CRUNCH TIME: How Do Mochi Rice Bites ‘Snack Up?’

That was a play on ‘stack up’ – get it?  Anyway…you don’t usually say ‘mochi’ and ‘crunch’ together – until now. Here’s why, and what makes this gluten free snack is so addictive.

Okay, are you ready for a freaky story? First, know that Sun Tropics’ Sriracha Mochi Rice Bites are easy to eat, crunchy and delicious. They’re inspired by traditional Japanese soft rice dough. But these are cooked until they’re crunchy and come in easy to eat bites. They’re tasty and easy to eat.

Okay, here comes from the wild part:

If you haven’t had actual mochi before, there’s an interesting backstory: Mochi is a traditional Japanese soft rice that is steamed, pounded and mashed and then formed into buns made of soft and chewy rice. And I mean CHEWY. They’re hugely popular around the New Year where they are often served cooked in vegetable broth. They look harmless enough, but officials in Japan usually issue warnings that their ‘hard-to-eat’ nature make them a choking hazard! As in, several people (kids and the elderly) had apparently died from suffocation because they didn’t CHEW THEM ENOUGH. Yeesh.

Now remember: THESE ARE NOT THOSE. THESE ARE CRUNCHY AND EASY TO EAT. Everyone relax.

These are cut into delicious, crunchy nuggets full of flavor. I’m a crunch person. These deliver on that in spades. The flavor has just enough of a pop or sriracha heat, but will not overblast you for shock value. Think of a medium buffalo wing type of flavor. (In fact these could easily have been called Buffalo bites in another scenario. The heat and the crunch make this a seriously addictive snack.

The line of bites offers Asian inspired flavors that also inlcude Tamari, Tokyo Curry, and Sea Salt.

These are also VEGAN, GLUTEN FREE and have no MSG. (You’d be surprised how many of the snacks – especially flavored chips you’re eating all the time do us MSG.)

They’re available at health food stores, and online, although the prices online seem to be higher than you’ll pay in a grocery store.

Give them a try!