Bokksu is a premium Japanese snack subscription service. Each box includes an assortment of authentic Japanese snacks as well as a tea pairing chosen to complement and enhance that month's flavors.
Starting in December, Bokksu is increasing the box contents from 13-15 items per box to 18-20 items per box.
The snacks are selected around a cultural theme, and each box contains a Tasting Guide that describes the items and how to best enjoy them.
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
The Subscription Box: Bokksu
The Cost: $39.00 per month + free US shipping
The Products: 13-15 premium Japanese snacks plus a tea pairing
Ships to: USA (free shipping) and Canada ($5 shipping)
Check out all our Bokksu reviews and the Food Subscription Box Directory!
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: add Bokksu to your subscription list or wishlist!
December's theme is Artisanal Kyoto, featuring snacks and tea directly sourced from Kyoto.
Kyoto Iroha Financier Cake
Financier is a rectangular French almond cake. Bokksu included a vanilla and a matcha flavored cake.
Both cakes are dense but moist and buttery sweet. They taste kind of like madeleine cookies but softer, sweeter, and better! I need boxes of these in my life.
Kyoto Anna Monaka
Monaka are traditional sweets made of jam filling sandwiched between delicate mochi wafers. This is somewhat like a DIY kit in that you have to add the filling to the wafers yourself! Bokksu included two flavors: red bean and smooth red bean.
My wafers came a little broken but still salvageable and very delicious. The red bean filling is dense and sweet. The flavor gets to be a little too rich for me, but it is easily fixed by sipping matcha green tea in between bites.
Yumemi Koji Manju
Manju is another traditional snack made with flour, rice powder, and buckwheat with thick filling. Bokksu included two flavors here: plain and chestnut.
The outer layer is dry and crumbly while the chunky filling is delicately sweet. I thought it was a little too dry to eat on its own, but just like the monaka, it tastes divine when balanced out with matcha green tea in between bites.
Maru Cha Cha
This is a thin matcha biscuit made from koicha, a concentrated tea made from higher quality matcha that results in a richer flavor. The matcha flavor is jam packed into this cookie! There is also a sophisticated bitterness from the high quality matcha that's unusual for my taste buds but surprisingly tasty.
KitKat Matcha
Matcha flavored KitKats are my go-to when I want a quick pick-me-up snack at the end of the day. The chocolate is infused with matcha green tea flavor for a unique creamy matcha and chocolate flavor. These aren't very special to me since I'm fortunate to be able to buy them locally. However, it's awesome to learn that the matcha in these KitKats comes from Kyoto Prefecture.
Black Bean Okaki
Okaki is traditional rice cracker made from glutinous rice. These crispy rice crackers have black beans baked into them, which give them an extra crunchy and savory kick.
Matcha Green Tea
This matcha is a combination of bitter, earthy matcha powder and lighter sencha tea leaves. The result is a green tea that is a little bitter but also light enough for any occasion. My boyfriend, who is usually picky about strong teas, found this one very delicious.
Verdict: This month's snacks from Bokksu were mouthwateringly good! The sweets combined with the matcha green tea made for a new tasting experience for me. As someone who very recently visited Kyoto, I think this box provides a good snapshot of a few of the delicious snacks offered in Kyoto's shops. I counted 19 snacks total, making the cost breakdown around $2.05 per snack. Even with the recent increase in box contents, I feel like Bokksu is still somewhat pricey. That said, this is a subscription that you get for curation, and oh boy is the curation fantastic!
What do you think of Bokksu?
Please do not enter your email address in the Name field or in the comment content. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *. Remember to post with kindness and respect. Comments with offensive language, cruelness to others, etc will not be approved. See our full comment policy here.