Simplicity the key to chart-topping convenience store snacks

Japanese netizens take convenience store snacks seriously, turning to sites such as Mognavi, where they rate their favorites, which get displayed as top-10 rankings.

No surprise, the rankings feature a lot of fried chicken. FamilyMart’s new line of Poke Chiki (Pocket Chicken) has performed well, with “plain” outpacing “cheese” and “hot.” Each pouch (¥200 after tax) delivers a flavor reminiscent of the chain’s flagship Famichiki offering, albeit not delivering quite the same juiciness. Seven-Eleven’s recent chicken nuggets (¥200 after tax) also deserve praise, mostly for offering extra crispiness.

Lawson reigns supreme though, and the top spot at the moment belongs to a slight surprise; the store’s tappuri corn skewer has wowed the online masses. The snack (¥140 after tax) offers a bunch of kernels gelled together by a light frying that gives the snack a bit of crunch, but lets the corn’s natural texture and taste come through. Simple and delicious — maybe that’s the formula for winning over the masses.

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