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.
Look at this beautiful box design! I don’t know if this going to be a regular change from the typical orange box, but it’s lovely when they do a different pattern.
This January New Year box features goodies from Kanagwa, a place which features many beautiful shrines and locations.
As always, the enclosed booklet is full of information. There’s a comprehensive detailed list of all the items inside the box, including descriptions, ingredients, and allergens.
There’s also plenty to read about Japan, and even a little Japanese vocabulary to learn!
These Maple Syrup Hotcakes are small but full of flavour. They’re two little pancakes sandwiched with maple syrup flavour cream, very delicious indeed!
We’ve not seen sugar rusk in Bokksu for a little while, so it’s lovely to have this Berry Short Cake Rusk. Sugar rusk is bread slices that have been baked twice with butter and sugar, and is deliciously crisp and light. This one is swirled with berry flavour, so it looks as nice as it tastes.
Yokohama Caramel Ring Cake is a cross between a cake and a baked donut, and is intensely caramel. The batter contains caramel, then the cake itself is dipped in caramel sauce. It’s incredibly sweet, so definitely worth eating with a contrasting tea!
These chocolate filled wafer fish are always fun to see. They’re called Puku Puku Tai, and are particularly appropriate for this time of year as the red snapper is considered a charm to ward off evil spirits. They taste great too!
Shonan Gold Crispy Candy is a unique item! Shonan Gold is a type of citrus unique to Kanagawa. The candy itself is called ariheitou, and it has an incredible texture, being crumbly and flaky with a crisp outer shell. Not something you’ll find anywhere else.
More citrus, this time a Saki Waffle Setouchi Lemon. This is a lovely waffle cookie cake that can be eaten as it is or heated for something a bit special.
One more lemon thing! Shonan Green Lemon Cake is flavoured with a citrus which is only found in Kanagawa. The cake is a little like a Madeline cake, but includes both the jiuce and zest of the shonan green lemon gives it a wonderful intense flavour in a light cake.
Great Buddha Gummy Cola & Soda are a fun treat! These little gummy candies can only be found in Kanagawa, and the package lid has a little fortune inside as well.
These Country Ma’am Fragrant Vanilla cookies are a firm favourite in Japan, and the vanilla and chocolate chip flavour is considered a classic! The red and gold packaging is perfect for New Year too.
Sandwich cookies are very popular in Japan, and these Yokohama Butter Sandwich Cookies are a popular souvenir as they have little pictures of the city printed on them!
Red Snapper Crackers are another festive item with the traditional red snapper theme. These are puffed fish shaped crackers with a tasty sweet and savory flavour.
This Mala Agesen Fried Rice Cracker contains spicy mala sauce which is a mizture of spicy pepper and chili. It also contains shrimp for the extra umami flavour.
Yokohama Sesame Oil Okaki Rice Crackers are coated with a mixture of soy sauce and sesame oil for a wonderfully deep savory flavour. Combined with the crunch of the rice crackers, this is a fantastic snack for the cold winter months.
These might not be traditional, but they’re delicious! Kamakura Fried Potato Chaddar Cheese are crispy potato sticks like french fries coated with a delicious cheese powder.
Finally, this month’s tea is Hakone Sanroku Black Tea Akafui. The leaves are a blend from local Kanagawa tea makers, and it has a lovely smooth taste without the usual bitterness of black tea.
