plum pickle (ume) flavor ones.
These are some amazing Japanese vegan souvenirs which you can choose from. If you have any other Japanese vegan souvenirs, do share with us in the comments.