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.
We have another seasonal box of delicious goodies this month, this time called Colours of Kyoto.
Kyoto is a mix of the traditional and modern, and this month’s box aims to reflect that in its tastes.
As always, the menu booklet is both beautiful and well designed. There are pictures and brief descriptions of all the items, as well as a useful allergy list.
There’s also an extra special featured item this month, another of Bokksu’s exclusive collaborations with various creators.
This ‘Tile Candy’ with black sesame has a really interesting texture, as it’s both crunchy and then chewy. The black sesame gives it a wonderful nutty flavour, which contrasts nicely with the sweetness of the sugar. A really interesting and enjoyable flavour combination.
Strawberry Azuki Crunch combines a strawberry flavour and crunchy puffed rice with the deeper taste of azuki beans. This is a wonderful combination, the strawberry provides sweetness and the azuki gives a deeper fruity flavour, all within a light and crispy bite.
French pastries are very popular in Japan, frequently given their own distinct twist. These Mochi Mochi Chocolate Mont Blanc take the classic flavours of chestnut and cream and transform them in to a delicious chewy mochi filled with chestnut and chocolate.
Matcha Chocolate Daifuku Mochi may not look overly appealing, but they taste delicious! These mochi contain matcha powder in the the outer chewy portion, and are filled with sweet and creamy white chocolate. The perfect contrast to the slightly bitter matcha.
These Kyoto Matcha Waffle Sandwich cookies combine matcha a white chocolate again. But this time we have the two flavours combined in a cream filling between two crunchy golden waffle biscuits. They are thin but flavourful, and are perfect to enjoy with a cup of tea.
Senbei, crunchy little rice crackers, come in a huge variety of shapes and flavours. This lovely package contains a lovely assortment, both sweet and savory, for a really tasty snack.
Noir Soft Cookie Anno Imo Sweet Potato are a seasonal variation on these popular black cocoa cookies. Soft and sweet, they are a sandwich cookie containing buttercream and sweet potato jam, which adds a lovely earthy flavour to the creamy chocolate combination.
I’ve tried Osatsu Snack Sweet Potato before, and they totally taste like autumn! They are a light crisp snack made from sweet potato, and have an incredible balance of sweet and salty. Really delicious.
Another sweet potato snack, One Bite Pound Cake Anno Imo Sweet Potato are little bite-size pound cakes that contain Japanese sweet potato, a very popular flavour at this time of year.
Hojicha Tea Waffle Cookie is another waffle sandwich cookie, but this time the filling is infused with hojicha, roasted green tea. This has an incredibly aromatic and nutty taste, and combines perfectly with the sweet cookie ouside.
Crisps are the perfect vehicle for salty and umami flavours, and these Kansai Dashi Soy Sauce Potato Chips are the perfect savory taste. Flavoured with the deep taste of soy and dashi, these are an amazing way to experience these traditional flavours.
These mini packs of senbei have just three flavours, laver, shrimp, and soy, and can be eaten separately or together for a delicious savory flavour combination.
Finally, we have this month’s drink, which is Uji Matcha Au Lait. This little package contains Uji matcha tea combined with milk which when added to hot water makes a delicious creamy matcha latte. It can also be served cold.
