[A no-nonsense, self-funded comparison review] Food for hiking. Five of the latest and most popular products that not only provide nutrition but also boost your mood

Written by Haruki Murakami

Hiking and mountain climbing consumes a lot more calories than you might imagine, so you'll get hungry quickly. At times like these, you need "on-the-go food" that can be easily eaten without cooking to satisfy your hunger. Of course, regular bread or rice balls from a convenience store are fine, but we recommend products designed with mountain climbing in mind that are as light as possible and will efficiently charge you with the energy you need for your climb

So this time, I've picked out five of the latest field foods that have caught my eye recently, and I'd like to actually test them out to see which ones are the most delicious, easiest to eat, and most nutritious!

table of contents

The 5 latest trending snacks
Test environment and field test results
Review of each product
Summary: My personal recommendation is "Enemochi Walnut Flavor"

The 5 latest trending snacks

From the mountain climbing food available on the market, I focused on the following three points that I personally considered important, and ultimately selected five products to test while eating them on actual mountain climbs

High-energy foods (mountain climbing burns a lot of calories, especially on long hikes)
Contains Palatinose® (slow carbohydrate absorption)
Something delicious (rewarding yourself when you're tired is important for your mental health!)

Test environment and field test results

Here are five products that caught our eye and the results of our taste test:

Features	Delicious and easy to eat "mochi" snacks	Delicious and easy to eat "Hanpen" on the go	A high-calorie energy bar that you can eat in no time	Craft chocolate with fragrant dates	Flavorful fruit bars
Product name	Cerro Torre Co., Ltd. Enemoti	Minato Health Foods Rice Puree	MANA BAR	NATURE THING Pure Dates Chocolate	NATURE THING WHOLE BAR
image
Flavor	Walnut mochi	Ome flavor	Apple Cinnamon	The Cacao	South Indian Curry
Calories (Kcal)	149	108	186	152	137
Contents (g)	40	40	45	35	40
Calories per gram (Kcal/g)	3.7	2.7	4.1	4.3	3.4
Reference price	313 yen	262 yen	388 yen	450 yen	298 yen
Here is ◎	Good balance	delicious Easy to eat	High in calories Easy to eat	Fragrant and delicious	Rich Flavors
Here is △	No drawbacks	Low in calories	High price	High price Difficult to eat	Difficult to eat
Outdoor Gearzine Review
calorie	★★★★☆	★★☆☆☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★☆☆
Deliciousness	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★☆☆	★★★★☆
Ease of eating	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★☆☆	★★★☆☆
price	★★★☆☆	★★★★☆	★★☆☆☆	★★☆☆☆	★★★★☆
Personal favorite	★★★★★	★★☆☆☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★☆

Review of each product

Enemochi: Recommended for all hikers, from leisurely hikes to fastpacking! If you love mochi, this is it!

What was good about this ◎

Natural and delicious!
Sufficient amount of energy
Contains Palatinose® to prevent blood sugar levels from rising

What I'm curious about △

There are no drawbacks to this

Taste impressions

Walnut mochi has a delicious walnut flavor and texture
The amazake flavor has the delicious taste of amazake, so anyone who likes amazake will love it!

ENEMOTI Trial Set of 6 (2 Walnut Mochi, 2 Salt Mochi, 2 Amazake Mochi) [Sotoaso Original Set, Trail Running, Cycling, Road Bike, Endurance Sports, Mountaineering, Mochi, Energy Supplement, Delicious]

created by Rinker

Enemoti

¥1,722 (as of 2026/02/07 12:18:26, according to Amazon - details)

Rice puree: Recommended for hikers who want to eat while walking!

What was good about this ◎

Easy to eat
delicious!
Digestion seems to be good too

What I'm curious about △

Low energy content of 100 Calories

Taste impressions

The green plum flavor is sour and energizing. Delicious!
The mitarashi dango flavor is a sweet and salty one that people who like it will love

Rice Puree 12-Piece Set (3 Green Plum, 3 Mitarashi Dango, 3 Apple Honey, 3 Kyoho Grape)

created by Rinker

No-brand products

¥3,240 (as of 2026/02/07 12:18:26, according to Amazon - details)

MANA BAR: Recommended for all hikers, from leisurely hikes to fastpacking! If you like sweet things, this is it!

What was good about this ◎

Despite its appearance, it has an easy-to-eat texture (it's not dry!)
The most energy-rich of the five
There are many delicious flavors

What I'm curious about △

Priced at nearly 400 yen

Taste impressions

The apple cinnamon flavor was the most delicious of all the flavors tested!
The white macadamia flavor has a nice macadamia flavor and is delicious
The shiso and bonito flavor is a rare taste with the aroma of bonito broth. It is a rare find among the many sweet-tasting on-the-go foods!

MANABAR Assortment 5-Piece Set (1 of each flavor)

created by Rinker

No-brand products

Pure Dates Chocolat: If you're looking for something to enjoy with coffee on the mountaintop, this is the one to go for!

What was good about this ◎

The deliciousness of sugar-free craft chocolate
Delicious and flavorful dried fruits
Perfect match with coffee
Delicious and packaged to the point that it can be given as a gift

What I'm curious about △

The high price of 450 yen
It's a bit difficult to eat while moving around

Taste impressions

The Cacao has the flavor of high-quality chocolate and goes well with coffee, scotch, and more
The Rum & Fif flavor tastes like a fig-flavored fruit bar
The Banana & Pecan Nuts flavor has a chocolate banana flavor, but also has a strong date and cocoa flavor

[NATURE THING] Pure Dates Chocolate The Cacao | Chocolate, Craft Chocolate, Chocolate Bar, Dates, Cacao, Sugar-Free, Sweets, Western Confectionery, Snack, Gift, Small Gift, Present

WHOLE BAR: For hikers who want to enjoy a variety of flavors

What was good about this ◎

Every flavor is delicious
A good balance of taste, energy and price

What I'm curious about △

Difficulty eating (swallowing) while walking

Taste impressions

The South Indian Curry flavor has a good balance of spices and dried fruits, and the aroma of spices makes it an invigorating and unique flavor. I love it
The Peanut Butter Chai flavor tastes like you're drinking chai, and I personally love it!
The Dates & Pistachio flavor has a strong date flavor
The Cacao & Fig flavor has a strong fig flavor

NATURE THING WHOLE BAR Energy Fruit Bars, 4 Varieties x 3 Bars Assorted Box

created by Rinker

NATURE THING

¥3,205 (as of 2026/02/07 12:18:27, according to Amazon - details)

Summary: My personal recommendation is "Enemochi Walnut Flavor"

After tasting and reviewing five different snacks, the one I most wanted to take with me was Enemochi Walnut Flavor

The deciding factors were sufficient energy content, low blood sugar level, deliciousness, and ease of eating. Taste was especially important, and it helped me persevere when I was feeling down (as it does for everyone)

Coming in a close second is "MANA BAR Apple Cinnamon Flavor." It's easier to eat, tastier, and has more energy than Enemochi, but it doesn't contain Palatinose®, so I chose it as the runner-up. I ate it during a tough mountain hike, and it was extremely effective

Coming in third place is "NATURE THING Pure Dates Chocolate The Cacao Flavor." Rather than eating them while moving around, I think it would be best enjoyed with coffee on the summit. They're also perfect as a snack with whiskey at the campsite. They're also highly nutritious, so that might be a good way to eat them

The other two points are also excellent, and I think the most important thing is to choose snacks that suit your tastes and are perfect for your mountain trip

I hope this review of this field food will be helpful when you make your purchase

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Haruki Murakami

I've been mountaineering for 5 years and UL for 2 years. I'm a hiker who is still experimenting. I love long hikes. I also love traveling, and I travel both domestically and internationally. I'll be sharing my thoughts from a beginner's perspective in an easy-to-understand way that will make readers think, "I'm going to the mountains again next week!"