Plus, an exclusive bag of snacks to sprinkle on ramen, inspired by the iconic instant noodles.

Japanese convenience stores are always coming up with exciting new ways to make hot food more interesting, and 7-Eleven is doing that right now with a brand new fried chicken inspired by the flavour of a beloved mini cup of tonkotsu ramen.

Called “Okashina Chicken (Butamen Tonkotsu Flavour)” this new product has been created in collaboration with Oyatsu Company’s long-running Butamen mini cup ramen brand.

▼ Butamen (ブタメン) literally translates as “Pig Noodle“.

Butamen is a long-selling small cup ramen that first appeared in Japan in 1993. Its tonkotsu flavour, based on the rich pork-bone broth associated with Japanese ramen, proved to be particularly popular, turning Butamen into one of Oyatsu Company’s best-known products.

▼ Butamen comes in many flavours, but tonkotsu is the most popular.

Now, that nostalgic ramen flavour has been turned into a hot snack, with 7-Eleven’s new Okashina Chicken (Butamen Tonkotsu Flavour).

▼ The Okashina Chicken is priced at 198.72 yen (US$1.25) and comes in cute Butamen paper packaging.

“Okashina” translates as “Strange”, and that’s an apt description for this piece of fried chicken as it looks more like a fried doughnut. The unusual doughnut-like ring shape, complete with a hole in the middle, makes it stand out from other products in the hot food display at the counter.

▼ This promo image highlights the candy look of the chicken with a blurb at the top that reads: “Is this a sweet? No, it’s fried chicken!”

Made with chicken breast, the snack has been designed to balance the savoury Butamen-inspired tonkotsu flavour with a crispy coating. Biting into the crunchy fried exterior is said to deliver the familiar rich and savoury flavour of Butamen.

The playful look of the product is all part of the appeal, with 7-Eleven describing it as the sort of food that’s likely to catch people’s attention and inspire photos for social media.

For many locals, this is an unprecedented new way to enjoy the ramen they’ve grown up eating, and 7-Eleven is amping up excitement for the new release with another surprising Butamen product.

▼ Butamen Roast Pork-Style Snack (Pork & Garlic Flavour)

Priced at 140 yen, this limited-edition snack is inspired by the toppings you might add to a bowl of ramen, with a light, crispy texture and a rich pork-and-garlic flavour. It’s designed to be eaten on its own, but Oyatsu Company also recommends crumbling it over a cup of Butamen to give the ramen a roast-pork-style topping. The snack starts out crispy before gradually melting in the mouth, adding another texture to the experience.

▼ Enjoy the ブタメンパラダイス (Butamen Paradise)

Both products will be available at participating 7-Eleven stores nationwide, with the snack going on sale from 10 August and the fried chicken on 11 August.

Source, images: Press release
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