Reviewed by
Mary
This month’s TokyoTreat snack box of delicious treats from Japan is taking is on a Okinawa Snackin’ Oasis! It’s just the perfect theme for the summer, as Okinawa is famed for its beautiful beaches and tropical landscape.
Looking at the menu booklet, I absolutely want to go there! You can read about local food, culture, the Okinawan origins of karate and even crazy customs like watermelon smashing! There’s also a full menu list of each item in the box, complete with an allergy guide.
First, this month’s KitKat. We have Cookies & Cream Flavour, which is reminiscent of the lovely creamy ice cream that practically everyone loves to eat in hot weather. The Aerial Sour Cream & Onion Chips aren’t ice cream, but they are delicious crunchy layered snacks, great for taking to the beach to share as it’s a big pack.
Kamesen Crackers are another salty snack, which are crispy and light and great for hot weather. For a refreshing flavour we’ve got Mizu Gummies which are flavoured with grape juice and are little little clear drops of water. Shrimp Kakiage Potato Snack is a lovely reminder of the sea. Flavoured with shrimp and bonito, these crunchy potato crisps are inspired by kakiage, a type of tempura dish.
Karinto – fried pieces of donut dough – are a traditional Japanese snack, and these Kokutou and Milk Karinto are flavoured with milk and Okinawa brown sugar. Crunky Salty Caramel Bites are a delicious sweet treat, round cookie flavoured puffs mixed with salted caramel and chocolate. Ramune is Japanese soda and a very popular flavour for candies. The KoroKyan Soft Candy Chews are flavoured with ramune for a refreshing flavour and they crumble and dissolve as you chew.
Konpeito is another traditional Japanese sweet treat, and these Shooting Star Konpeito are a cute package of these crunchy sugar crystal candies. They have different fruity flavours according to their colour, including tropical pineapple! Green Apple Mini Mochi are tiny adorable mochi in refreshing apple flavour, and they come with a toothpick for easier eating. Chinsoku is one of the most popular souvenirs from Okinawa. They are a shortbread-type cookie that comes in a multitude of different flavours, this one being Cheese Chinsoku flavoured with cheddar and camembert, as well as Okinawan sea salt.
Another Okinawa reference, this Kokutou Black Thunder is a variation on the traditional Black Thunder chocolate bar. This version is covered with a layer of chocolate which is sweetened with the special brown sugar of Okinawa. Okinawan salt also features in the Okinawan Sea Salt Donut. This cake-type donut is delicately flavoured with salt, which gives it a lovely depth of flavour.
The Okinawa Style Wafu Dashi Ramen is inspired by the traditional Okinawan soba broth made with sugar-braised pork. This version is vegetarian but it will has a wonderful deep flavour and lots of umami. Shikuwasa Soda is made from a fruit which is produced primarily in the Okinawa region. Sometimes called the Okinawa lime, it’s a citrus fruit that tastes like cross between a lime and a tangerine, and it has the most fantastic unique flavour, perfect for a refreshing drink on a hot day.
By Evelyn 
