Santa brought me a bag of wasabi-flavored, nori-wrapped kakimochi last Christmas. That’s what started it. I went looking for more, only to discover Santa had only skimmed the surface.
These bags of addiction are part of the Maika‘i line of products made for Foodland stores, a line of 280 foods from soft drinks to fresh salsas. My wasabi friend is in a category called “Locally Inspired Snacks” that comprises 12 kakimochi (aka arare or mochi crunch), plus rice crackers and wasabi peas.
The snacks have been around for more than two years, but I was never tempted because, you know, kakimochi — you can get that anywhere.
But I’m telling you, these are special — fresh, crunchy flavor bombs. They come in some standard types, but also original ones like Thai crab curry, Tom Yum, black soybean and Sriracha. Wasabi isn’t even my favorite anymore; that would be a tie between crab curry (a rice cracker that’s great with peanuts) and an ume-flavored, nori-wrapped kakimochi.
Lauren Moder, who bears the unwieldy title of director of floral, local procurement and private label for Foodland, is the Maika‘i maven, a job that involves searching the world for distinctive food products. The kakimochi cousins are produced by a company in Thailand, with recipes created for Foodland.
A small in-house committee vets all the versions, Moder said. “Sometimes it can take four tries or five tries till we say, ‘This is the one.’”
Even the packaging is specially designed to keep the contents crisp.
The Thai company is owned by a Japanese national who is “very, very Japanese” in his recipes, she said, which accounts for their quality and flavor.
“I’m really picky about my kakimochi.”
The snacks sell for $3.29 to $3.99 per bag, but some are always on sale for two for $5. I’ve seen them go as low as 99 cents a bag, which is how I ended up trying Thai crab curry. I was doubtful, but I was wrong.
And I’m picky about my kakimochi, too.
—Betty Shimabukuro, Star-Advertiser
BAKERY KNOWN FOR PIES ALSO A CHEESECAKE CHAMP
Everyone raves about the Chocolate Haupia Cream Pie made by Ted’s Bakery in Haleiwa, the company’s best- selling item for over 20 years, but if you dare to try something different and guaranteed scrumptious, go for the Pineapple Macadamia Nut Cheesecake.
The cheesecake layer is the rich, dense type, not the fluffy pseudo stuff, and it is generously spread over the sides of the cake, too. The bottom layer is a finely-crumbed cake containing little bits of chopped macadamia nuts, which are also sprinkled liberally on the sides.
What unites the two halves is a pineapple jam spread between the layers and on top of the cheesecake. Every bite is a marvelous mouthful of fruity, creamy and cake-y textures, and a contrast of cheesy and tart flavors.
Ted’s sells it by the slice ($5.79) or whole at ($27) at its retail outlet, which just reopened after months of pandemic shutdown at 59-024 Kamehameha Highway in Sunset Beach. Pastries, breakfast plates and omelets are also available there. Call 638-5974 or go to tedsbakery.com to order pies.
The pineapple cake is also regularly available at Foodland, Sack N Save, and Malama Market stores, but can sometimes be found at other grocery chains that carry Ted’s products, like Times Supermarket, Don Quijote and Tamura Super Market.
—Pat Gee, Star-Advertiser
