There are two realms of Japanese snacks. First is the colorful candy packages containing exploding gummies, chews and DIY kits. The other consists of baked goods from snackmakers generations old and carefully concocted pastries, flavors and ingredients from famous areas of Japan and made by hand. Bokksu celebrates this second and superior version of the world of Japanese snacks.
The month of January dedicated to "maru" which means "circle" and is associated with goodness. In Zen Buddhism, it's the basis for Enso, which symbolizes enlightenment, strength and elegance. All the snacks this month are circular in honor of the new year.
The Cost: $38.99/month
What You Get: You'll receive 13 to 15 authentic Japanese snacks sourced directly from Japan plus a tea pairing curated around a cultural theme.
Baumkuchen- While this is originally a German roll cake, it was introduced to Japan in the 20th century and is very popular. It's named after the rings of a tree and definitely encapsulates Enso. There are two flavors included here, plain and chocolate.
Gaufrettes- This means "waffle" in French and is a very delicate wafer cookie. These are filled with vanilla, chocolate and strawberry, respectively. They were delicious! There were three included and I wished there were more!
Ka No Michi- These were unbelievably good. So good, in fact, that two of them are missing from this photo because I ate them. It's like a waffle cone with a lightly sweet creamy frosting in the middle. My favorite cookie ever! Very luxurious.
Cheese Manju Okashinai- Made in the Akita Prefecture, this manju is a traditional Japanese confection. It's made with flour, rice powder and buckwheat then stuffed with white bean and cheese. The smiley face is a cute touch! There were two manju in this box.
Kaisen Usukeshi Kasen- Twice baked senbei with deep ocean shrimp. I love senbei but I'm not a big fan of shrimp flavor. Four individually wrapped senbei were included.
Natural Yeast Bread with Hokkaido Cream- This is a very light, very sweet roll made with cream from the Tokachi district of Hokkaido. Hokkaido is very famous for their dairy products. One pastry roll was provided. My husband and I split it. Very good.
The tea pairing this month is
Maeda-en Gyokuro Green Tea. This is made with the highest grades of Sencha. Specifically, Gyokuro leaves are sheilded from the sun for three weeks before being harvested. This process causes the theanine and caffeine in the leaves to increase and results in a richer flavor. I don't think I've ever tried Gyokuro tea so this was exciting for me. Three tea bags were included.
VERDICT: This is an excellent selection of Japanese snacks. I have to admit I liked the focus on the sweeter side of things this time. I especially loved those Ka No Michi cookies and wish I could find them here. This is where Bokksu excells. In providing tasty, impossible to find snacks made only in Japan.
If you would like to sign up for Bokksu,
you can do that here. Use code
BITBOX for 10% off your first box.
*This box was sent complimentary for review purposes. all opinions are mine.
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