Bokksu is a premium snack box that features authentic Japanese snacks, as well as a tea pairing to go with it. The items are what you can’t easily find here across the pond, so trying them is a real treat and always a fun experience!
August’s theme is Summer Festival. It looks like all new products which means a smorgasbord of treats for my family. Just reading about the summer festivities makes me want to travel to Japan.
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Goldfish Apple Yokan. Yokan is a jellied dessert traditionally made out of sugar, agar and red bean paste. Instead of red bean paste, sink into this refreshing summer treat that features real apple juice. It’s delicious when chilled and its adorable goldfish wrapper hints at the popular festival game Kingyo Sukui (goldfish scooping).
Matsuri Bayashi Senbei. There are six flavors in these bags… soy sauce & nori, shrimp, aosa nori (sea lettuce), black sesame, chili pepper, and salted. The variety of flavors complement each other in harmony akin to the euphony of drums and flutes of Bayashi music. I wish there was a guide to each flavor because finding the ones I like is like looking for a needle in a hay stack. I like the black sesame crackers the best the sea lettuce was my least favorite.
Fried Seaweed with Sudachi. Elevating the humble seaweed to a snack that packs a punch with the tart taste of the sudachi fruit. These little seaweed sheets are battered and fried creating a crisp flavorful snack. This is by far the best seaweed snack I have been sent, however, I still am not a fan of the salty seaweed flavor.
Apple Candy. These adorable hard candies are shaped and colored by hand to look like real apples. Because they are made using apples that are locally grown and seasonally available, the natural apple flavor comes through with freshness. I have to admit these are the best hard candies I have been blessed to try. It’s amazing how the confectioner is able to get all that apple flavor in one little candy.
Edamame Rice Crackers. The green packet holds an otsumami snack mix. Otsumami are snacks traditionally meant as sides to be enjoyed with beer. The nuttiness from the peanuts permeates the edamame cracker puffs. The puffs themselves have a natural sweetness from the edamame beans and a sprinkling of salt for balance. I would rather enjoy these with a pint of beer than alone, however, these were divinely different from anything I have tried before.
Chocolate Banana Langue de Chat. A rich creamy layer of banana cream is sandwiched between two chocolate biscuits. These cookies are amazing, thank goodness they only sent two. I could easily eat boxes of these! Personally, I think this tastes like real banana instead of artificial banana, that’s why they have won my heart.
Dondon Yaki. Named after the sound of the beating taiko drums are ubiquitous at festivals in Japan, this little savory senbei are bursting with flavor. They are fried then marinated in tonkatsu sauce to give them a deep complex flavor that is tangy, peppery and a little sweet. Tonkatsu sauce is a popular condiment for many of the fried foods found at Japanese festivals, making this snack an obvious choice for this summer festival Bokksu.
Firework Rice Crackers. A peanut is hidden inside each of these exciting black crackers designed to resemble a ball of firework gunpowder. Each bite bursts with savory nutty flavor just like an umami firework. I liked this so much more than I imagined. The peanut added the right amount of crunch and flavor to this otherwise boring cracker.
Tai Strawberry. This fun, fish-shaped snack has a crisp shell enclosing a light and tasty strawberry mouse. Taiyaki is a traditional Japanese cake named after and shaped after Japanese sea bream. This is a very summery treat and I was very happy to see it again in my box. I don’t think the Japanese can be beaten when it comes to strawberry treats.
Honey Castella Cake. A soft, fluffy sponge cake is perfect for summer tea time since its light texture doesn’t weigh you down. Castella was brought to Japan by way of Portuguese merchants as far back as the 16th century but is now a specialty of Nagasaki. Flavored with honey, bite-sized Castella like this is a classic festival treat in Japan. I wonder if I can get a recipe to make this for myself, it was pleasantly moist and the texture was perfect. This cake is the foundation to cooking shows… the classic sponge.
Piccolo Dolce Strawberry and Yogurt Flavor. This velvety smooth treat is a delightful mix of yogurt flavored mousse and a cushiony bed of strawberry jelly. This was a bit slimy in texture for my liking, I could see eating it if I was sick and could only swallow. I did read that it’s recommended as a chilled snack, perhaps that is where I went wrong.
Iced Green Tea Powder. This green tea powder is made from the finest Shizuoka tea leaves. Shizuoka Prefecture’s tea is among the top three of Japan, prized for its beautiful color. The powder turns the water a lovely translucent green with a subtle fresh and earthy flavor. Keep in mind that this tea like Matcha does not completely dissolve in water as the particles are actually finely ground tea leaves.
Bokksu is a fun way to travel to Japan without leaving the comfort of my home. I love that there is a lesson to go with my food so I feel I get a well-rounded experience. I would recommend this box to all of my traveling foodie friends and family. I am always surprised by the great products they are able to fit into this small orange box. I’m also surprised how neatly everything is arranged so I have very little breakage on my bigger products. Bokksu is easily one of the best food boxes to subscribe to and perhaps the most fun. I can’t wait to see what lesson next month brings.
What’s your favorite snack from this month’s box?
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