Roundup of classic and popular festival foods, plus trending menu items
When you go to a festival, the first things that catch your eye are all the food stalls, right? Game stalls like lotteries and yo-yo fishing are fun, and food stalls that everyone loves—from kids to adults—are a must.
In this article, we’ll introduce a roundup of classic festival foods.
We’ve picked a wide range, from longtime favorites to items that have become popular in recent years.
If you’re wondering what to eat at a festival or which type of stall to run, be sure to check this out!
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Roundup of classic and popular festival foods, plus trendy menus (21–30)
fried pasta
Fried pasta made by deep-frying long pasta.
Besides being sold at festival stalls and fairs, it also seems to be a staple snack on the menu at some izakaya pubs.
It’s often sold in paper or plastic cups.
Because you can pick it up with your fingers and eat it easily, it’s popular with children too.
Fried pasta has a delightful, crispy texture.
There are many seasonings, such as salt with aonori (green laver), soy sauce and butter, or cinnamon with granulated sugar.
With so many flavors available, it sounds fun to try fried pasta from different shops.
Isobe-yaki (grilled seaweed-wrapped rice cake)
Isobeyaki, with its appetizing aroma of soy sauce sizzling to a toasty finish.
It’s made by brushing soy sauce glaze onto mochi wrapped in nori and grilling it.
Along with enjoying the sea-scented nori, one of isobeyaki’s charms is how easy it is to eat with one hand.
Since it uses mochi, you could even call it a uniquely Japanese form of fast food.
During the bubble era from the late 1980s to the early 1990s, isobeyaki was sold in busy downtown areas like Shinjuku Kabukicho, Shibuya Center Street, and Ginza.
Back then, it supposedly cost around 100 yen.
Summary of classic and popular festival foods, including trendy menu items (31–40)
Pork-Wrapped Rice Ball
Meat-wrapped rice balls made by marinating pork in a soy sauce–based dipping sauce, then wrapping it around rice.
These meat-wrapped rice balls, now famous nationwide, are said to be a local B-grade gourmet specialty of Miyazaki Prefecture.
While they’re traditionally slow-roasted in an oven, at food stalls you’ll often see rice balls wrapped in meat being grilled on a large griddle.
The savory aroma of soy sauce glaze and sizzling pork really whets the appetite.
The meat-wrapped rice balls, which look almost like solid chunks of meat, also make a strong visual impact.
Some shops serve them topped with cheese or chopped green onions once they’re cooked.
Additionally, at certain places you can add toppings like mayonnaise or kimchi to taste.
Chicken skin dumplings
Chicken-skin gyoza: dumplings whose filling is wrapped in chicken skin.
They’re so popular lately that even frozen chicken-skin gyoza are being sold.
Those grilled on a hot plate with a nice char look incredibly appetizing.
With the first bite, the richness that seeps from the chicken skin mingles with the dumpling filling, spreading umami in your mouth.
Like grilled chicken skin yakitori, they’re characterized by a crisp texture and a toasty aroma.
They are said to have originated in China.
Chicken skin, which is high in fat, adds depth and umami to the filling.
They’re also beloved as a style of gyoza suited to China’s colder regions, where dumplings are often eaten in hot pots.
corn dog
American dogs are a familiar food you can find in the hot snack section of convenience stores.
Freshly fried ones are crispy, while those that have sat for a while have a pleasantly soft texture that’s tasty in its own way.
Beyond the classic bat-shaped American dog, there’s been an increase in varieties lately.
You can find the Korean-style hatogu packed with cheese, or versions with churro dough wrapped around the sausage.
American dogs are usually eaten with ketchup and mustard, right? In Kushiro, Hokkaido, there’s even a custom of sprinkling them with sugar.
Mitarashi dango
When it comes to mitarashi dango, isn’t it one of the most popular types of wagashi? Still, because it’s so easy to buy, many people may have never made it themselves.
For the dumpling portion, you use a flour called shiratamako.
You can knead it with water, but there’s also a method where you use silken tofu instead of water.
Using tofu is said to produce dumplings that don’t harden even after being refrigerated.
Boil them in hot water, skewer them, and sear them in a frying pan to add a bit of char.
All that’s left is to coat them with sauce and they’re ready.
Even a sauce made with just soy sauce makes for a delicious, grown-up flavor.
Popcorn
Popcorn to go with a movie comes in a variety of flavors, and even choosing one is part of the fun.
Since watching the kernels pop energetically is a highlight, it’s recommended to showcase the cooking process when selling, adding an element of attraction.
While salt and caramel are classics, trying out new seasonings could really liven things up.
You could also prepare a selection of spices and let customers season their popcorn themselves.
Because the base is simple, there’s plenty of room for creativity, which helps enhance the overall enjoyment of the event.
