Kinako is toasted soybean flour or, as I thought of it for the first few months in Japan, that weird powder they always put on mochi. It has a nutty flavor that reminds me a bit of peanut butter, especially when I sprinkle it on buttered toast, which is a favorite way to eat it here. Mixing it with some brown sugar and cinnamon before putting it on the toast makes a more substantial version of plain cinnamon-and-sugar-topped toast, but, since my prime kinako-toast-eating time is right after work, I am usually too lazy to do more than just dole it straight out of the bag. Kinako is also good as a yogurt or ice cream topping, especially when that ice cream is additionally topped with an (sweet bean jam). According to the back of my kinako package, it also makes a nutritious drink when mixed with milk, but I'll have to take their word for it since the thought of drinking a tall glass of milk always makes me want to gag. Unless there are brownies involved. I'm willing to make a lot of exceptions for brownies.
Kinako on toasted azuki-bean bread.
Since it is made of ground and toasted soybeans, kinako is full of protein, B vitamins and other soy-licious things, so in addition to finding it at Japanese or Asian grocery stores, you can also find it at natural foods stores.
Pocky has a kinako flavor, but unfortunately it was only in stores during the That Weird Powder phase, so I haven't tried it.
Some kinako recipes:
Kinako pancakes
Kinako ice cream
Kinako frosting


A few spoons of kinako mixed into soymilk as a drink each morning helped my relative reduce bad cholesterol.