As readers of this site will soon know, we are unashamedly envious of the Japanese.   It’s not just because they have higher-quality produce, and better fatty tuna, and super-high-quality food standards. It’s also because they have interesting junk food.

We recently tried the Karamucho, the current best-selling spicy snack in Japanese.  The Karamucho  is a mix of the Japanese word “kalai” (spicy) and the Spanish word “mucho” (very).  The excellent blog, Japan Trends,  posted a Karamucho a great commercial shot in Mexico with a mariachi band. (If you listen closely, and you’ll realize that they’re all singing in Japanese, not Spanish.)

The Karamucho is not for everyone — it’s spicy, with a blend of paprika, garlic and onion flavors. But if you’re craving the Karamucho and you’re not planning a trip to Japan, you can buy them on Amazon for $4 a bag.

At the end of the day, we like the Karamucho, but it’s never going to replace a classic, like the Matsutani Ajituske Seasoned Seaweed Snack.