Foodie Adventure Japan

Kaldi Vegan Haul

Our Foodie Blog has taken over grocery vegan hauls this month. This week we’re heading to Kaldi, an import grocery store that has a range of goods coming from Thailand, Italy, Mexico, Korea, India, United States, and many more countries! If you’re looking for something specific that you cannot find in a regular Japanese supermarket, there is a good chance you will be able to find it at Kaldi. Also, it’s chock full of hidden vegan products. Read below to see what my Kaldi vegan haul looks like!

 

I usually go there fully knowing I will spend quite a bit of money, but there are also usually some great sales. It is hit or miss, as some items can be quite expensive for what they are. Check out about the current sales here!

Also, an important note is that Kaldi is actually a coffee shop as well. So you can buy your beans there and have them ground if you would like! This makes the store smell wonderful while you’re browsing. 

 

Snacks

 

Hummus chips with flavors like tomato & basil or garlic & sun dried tomato! These are super tasty but they are usually quite expensive. I found them at Kaldi for less than 200 yen.

Veggie legume crisps that are clearly labeled as vegan. I have not tried these, but word on the street is that they are pretty tasty as a quick snack. 

I struck gold with these chili and lime rolled corn tortilla chips! They remind me of the Takis from back in America. 

These Maple Cream Canadian cookies are the vegan hero we need. Surprisingly, they are vegan! Scoop some of these and have them as a snack with a cup of coffee or tea. 

Biscoff cookies are probably one of the few things I hold near and dear to my little vegan heart, and they can be found at Kaldi! These little slices of crunchy goodness will make your day, and they perfectly complement a scoop of ice cream. 

I always stock up on the dried mangos from Kaldi, because they tend to be cheaper here for a large bag than what I have found elsewhere.

Banana chips are the perfect little bag to bring along to work and munch on, so I always pick up a few when I stop by Kaldi.

Popcorn is one of my favorite snacks to have on hand, and it’s relatively rare to find the microwave bags in the supermarket. Luckily Kaldi always has the boxes of microwaveable bags!

Toppoki is so fluffy and delicious, and usually comes in little pots with dressings that are not vegan or vegetarian even. Alas, Kaldi has a Toppoki pot with no animal products! And it tastes amazing!

Veggie Crisp Breads are cracker-like packages that vary in flavors like kale, carrot, or beet. Crackers in Japan sometimes have meat flavoring in them, but this one is free and clear and full of veggies!

Spreads, Dressings, Pastes and Sauces

 

Kaldi has a wide range of normal spreads like peanut butter and jam that are, of course vegan, but Kaldi also has the Biscoff crunchy cookie spread!! Yes!! It is a must for all things concerning happiness. 

This mango fruit sauce dressing looked interesting, and it looks to be clear of all animal products on the labels. It is actually one of the things that is hard to find in Japan, a vegan dressing, since most contain some sort of fish or meat powder (ugh).

Tom Yum sauce usually has fish flavoring, and this one appears to be perfectly safe for vegans! It’s like finding the golden ticket! 

Mie Goreng seasoning for noodle dishes is also a bit hard to locate in Tokyo, but head to Kaldi for a very reasonably priced jar.

Dijon mustard is seriously my go to favorite for everything- dressings, sandwiches, sauces! So I love to always have a large jar on hand, and you can find the mega-size ones at Kaldi!

If you’re looking for the sauerkraut jar of your dreams, this is your place. Sauerkraut is either non-existent or ridiculously expensive, but not here!

Gochujang, the most versatile Korean condiment, is sold by the tub at Kaldi, so it’s a great product to add for all your Korean recipe needs.

Vegemite has remained elusive the last few years, and it finally has resurfaced again! I love to add this to toast for that rush of B vitamins. 

Frozen 

 

Vegan pie sheets! Yes, they can be found in Japan! But I have only seen them rarely, and Kaldi is one of the places. Looks like I will be making a pie in my future!

Acai smoothies are some of my favorite smoothies, but it is usually difficult to find Acai. You can buy these large frozen packs from Kaldi, though they are quite expensive. 

Bread and Bean Products

 

Pita is rarely found around Tokyo, but you can find a few packs at your neighborhood Kaldi. It is quite expensive, but if you’re really craving it, it will definitely do the trick.

I have had yet to find maze around Japan to make tortillas with, but I struck gold last week when it popped up on the shelf right between all the salsas.

If I am looking to get a little extra veggies in, I like to opt for a spinach pasta or something of the sort. The spinach noodles from Kaldi are super tasty and a quick dinner on a busy night.

Kaldi is oat crazy, there are so many oatmeal brands to choose from! It is one of the few places I have also found the larger boxes of Quaker Oats as well.

Drinks

 

Oat milk has finally landed in Japan, and I am so pleased to find oat milk creamer as well. It will set you back 800 yen, but it is by far the best non-dairy creamer I have found.

Canned Items

 

I have searched far and wide, and I finally have located canned artichokes in Japan! I used them to make a spinach artichoke dip which is, quite frankly, amazing.

Well, that’s it for my vegan Kaldi haul! There are even more goodies that I am sure I missed, but that’s part of the fun of checking it out yourself.

 

Do you have any favorite vegan items from Kaldi? Let us know in the comments below!

 

Happy eating!

 

xoxo Jackie