Earlier this month, I tried Bokksu, a subscription service that delivers authentic Japanese snacks from all around Japan. As someone who has tried quite a few subscription boxes, I am very impressed with the quality of the snacks as well as with the subscription service. Unlike other boxes, Bokksu delivers these snacks with a different pairing of tea on a monthly basis! (And we all know how much I love tea).
Upon opening the orange box, I noticed a guide with information on the different types of snacks. The wonderful part about this guide is that they put in the common allergens as well as where these snacks come from. If you are allergic to any soy, milk or rye, you will not have to look up the information as this information is given to you. It’s also great to see what city in Japan these snacks come from. As a traveler, this piece of information is important to me because some day, I will be traveling to Japan and would love to know ahead of time what snacks to buy.
Another thing that caught my eye about this box is the founder’s note. I’ve never received a founder’s note in a subscription box, but I must say it is very nice to see, especially since it gives a personal touch to the box. It also shows how much the founder appreciates the customer for wanting to discover Japan with Bokksu.
Bokksu is not only a good way to try Japanese snacks, but it also gives us the opportunity to “travel” Japan. We are shown what people in different parts of Japan snack on and what some of the street foods are. Travel is not just about getting to a destination, but also about learning the culture, the food and overall trying something completely different. Bokksu offers the opportunity to discover Japan without moving or getting on a plane.
Just from this box alone, I learned a few things about Japan that I did not know about, such as Takoyaki corn puffs are made by Japan FritoLay (I honestly did not know that there was a FritoLay in Japan) and also that it is a classic Osakan street food. Chinsuko is a traditional cookie from Okinawa and is a popular omiyage (souvenir gift) in Japan. Just from reading the guide, I feel as though I’ve educated myself further on the culture of Japan and on what each snack is made of. I traveled to Japan without leaving my couch.
Each item was different and also hard to find on Amazon (I usually make purchases on Amazon, but did not find many of these on there).
This months box included some very delicious snacks and a tea that I am now a huge fan of. One of the first items I tried was the Kinako Mochi.
The Kinako Mochi comes from Niigata Prefecture and are puffs made using Mochi. They are then dusted with Kinako powder, which gives it a nice sweet, nutty flavor. I wasn’t too fond of the taste, but my husband liked the taste. Out of all the snacks, this is the only snack that my taste buds did not agree with, but the rest of the items were wonderful.
Next up, I tried the Takoyaki Corn Puffs. When I tried these, I did not read the guide. So when I tried these, I did not realize that these were pan-fried balls of Octopus. I do not like Octopus at all, but guess what? I loved this snack! It was so enjoyable that I wanted to buy some more. Something that I don’t like was actually really good! and I will definitely be eating more of these. This delightful snack is a product of Ibaraki Prefecture.
I am all about sweet snacks, so the White Raspberry and the Macha+White Chocolate Covered Azuki Beans were just delightful! The Whit Raspberry is made in Hokkaido and is a cookie coated in white chocolate with sprinkled crushed raspberries. The Macha+White Chocolate Covered Azuki Beans are a product of Yamagata Prefecture, and are azuki beans dipped in matcha powder and white chocolate. These two snacks were absolutely heavenly and quite different from any snacks I’ve tried in the U.S.
The fruit pound cake and the Sweet Potato Langue De Chat are another of sweet treats and these were just as wonderful as the last ones. I’m usually not a fan of fruit cake, but these are moist and definitely tastes a bit like a pound cake. This product comes from Osaka Prefecture and it is an iconic symbol of the holiday season. The Sweet Potato Langue De Chat was a huge favorite in my household. My husband absolutely loved this one! As mentioned in the name, this square butter cookie is from Tokyo and has a wonderful blend of white chocolate and creamy sweet potato. I’m also not a fan of sweet potato, but I would eat these everyday if I could!
The Okinawa Chinsuko and the Okinawa Soba are both from Okinawa. The Okinawa Chinsuko is a traditional cookie made with a special brown sugar that is only made in 7 of the Okinawa’s 48 inhabited islands. At first I thought it was going to be a large cookie, but realized there were several pacakges inside with bite sized cookies. The Okinawa Soba is a deep-fried soba noodles tossed in red pepper. I could not stop eating this Soba snack! It had wonderful flavor as well as a nice crunch.
The next products I tried were the Hoshu Tea, Olive Oil Salt Senbei Herb & Vinegar and the Edamame Senbei. Let me just start by saying that I absolutely love that Bokksu included tea. I am a huge tea drinker and I love trying tea from around the world, so this was a huge plus in my book. The Hoshu Tea comes from the Kagoshima Prefecture and is made using sencha tea leaves. This was a great pairing with the Olive Oil Salt Senbei. The Senbei is a product of Tochigi and has a wonderful herb & vinegar flavor. Although, I’ve had a lot of favorites in this box, I must say that I loved munching on the Edamame Senbei. This product is from Saitama Prefecture and has real edamame bits baked into the cracker. This was a great snack to munch on, especially on the go.
I, personally had a wonderful experience with Bokksu. If I were to give a pro’s and con’s list, the only con I have about the box is that some of these items are hard to find online. They do, however have these to purchase on their website! So it’s not too much of a con, but still…when I couldn’t find the Sweet Potato Langue De Chat, I was a bit sad. Luckily, they now have it on their website.
Bokksu was a great experience and the pricing is reasonable. The Classic Bokksu I received is $39 a month and their tasting box is $19 a month. Of course the pricing changes depending on the subscription you purchase (Pay every 6 months for $17!). If you would like to try Bokksu, click here for a $5 off your first Bokksu classic box. Hurry this offer will expire June 28, 2018.
Disclaimer: The link provided is an affiliated link and I also did receive a free Bokksu box to review. However, keep in mind that all opinions are my own.
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