The Perfect Asian Picnic Foods for Sunny Days
On summer days like these, there's nothing better than grabbing your favourite picnic foods and heading to the park to spend the afternoon relaxing and eating.
It may not come as a surprise that picnics are incredibly popular in Asia too - especially on hot summer days.
So, we'd love to take this chance to share some of our favourite Asian picnic foods with you to breathe new life into your picnics.
Classic Bites
What are the absolute staples of an Asian picnic? You'll find bites like these in many Asian picnics and there's a good reason why. Here's just some of our favourite picks!
Onigiri (Japanese Rice Balls)
Onigiri is often touted as the perfect lunch snack. You'll find them in convenience stores everywhere in Japan. They might be less common in the UK, but luckily they're an easy picnic snack to make at home.
Cook your sushi rice, find your favourite filling, and you're good to go! Add nori if you're going the extra mile. A simple onigiri makes for a great Asian picnic snack.
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Japanese Fruit Sandwich (Fruit Sando)
Fruit sandos might seem unusual, but they're a very popular snack in Asia. Refreshing, sweet, and tasty there's nothing better you could ask for when planning a picnic. With fluffy white bread, a creamy centre and juicy pieces of fruit, it's popular for a reason.
You can absolutely make these at home and tailor it to your taste! Or you could grab one from your local grocery store.
Fried Chicken
Fried chicken is one of the most popular snacks in Korea and Taiwan. While fried chicken might seem a mile away from the usual sandwiches you see at picnics, it's a definite upgrade. In Korea, they'll grab chicken from their local chicken shop (usually Kyochon or BHC) and treat their friends to a chicken snack in the park.
We'd really recommend trying this at least once. It's truly a quintessential Asian picnic experience!
Savoury Snacks
Every Asian picnic needs savoury snacks that add a bit of crunch. Here are some suggestions to take your Asian picnic to the next level.
Crisps
When you walk into an Asian convenience store, you'll be greeted with aisles of flavourful crisps. These flavours might not be the ones you're used to, but if you let Asian crisps into your heart, the crunchy, salty and spicy rewards are plentiful. Starting at the edge of familiar you'll find the Lay's you're used to, as well as many you're perhaps not used to - cucumber, seaweed, and even black pepper & yam!
On the other side of our coin, you can crank the heat as far as you can handle. If you see a cartoon octopus holding a chilli pepper, be fairly warned. Calbee Grill A Corn is also a favourite of ours, with a perfect crunch.
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Seaweed Snacks
A bit lighter than crisps but with all the salty tastiness. Seaweed snacks are the perfect alternative for those who love salt and seaweed. We'd especially recommend picking up the tempura seaweed snacks for extra crunch and a picnic snack you won't be able to live without.
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Wasabi Peas
Wasabi is like marmite - you love it or you hate it. If you're in the latter category, then we sympathise. But, if you're someone who loves wasabi, then you must try wasabi peas. Always delicious with a hit of wasabi, these peas come strong or subtle - it's all about finding the right brand for you.
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Sweet Treats
No list of Asian picnic foods would be complete without sweet treats, and trust us - there are plenty to fill your picnic basket.
Chocolate
Asian chocolate tends to be quite different than the UK, a little less sweet and lots of flavours to choose from. Take Japanese Kit Kats, there's a flavour for everyone - matcha, strawberry, sakura, and even sake. Peppero and Pocky also make sure excellent picnic snacks. And Choco Pie is a staple food in any Korean picnic!
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Mochi
Mochi is a chewy and tasty Japanese rice cake that can be found in a variety of flavours. Mochi is often filled with cream, fruit, or sweet red bean paste, so it works great as a picnic dessert. You might have seen ice cream mochi on supermarket shelves, but mochi in its traditional form isn't prone to melting. In fact, it's perfect for a summer picnic.
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Ice Lollies
We've already mentioned mochi ice cream, which is certainly a delicious snack, but ice lollies claim just as much fame in Asian picnics! Coming in many different flavours and varieties with the ability to cool down in a hot, humid summer, there's not much we'd recommend more on a hot day.
Refreshing Asian Picnic Drinks
No picnic is complete without some refreshing drinks to accompany those Asian snacks. Here's some suggestions to quench your thirst and keep you cool.
Chilled Green Tea
Green tea is most often associated with a hot, steaming cup of tea. But chilled green tea has all the benefits of the hot drink with added refreshment. You can easily make this at home too.
Get your favourite bottle to cold brew in, infuse with any fruits or flavours you want in the final product, and refrigerate it for about 4-8 hours (depending on the strength you like), and you've got the perfect chilled green tea!
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Iced Matcha Latte
With the rising popularity of Matcha, it's unsurprising that it made it onto our list as well. But there's a good reason for it. Iced matcha latte is an option in just about every coffee shop in Asia, so it's easy to take with you.
But it's becoming much easier to make at home too.
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Ramune
Ramune is most commonly a citrus soft drink, like lemonade. And where lemonade signals summer, so does Ramune. On a hot summer's day in Japan, you will not be able to escape Ramune. It's become the symbol of summer and festivals.
There are many other flavours of Ramune to try, including peach, cola, melon, and bubble gum. Grab one of each and see which you prefer!
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Final Word
As you've seen, a whole new world of Asian picnic food awaits your next summer outing.
You could even mix and match! A pairing of wasabi peas to bring out the flavour in a pork pie, or perhaps a splash of Ramune to cleanse a ploughman's palate. Asian snacks don't play it safe and neither should you!
Wherever you’re headed this summer – a quiet park or a busy festival – bring a taste of Asia with you. Explore our picnic-perfect picks now at morueats.com, and let your summer snacking adventure begin.
