Bōkun Habanero is the brand name of a

Japanese snack food This is a list of Japanese and finger foods. It includes both brand name and generic snacks. Types ''Anko'', or sweet bean paste '' Anko'' is a kind of sweet bean paste. Anko is mainly eaten during the afternoon green tea time in Japan.　School ...

. The name means "Tyrant

Habanero The habanero (; ) is a hot variety of chili. Unripe habaneros are green, and they color as they mature. The most common color variants are orange and red, but the fruit may also be white, brown, yellow, green, or purple. Typically, a ripe haba ...

", a reference to the habanero pepper, which is one of the world's hottest

chili pepper Chili peppers (also chile, chile pepper, chilli pepper, or chilli), from Nahuatl '' chīlli'' (), are varieties of the berry-fruit of plants from the genus ''Capsicum'', which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for ...

s. Its name derives from a play on words linking "habanero" with "Tyrant

Nero Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68), was the fifth Roman emperor and final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 un ...

". The snack consists of potato rings, and is moderately spicy by Japanese standards. The package features the brand mascot, Tyrant Habanero, a chili pepper with an evil or maniacal grin. The ''bebiita'' version features his younger sister, and the ''bebinero'' version features a younger version of the regular character. Each 55g packet contains 297.3 calories.

Cultural references

Bōkun Habanero is the focus of a popular Japanese

internet meme An Internet meme, commonly known simply as a meme ( ), is an idea, behavior, style, or image that is spread via the Internet, often through social media platforms. What is considered a meme may vary across different communities on the Internet ...

that started on the popular Japanese internet

Bulletin board system A bulletin board system (BBS), also called computer bulletin board service (CBBS), is a computer server running software that allows users to connect to the system using a terminal program. Once logged in, the user can perform functions such as ...

Futaba Channel. The meme revolves around an anthropomorphic caricature based on Bōkun Habanero and its mascot. The caricature,

Habanero-tan Habanero-tan () is the unofficial mascot of Bōkun Habanero, the habanero pepper-flavored snacks produced by Tohato. Habanero-tan and her companions with names like "Jalapeño-san" are the personification of spices as cute young girls. They were ...

, is a young, naive girl in a red dress who resembles the personification of an habanero pepper.

External links

Tohato official page
features an animated version of Bokun's quest for revenge.
Boukun.jp alternative official site
features more information such as recipes.
Hot Spicy Snack Wars
Story about Boukun Habanero and KaraMucho {{DEFAULTSORT:Bokun Habanero Japanese snack food Snack food manufacturers of Japan