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 leaves are turning and summer is coming to an end, so this month’s theme Autumn Harvest sounds perfect for the season.
I’m anticipating some really beautiful seasonal flavours and colours!
The menu booklet is really very lovely, and full of information.
Of course you’ve got full descriptions of all the goodies in the box, including an allergy list.
There’s also a producer profile, along with little cultural and seasonal tidbits.
Imokari CUBE. As you would imagine, these are little fried cubes of sweet potato, slightly salted. Sweet potato is one of the classic flavours of autumn, and a favourite foodstuff in Japan at this time of year. Even though this is a simple item, the delicious flavour of the sweet potato is front and centre.
Beniimo Purple Yam Pie. The purple ya, or sweet potato, is a specialty of Okinawa. This little pie has a sweet filling is a delicious buttery crust.
Hokicha Roasted Green Tea Financier. The Japanese have taken many French pastries, such as the financier, and added their own unique twist. This dense and delicious cake is flavoured with roasted green tea, which gives it a wonderful depth of flavour.
Pure Gummy Petite: Grape. Grapes are also an autumnal product in Japan. These little gummies have a great flavour, and are made with real grape juice.
Blanchul Mini Chocolate: Anno Imo Sweet Potato. These are light and crispy sandwich cookies, which are flavoured with anno imo, which is a sweet potato that is only grown in Tanegashima. The flavour of the chocolate combines perfectly with the sweet potato.
Chestnut Pie. These little morsels are savory buttery pie crust filled with a wonderful mixture of sweet chestnut and white bean paste. A lovely combination of flavours, especially with the sweet and savory contrast.
Pure Potato Chips: Sesame Oil & Salt. These aren’t just regular salted crisps, but instead have the subtle flavour of sesame oil. Crisps may often be seen as a casual snack, but these are really worth savoring.
Uni Rice Crackers. These are crunchy fried rice crackers that have been flavoured with soy and uni, which is sea urchin. This gives them a wonderful flavour of the sea, and the shape even resembles the sea urchin itself.
Mori no Madeleine: Apple. This is some way from the familiar traditional French madeleine, but it’s a wonderful rich apple cake, with a delicious apple jam filling inside for an extra touch of luxury.
Kurumi Walnut Mochi. These beautiful mochi – chewy rice cakes – contain chopped walnuts and just the tiniest bit of soy sauce, which gives them a slight note of umami flavour. One of the most unusual mochi I’ve tried, and one of the nicest.
Smile Harvest Savory Sesame Biscuit. These crispy thin cookies are definitely worth a smile, as they have a lovely light texture and a lovely combination of flavours with the sweet butter and sesame seeds baked in.
Shiitake Mushroom Black Pepper Arare. Mushroom is one of the classic tastes of autumn, and these rice crackers combine the earthiness of the shiitake mushroom with a spice kick of black pepper. Very warming on a cold day!
Hoshino Hojicha Latte. Finally, this instant latte is made from the roasted green tea that featured in the financier cake. This creamy and toasted drink can be drunk hot or iced, though I think at this time of year, hot is the way to go!
