The Japanese puffed corn snack whose name means “delicious stick” is Umaibō.
Umaibō is a small, cylindrical puffed-corn snack produced by Riska and sold by Yaokin. Its name combines the Japanese word umai, meaning delicious or tasty, with bō, meaning stick or rod. The shape is literal: each snack is a lightweight corn cylinder designed to be eaten as a single inexpensive bar.
The product launched in Japan in July 1979 and became a staple of dagashi, the country’s inexpensive children’s sweets and snack culture. It is sold in many flavours, including cheese, corn potage, mentai, takoyaki, salad, and chocolate. Limited-time flavours are regularly introduced and retired to maintain interest.
Umaibō was famous for keeping its suggested price at 10 yen for more than forty years. The price rose to 12 yen in 2022 and to 15 yen in 2024. Its round-headed, earless cat mascot is often nicknamed Umaemon, reflecting the snack’s strong place in Japanese pop culture.