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How do you make a rice cracker a best seller? By adding macadamias. That’s been the experience of Japanese manufacturer Nigata Ajinoren Honpo with its unique Macadamia Okaki product, now in its 11th year of production.To explain the Japanese terminlogy behind this product, Nigata is a prefecture in Japan, well-known for its rice, water and sake, while Okaki are Japanese rice crackers, traditionally made by craftsman.Macadamia Okaki are made using 100% premium quality Japanese rice, with Australian grown macadamias. It’s a harmonious combination that is as popular as it is delicious. The rice, seasoned with a light dose of salt, brings out the flavour of the macadamia nuts, producing a truly unique cracker that has a light, fluffy texture. Japanese consumers love the mild yet moreish taste and enjoy pairing them with almost any beverage, from coffee and Japanese green tea to beer and wine.After realising they were on a winning streak with their light and fluffy Okaki and roasted macadamias, the team at Nigata Ajinoren Honpo decided to increase the size of the cracker, for greater visual and taste appeal. It was a move that paid dividends, with the Macadamia Okaki becoming the company’s fourth highest selling product overall, and number one online seller.

In this two-part series, we go inside the global chocolate industry to find out what's trending, who's innovating and where the growth opportunities lie. Part 1 has an Australian flavour while Part 2 will take us abroad with insights from Japanese and European manufacturers.

2015 was a pivotal year for the non-dairy milk category with entries, exits and more consumers pondering the choices in the specialty milk aisle than ever before.