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.
With the arrival of the cold weather comes the latest box of artisanal goodies, Winter in Hokkaido.
I love the idea of a snowy theme, especially because we often don’t get much of it! 
If you’re note that familiar with the geography of Japan, the lovely booklet enclosed gives you plenty of extra information, including maps and cultural details.
Of course the menu also lists the box contents, beautifully laid out with a comprehensive allergy list.
Usuyaki Yuzu Pepper Senbei are lovely light little rice crackers but have a powerful flavour. Yuzu is a distinctive Japanese citrus fruit, and pairs beautifully with the heat from the chili, perfect for a chilly day.
Langue Du Chat are very popular in Japan, though they are square rather than the traditional oval shape and filled. It is one of the delicacies for which Hokkaido is famous. These Shiro Koibito: White and Black are a complementary pair, one with milk chocolate and one with white chocolate filling the delicate biscuit sandwich.
Sapporo Okaki Oh! Yaki Toukibi are a combination of tiny crunchy mochi and corn, infused with sweetcorn and soy sauce.
This beautiful Funwari Baum: White Chocolate is a generously sized stick cake with layers of white chocolate and light sponge.
Hokkaido is famous for its dairy products and this Hokkaido Evaporated Milk Manji contains local milk. It’s a sweet bun made with milk and filled with a sweet and smooth white bean paste. Rich and delicious.
White Peach Kibi Dango Mochi is made with millet, and this peach version is associated with the Japanese folklore character Peach Boy.
These adorable biscuits are shaped like a steam train! Totteppo Sable Cookie: Chocolate & Berry contain traditional beet sugar as well as cocoa, Hokkaido butter, and a berry liqueur for a fruity twist.
Hokkaido Haskap Gummy introduce an unfamiliar fruit, the Haskap. They are supposed to have a flavour somewhere between raspberry and blueberry, and indeed they do taste fruity and delicious.
Funwari Meijin Mochi Puffs: Hokkaido Milk. These incredible puffed mochi are my favourite Bokksu thing ever. This new flavour is made from local milk, and the texture is extraordinary, incredibly light and crisp and utterly delicious.
A healthy snack here, Calbits: Frugra Fruit Granola. These are crunchy bites of granola, containing cereals with strawberry, raisins, and pumpkin seeds.
These Potato Chips@ Hokkaido Rich Butter are next-level crisps. Made from baked potato and Hokkaido butter, they have a delicious rich flavour with a perfect salty taste.
These Hokkaido White Raspberry cookies are made in Hokkaido with local specialty ingredients. The cookie is made from rye, rice, and corn and very light and crisp. The coating is beautiful smooth white chocolate with crushed freeze-dried raspberry giving a beautiful slightly tart contrast to the sweet chocolate.
Finally, this month’s drink is a sachet of Milk Shop’s Royal Milk Tea. Milk tea is a popular beverage in Japan, easily prepared by mixing with water and can be drink hot or cold.
