Kado Morokoshi Wataro Corn Puff Snacks Chili Bean Paste (Doubanjiang)

Of all the flavors in the Morokoshi Wataro lineup, this one travels the furthest from the light, sweet world of everyday dagashi.

Chili bean paste — doubanjiang, the fermented broad bean and chili paste that forms the fiery backbone of Sichuan cuisine — brings a depth and complexity to this ring-shaped corn puff that is unlike anything else in the Kado range, and entirely unlike what the humble packaging might suggest.

The seasoning here is genuinely layered. Doubanjiang provides the foundation: a fermented, slightly funky heat with body and persistence, quite different from the sharp, direct burn of raw chili.

Around it, a Chinese-style soup base adds savory warmth and roundness, while fish sauce — made from seafood — contributes a deep, underlying umami that is present without announcing itself.

Sesame oil threads through the whole blend with a gentle, nutty fragrance, and paprika adds both color and a mild earthy sweetness that softens the heat just enough to keep the overall flavor balanced and approachable.

The result is a corn puff that tastes genuinely of something: a spiced, savory, faintly fermented flavor with a clean heat that builds gradually and lingers pleasantly, rather than hitting all at once and disappearing.

It is the kind of snack that rewards those who like their dagashi with a little more character — not searingly hot, but unmistakably bold by the standards of the category.

The base is the same ring-shaped, airy non-GMO corn puff shared across the Wataro family — light, crisp, and dissolving cleanly — which makes the contrast between the delicate texture and the assertive seasoning all the more enjoyable.

Each 17g bag disappears quickly, and the flavor tends to linger long enough to make the next one feel entirely justified.

About this item
Item Name : Morokoshi Wataro Chili Bean Paste
Brand : Kado
Item Form : Snacks
Number of Items : 17g (Pack of 1)