Let's Increase Our Chakra! Kobayashi Doom Recreates NARUTO "Food Pills"

Greetings. I'm Kobayashi Doom, a cooking manga creator. Let's jump right in!

So, Food Pills. In ancient Japan, these were eaten by ninja as portable rations. But in the NARUTO series, Food Pills are more magical, allowing ninja to recover and increase chakra as well as heightening their mental state and allowing them to fight without resting.

In the official fanbook, the Akimichi family's secret recipe is clearly printed for all to use, in spite of its secrecy.

The recipe provided by the fanbook lists ingredients easily obtainable in Japan, and seems designed to be snack-like while offering balanced nutrition and using spices as accents.

A decent amount of people online have tried making their own Food Pills, so I decided to put my own unique spin on things while referring to these existing recipes.

First, let's list out the qualities that any good Food Pill needs:

・Preservability (Doesn't spoil easily)
・Portability (Easy to carry/eat, doesn't fall apart)
・Nutritional Balance (The three macronutrients and more)
・Immediate Effect (The enemy won't sit around and wait)
・Lasting Effect (The enemy won't stop to take a break)
・Increases Mental Acuity (Good for mind and body)
・Reproducibility (Ingredients are inexpensive and easy to obtain, recipe is easy to make)
・Palatability (Gotta taste good)

That should be about it.

Upon closer examination of this list, I realized it would probably make more sense to start mixing chemicals together, but since that's out of the question I focused on keeping it in the form of a food product.

Making Okonomiyaki-Flavored Food Pills

As I hopped from grocery store to grocery store, I began to focus on powdered and dried foodstuffs. With the objective of preservability in mind, I thought it best to avoid anything with moisture as that would only cause the final product to spoil faster. The best option seemed to be crushing up the ingredients and then using some kind of oil to mold them into shape.

From there, I had to decide on a flavor. I found myself at the crossroads between sweet and salty...but since anyone can make something sweet, I decided on salty. This also helped me avoid giving the Food Pills a simple flavor like chocolate.

The Food Pills would also be hard to eat if they were purely salt-flavored, so I began to think about ingredients that could be combined to evoke the idea of a familiar meal.

I narrowed my goal down to: a salty flavor reminiscent of an actual dish, with a certain unpredictability that doesn't ruin the overall taste. Any ideas?

Here's what I came up with. Have a look.

Below is a list of the ingredients and their intended effects.

[1] Acetes Shrimp (Krill): In addition to protein (a macronutrient), it is rich in minerals, vitamin B12, astaxanthin, and other nutrients that support the maintenance of the human body and regulation of its physical condition.
[2] Dried Bonito Powder: Rich in protein and other minerals. Contains all the essential amino acids necessary to support the maintenance of the human body.
[3] Dried Seaweed: Rich in dietary fiber, beta-carotene, and minerals needed to regulate your physical condition.
[4] Dehydrated Plum Pulp: Rich in minerals (potassium and iron) along with vitamin E, which helps regulate blood pressure. Also has citric acid to ward off fatigue.
[5] Ginger Powder: Eucalyptol, gingerol, and shogaol stimulate the body's metabolism, promote blood circulation, and induce perspiration.
[6] Powdered Sauce: Sodium chloride supplement. Has a delicious aftertaste.
[7] Dried Spirulina (Algae): Rich in protein. Theorized to improve blood pressure and cholesterol due to its gamma-linolenic acid.
[8] Roasted Soybean Powder (Kinako): In addition to being rich in high-quality protein, soy isoflavone helps regulate hormone balance.
[9] Powdered Green Tea (Matcha): Contains caffeine (increases energy), catechin (burns fat), and theanine (mitigates stress).
[10] Lard: Contains fat (a macronutrient) along with vitamins A, E, and K. Also gives a rich taste.
[11] Crystallized Honey: Contains carbohydrates (a macronutrient). Excellent source of energy due to its glucose and fructose.
[12] Chopped Squid: Contains protein, vitamin E, and taurine (improves heart and liver function).

I'm actually aiming for a flavor reminiscent of okonomiyaki (a savory Japanese pancake containing a variety of different ingredients). Doesn't the idea of eating something doughy during the middle of battle just fill you with excitement? Well, it does for me.

So let's start by crushing everything into a fine powder. My electric grinder had trouble pulverizing the chopped squid, so I used scissors to cut it up.

After that I added the lard and honey and began to knead everything together. Doesn't it look fun?

Looks like the fishing bait paste they have at those artificial fishing ponds. Remember to use embossed polyethylene gloves when working, otherwise the ingredients will just stick to your hands and you won't get anywhere.

Stretch it out into a long cylindrical shape, cut a piece off with a knife, and roll it into a ball. It might resemble something a little unpleasant, but pay that no mind. It's the year of the rabbit after all. The chopped squid kind of peeks out in various spots, adding a nice sense of authenticity to the product.

In their current state, the Food Pills are just sticky-soft okonomiyaki-flavored clumps of powder held together with lard and honey in the shape of something unsightly (I think it would be easier to shape if left in the refrigerator for a bit to chill first).

Now, how can we turn these into portable and durable Food Pills?

I used a technique that involves sugar to create "surimitsu", which is used to coat Japanese sweets. To do this, sugar and water are mixed together and heated to about 110-115 degrees Celsius (230-235 degrees Fahrenheit).

After that, the temperature is lowered while mixing...

And as you can see, the sugar recrystallizes into surimitsu.

Since I was already making surimitsu, I decided to give the Food Pills a more lore-accurate color by adding in black food dye. However, because the surimitsu had already cooled down, it was unbelievably hard to mix... I highly recommend adding the food dye at the very beginning before heating the sugar water.

Adding a little bit of water and just the right amount of heat will turn the surimitsu malleable again, but it hardens fairly quickly, so making this was difficult for me. I regret not researching this process more beforehand.

Let's start coating the Food Pills as quickly as possible. This is...

...actually pretty nerve-wracking now that I'm doing it. Maybe my plan was a little flawed.

In the end, I heated up the surimitsu once more and coated the Food Pills by hand while it was soft. The heat was almost too much for me to handle. I worked fast to cover the Food Pills before the surimitsu chilled. Hot, hot, hot!

I did it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Voila! A perfect recreation of Food Pills. When chilled they become solid as rocks.

The basic composition of this recipe boils down to the flavor ingredients, the binding ingredients (roasted soybean powder, lard, and honey), and the coating. Each category's ingredients can be switched out with alternatives to create a variety of different tastes. For example, you could use different flavor ingredients to swap the okonomiyaki flavor for a curry flavor if you wanted. The only limit is your imagination. Since the ingredients aren't cooked, their nutrients should also remain intact (that said, there are various theories regarding the pros and cons of uncooked food, so if it concerns you, please refrain from trying these out).

With that out of the way...

Can They Really Increase Chakra? Let's Have My Friend Test It Out

Let's test the effects on a live human subject. I went through all that trouble to make them, after all. This is my friend, shinoda, a musician for the band hitorie. He sang one of the ending songs for the BORUTO: Naruto Next Generations anime.

shinoda
Guitarist and vocalist for the band "hitorie". Debuted in January 2014 with the hit song "Senseless Wonder". Has made appearances at many rock music festivals, including the "Rock in Japan Festival", "World Happiness" festival, and "Rising Sun Rock Festival". In 2018, their single "Polaris" was used as an ending song for the BORUTO anime series.

I decided to call him since he seems like someone who avoids unnecessary physical exertion. And as expected, outside of his live performances, he rarely gets any exercise.

shinoda: "Lots of people my age in the music industry have started to work out."

What an awesome opportunity then. I'll have shinoda try lifting a barbell before and after eating a Food Pill, and note what changes occur.

We're at the gym. Here we'll be able to conduct our test with the bench press.

Now, let's get started!

Before taking the Food Pill, he was able to bench press a 40 kg (88 lbs) barbell. Not too shabby for someone who rarely exercises. I guess lugging around those heavy amps for his band had a positive effect after all.

Now, eat up...

Isn't it great to experience all kinds of new things in life?

shinoda: "Why's it so sweet?!"

Since I hand-coated the balls in surimitsu, the sugary layer seems to be pretty thick and pack a surprisingly sweet punch. Afterwards, the okonomiyaki flavor kicks in for a one-two combo.

shinoda: "But it tastes good. It wouldn't be out of place among other traditional Japanese snacks."

We talked about life's many mysteries for about 30 minutes to allow his body some time to metabolize the Food Pill. After that, we began the second half of the experiment.

He clears 45 kg (99 lbs)! What a delicious development. Earlier he seemed to be struggling with the 40 kg weight, but it's possible that the chakra in his body has temporarily increased. Maybe.

Let's try 50 kg (110 lbs).

Whoaaaa!

Unable to fully raise the barbell, he ultimately let it drift too far to the left. But he set a new personal record after eating the Food Pill, so I'd consider that a job well done.




Wait. He's going for it again.

This time he was able to lift it all the way! I can't believe he lifted 50 kg his first time trying the bench press! Simply amazing. I remember I couldn't even lift 30 kg (66 lbs) the first time I tried. But manga authors rarely lift anything heavier than a pen so I have an excuse.

I could also be lacking in chakra, so next time I'll make sure to eat a Food Pill before I work out.

shinoda: "After I wasn't able to lift it all the way the first time, I felt a strong sense of frustration welling up within me."

I'd expect nothing less. The renewed motivation that led shinoda to success is quite possibly the effect of the Food Pill. Thanks for such a NARUTO-esque comment.

Even from the sidelines, I could sense vitality overflowing from him after he ate the Food Pill. For real. Believe me.

With that being the case, I did push him pretty hard for his first time at the gym. I hope he doesn't wake up too sore tomorrow.

Let's All Make Food Pills

Man, shinoda was certainly something. When I ran out of food at home, I ate the leftover Food Pills to stave off starvation. The lard really burns through you, so I suggest keeping some antacids nearby if you have a weak stomach.

Go ahead and build up a stockpile of Food Pills on the off-chance you ever need them. They could come in handy someday.

That was fun.

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Photography Cooperation: Plus Own Hamadayama Gym

Written by: Kobayashi Doom
Born in Kanagawa prefecture in 1979. Lives in Yokohama city. Manga creator.
Known for works such as Negi Nee-san, Saihate -Daydream Attractor-, Sushi Kokuu Hen, Meshi ni Shimashou, and other strange stories.
Blog: パル (Paru)
Twitter: @doom_k

Gym Photography by: Ono Nanako