3ji no Biscuit

3ji no Biscuit

Client: Yamamotosataroshoten
Design Company: INDEPENDENT ISSUE Co.,Ltd
Creative Direction: Mattin & Shinichiro Yamamoto
Art Direction: Nao Tamaki & Machinokaori
Design: Osamu Akiba
Country: Japan

A collaboration between Mattin (a Japanese sweet craftsmen) and Yamamotosataroshoten (a long established oil shop). “Daichi no Oyatsu” series which translates to “Earth Snack” series draws inspirations from healthy and natural ingredients like whole grains, raw sugar, rice oil, etc.

Back then, making fried biscuits without shortening was an unprecedented idea. We wanted to challenge this idea and create a product that was original and one-of-a-kind. After numerous tries and tastings, 3ji no Biscuit was born.

We bake the biscuit dough (stone-milled whole wheat flour from Hokkaido prefecture) in the oven, then we fry them in rice oil and sprinkle some natural salt on them. The rustic grainy texture of the biscuit with the sweet-savouriness from the rice oil and salt create the perfect snack that can be widely and casually enjoyed by children and adults.

Because we have a cultural habit of eating snacks at 3 o’clock, we included “3ji (o’clock)” for the product name (3ji no Biscuit) and packaging (an adorable illustration of a child spreading his/her arms to imitate clock hands pointing at 3 o’clock).