Ginbis Tabekko Dobutsu / Dream Animals
Classic Japanese Animal Crackers
A little bit sweet, a little bit savory, and a slight seaweed aftertaste – Ginbis’ Seaweed-flavored Dream Animal biscuits are a super-cute snack enjoyed by both children and adults! The flavor is mild, but oddly addictive with a light crunch. Each box of Dream Animals, or tabekko dobutsu as they are fondly referred to in Japanese, contains a whole zoo of animal-shaped biscuits. There are actually 46 different creatures! From cats and dogs to penguins and polar bears, I have never seen such a robust variety of animal cracker wildlife as Ginbis offers. You may even find a tapir, fur seal, wild boar or horn owl in your box!
Learn English While You Snack!
Despite being a Japanese snack, each animal is labeled with the English name! The back of the box has a list of all 46 animals and their Japanese translations. As a native English speaker, I was shocked to learn a new avian vocabulary word myself: peafowl. Did you know that ‘peacock’ is actually for males, and peafowl is the gender-neutral word for the species? My mind was blown by this goofy box of Japanese animal biscuits!
Animal Cracker Origins
To American audiences they are animal crackers. But, these animal-shaped snacks originated in England in 1800’s and were referred to as biscuits. Ginbis wasn’t established until the 1930s (originally under a different name), but since then their Dream Animals have become a popular snack item in Japan. During World War II one of Ginbis’ confectionary factories was destroyed, but the company was able to rebuild and continue production. Today tabekko dobutsu come in many flavors in addition to seaweed, including butter, banana, coconut, maple butter and chocolate.
Tabekko Dobutsu Get a Makeover
Some of Ginbis’ 46 animal shapes would not be easily identifiable without the English name printed on the biscuit. But, in 2020 biscuit artist @spcookies20 gave each animal a makeover using colored icing. @spcookies’ work is quite impressive, with so much detail included into the design of a small animal cracker!
Pin this review of Ginbis' Animal Dream Seaweed biscuits to your 'must-try' international snack list!
Curious to try more snacks from Japan? Check out Corn Soup Flavored Polinky Chips!
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