Reviewed by
Mary
Bokksu is the only Japanese snack box that sources directly from snack makers in Japan, so many of our artisanal products cannot be found anywhere else. Start your cultural journey through Japan by subscribing to Bokksu and receiving a curated box of premium Japanese snacks and teas delivered to your door every month.
They have two levels of subscription: the Tasting, which is smaller, and the one I have received, The Classic. Subscriptions are prepaid for one, three, six, or twelve months.For the Classic box they work out at $39 (around £30), $37, $35 , and $33 per month.As usual, they are priced in dollars, so GBP conversion is according to today’s exchange rate. Obviously this will vary, but it gives you some idea of cost.
The latest Bokksu takes us on a new year journey to Kanagwa.
From a map showing where this month’s items originate, to a wonderful few pages describing the highlights of this beautiful region, the menu booklet contains plenty of fascinating information to complement your tasting.
The menu itself is also excellent. It includes pictures of every item, and full descriptions, including an allergy list and tasting guide.
Most of the items also come from small artisan producers and companies, and Bokksu goes to great effort to source local and gourmet goodies often not available anywhere else.
Yokohama Sesame Oil Okaki Rice Crackers have a fantastic complex savory taste. Incorporating soy sauce, sesame oil, and a hint of chili, these little crunchy crackers are an absolute delights.
Golden Financier Cake. You might associate the Financier with French bakery, but they are very popular in Japan. These moist little loaf cakes are made with almond flour and brown butter, and have a rich yet light texture and a wonderful buttery flavour.
Shonan Gold Gummies are made from a fruit that is only grown in the Kanagawa prefecture. This unique citrus is sweet and juicy, and these gummies showcase the flavour perfectly.
Yokohama Caramel Ring Cake might look deceptively simple, like a donut, but it has an incredible deep flavour. The cake itself is made with caramel paste and powder, and then finally is soaked in caramel sauce for maximum moisture and softness.
Yokohama Bashamichi Millefeuille: Lemon. Another French-style pastry, this is an amazing replica of the delicious layers of pastry and cream in the famous Millefeuille. The lemon cream is light and delicious, the pastry is crisp, and it is miraculous how a pastry that is usually served fresh on the day of baking can some in a package and still taste completely perfect.
Hakone no Kirikabu: Chocoalte Leaf Pie. This little pastry is made with sugar-coated flaky pastry with a chocolate filling. The shape is unique, made to resemble snow-covered leaves, and this is a popular souvenir snack in Hakone.
Pure Gummy Petite Lemon Gummies pack a surprising punch! These lovely sweet lemon candies are coated with a layer of sourness, which gives an extra kick before tasting the sweet filling.
Mini Baked Cheesecake are a type of cheesecake you may not be so familiar with. instead of the typical cream cheese filling, these actually contain a layer of cream flavoured with camembert! Yes, it sounds very odd, but seriously, it’s an amazing flavour. It’s rich and delicious, and the camembert is no more than a hit that marries beautifully with the smooth cheesecake outer.
Noir Black Cocoa Stick: Kaga-bo-Hojicha. The name of this is a mouthful, but the snack itself is remarkable. Kaga-bo-Hojicha is a roasted green tea made in the Kaga region, and has an incredible nutty aroma. This is used in the filling of these chocolate cookies, made from speciality black cocoa, for a wonderfully complex sweet flavour.
Kataage Potato: Savory Garlic are the perfect snack for garlic lovers! Delicious salty crisps seasoned with two kinds of garlic powder, they’re crunchy and have a fantastic full flavour.
Salty Butter & Camembert Cheese Cookie bring together again sharp yet creamy cheese with sweetness. Like the cheesecake above, the cheese taste actually complements the butter cookie, which itself is not overly sweet, and gives and unexpected yet delicious flavour experience.
Potato Snack: Curry Flavour isn’t quite a potato chip nor a cracker but a crunchy combination of both. Japanese curries always contain potatoes, so this combination of spicy Japanese curry coating on the potato snack is the ideal combination!
Ahigara Green Tea Aranami Kurofuji is a beautiful, slightly sweet green tea. The sweetness comes from the growing, which is slower than other teas due to the conditions in which it is grown, so contains fewer tannins that typical green tea. The packaging also features the instantly recognisable style of Hokusai, whose art features so many views of Mont Fuju, which is located in Kanagawa.
