From Seafood to Fruit! 8 Tasty Canned Foods From Japan

Canned Food: Tasty and Convenient Non-Perishable Food Items

Cooking for yourself daily may be fun, but it can sometimes feel like a chore. Canned foods come in handy during these situations.

Many types of ready-made and cooked food can be turned into amazing side dishes. All you have to do is open a can! These products also work as an emergency food supply since no cooking is necessary. The variety of canned foods in Japan has made it a popular souvenir among international visitors.

This article will introduce our recommended list of canned foods for souvenirs, preserved food, or as part of your emergency food supply.

1. Boiled Mackerel in Water and Boiled Mackerel in Miso (Ito Foods)

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Boiled Mackerel in Water by Ito Foods contains domestic fatty mackerel seasoned with salt that is boiled until the bones become soft. Thanks to its simple flavor, it's an easy ingredient to add to Japanese or Western-style dishes.

The Boiled Mackerel in Miso is seasoned in a sweet miso sauce and is excellent to eat on its own.

2. Boiled Mackerel with Shio Koji (Norlake)

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Boiled Mackerel by Norlake contains domestic mackerel seasoned with shio koji (koji salt) and then boiled in water.

This product is packed with nutrients such as EPA, a fatty acid that decreases triglyceride levels by thinning the blood, and DHA, an acid that facilitates smooth signal transmission between nerve cells in the brain. It's the perfect side dish for children and the elderly.

The Boiled Sardines in Miso, featuring sardines simmered in a sweet miso sauce, is another delightful product.

3. Light Tuna Flakes (Inaba)

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Inaba Foods is known for producing and selling canned and ready-made foods.

Light Tuna Flakes has been a long-time bestseller among the canned goods by Inaba. It's also easy to find Inaba canned products at any supermarket.

Yellowfin tuna is chosen for its freshness. It is then seasoned and marinated in salad oil. It has a robust flavor loved by families in Japan.

4. Canned Sardines in Soy Sauce (Nissui)

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Canned Sardines in Soy Sauce by Nippon Suisan (Nissui)—a major Japanese food company—contains large-sized sardines cooked in a sweet and salty soy sauce base.

It's perfect for dinner, a side dish in your lunch box, or as a snack with alcohol. It can be used in various types of cooking depending on how it's prepared.

Sardines are rich in nutrients such as DHA, EPA, and calcium. It's also available at a reasonable price of around 200 yen per can. It'd be a great idea to stock up on this product.

The Canned Squid in Soy Sauce, featuring squid simmered in the same sweet and salty base, is another popular product.

5. Canned Oden with Ganmo and Daikon (Kotengu)

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The Kotengu Canned Oden by Tengu Canning Co., Ltd, a canned goods manufacturer, is a specialty of Akihabara Electric Town. It suddenly became trendy when Chichibu Denki (now closed) sold canned oden in vending machines during the 1990s.

This product contains ganmo (deep-fried tofu patties), daikon radish, satsuma-age (deep-fried fishcakes), konjac, and other ingredients. It is mildly seasoned to make the most of the ingredients' natural flavors.

Of course, you can eat it as a side dish with rice or use it as emergency food.

6. White Peaches (K&K)

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K&K is an original brand by Kokubu Group Corporation, a food products manufacturer. The brand produces various types of canned fruit.

The top recommended product in their lineup is the canned White Peaches. Domestic white peaches are simmered in a sweet syrup, making the fruit's sweet fragrance and soft texture a delight.

They also carry fruit variations such as the Tohoku White Peaches. This product uses white peaches grown in the Tohoku region, famous for its peach production.

7. Domestic Mandarin Oranges (Sunyo)

The Domestic Mandarin Oranges by Sunyo, a canned foods manufacturer, is the most popular canned fruit in Japan.

The mandarin orange's pith (thin skin) is removed before the oranges are soaked in syrup. This product is loved by all ages because it's easy to eat.

In addition to mandarin oranges, Sunyo is famous for its canned cherries, pineapples, and European pears.

8. Mentsuna Kankan (Fukuya)

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Fukuya is a famous mentaiko (spicy cod roe) manufacturer based in Fukuoka, Kyushu.

The Mentai Senbei by Fukuya is another popular product for Kyushu souvenirs. It features rice crackers with mentaiko mixed into the dough.

Mentsuna Kankan is a featured product from Fukuya. This tasty canned tuna product is flavored with mentaiko. It can be eaten in various ways, including on top of rice, as a snack with beer, or as a salad ingredient.

There are three different variations available. Mentsuna Kankan is the original, while Mentsuna Kankan Spicy is the spicier version. Mentsuna Kankan Premium is a luxurious product containing 20% mentaiko in each can.

Want to eat just mentaiko? Then we recommend the Canned Mentaiko in Oil.

Enjoy Japanese Flavors Through Canned Foods

Many canned foods have been appearing on the market in recent years. These products are delicious, simple, and can be stored for an extended period of time. It would be great to have different varieties stocked in your cupboard!

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