Looking at a bag of Kanikko in a supermarket, I’d probably think it was some type of children’s snack. The friendly and inviting décor of the bag resembles something one would find in a toy store or at least find some type of prize at the bottom. From a distance, the contents of the bag resemble funny-shaped pretzels. Up close…they are most definitely NOT pretzels.

Kanikko, a Japanese snack, are actually miniature crabs. No, not crab cakes or pretzels with crab in them - they are real crabs that were once swimming around in a body of water somewhere in Asia. And folks, they are crunchy (not that the outside of a crab would be soft or anything, but hey). They are sweet and salty and can be found in Asian supermarkets around the five boroughs such as Sakura-Ya in Forest Hills, Queens and Aji Ichiban down in Chinatown.

Apparently, this is the norm overseas. Japan is home to many odd snack foods such as pancakes filled with red beans and whipped cream (seriously) and spicy noodles with mayonnaise. So I guess sweet and salty mini crabs in a bag are kind of like their potato chips. Except not.

What will they think of next?