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.
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.)
About Bokksu
The Subscription Box: Bokksu
The Cost: $39.00 per month + free shipping
The Products: 20-25 premium Japanese snacks including a tea pairing.
Ships to: Worldwide
Bokksu Japanese Subscription Box Review
This is my first time checking out Bokksu in person, and I must say: the unboxing and ephemera is the nicest I've seen for a Japanese snack box!
The first item in the box is a little thank you note from the founder, Danny. This box is all about Nakura Matsuri, summer festival season in Japan.
Some of the small things this box does that really make the presentation special:
There's a nice written intro to what the summer festivals are all about.
I especially love this map which shows which region each of this month's snacks come from!
And the visual breakdown of all the snacks is really nicely organized, too! Having clear pictures with international snack boxes is so critical. Bokksu does not list all of the ingredients for each snack, but they do list common allergens.
All in all, there are a dozen different snacks and treats in this box to try!
Piccolo Dolce Strawberry & Yogurt Flavor
This is a petite mousse and jelly treat. Whenever I get something like this, I often wonder why jellies aren't more popular in the US– they seem pretty much relegated to the Jell-O cups meant for kids' lunchboxes.
I liked this a lot more than I expected! The yogurt component means it wasn't too sweet, and it wasn't too firm either (one of the things I don't always love about jellies).
Goldfish Apple Yokan
I am loving the packaging on this! What I struggled with was how to eat it. The exterior is definitely not edible, and I couldn't just rip off the top either– it was way too strong!
I ended up snipping it with scissors and the jelly was firm enough to pop out in one piece from the balloon-like outside. The payoff though wasn't as great as the lead-up; I found this one had a kind of grainy texture that put me off.
A+ packaging and experience, though!
Powdered Iced Green Tea x 2
Bokksu always includes a tea, and this month is an instant iced variety! Love this. I know Japan actually gets quite hot and humid in the summer, but it seems like you never see authentic Japanese iced tea products in the US.
I haven't made these packets just yet, but I'm impressed that each one makes a full pitcher. We often make a big batch of cold brew coffee to sip on throughout the week at home, so I am going to swap this out next week and give it a try. The info brochure from Bokksu notes that tea from Shizoku Prefecture is among the top three in Japan!
Chocolate Banana Langue De Chat x 2
This was maybe my favorite treat in the box. These petite chocolate sandwich cookies have just a tiny bit of banana filling inside, and this was such a great little afternoon pick-me-up. I feel like chocolate flavors are under-represented in Japanese candy boxes, so it's nice to get one once in a while!
Tai Strawberry x 2
One thing I don't love about Japanese snacks are the savory ones that lean towards fish flavors. Thankfully, this is an ADORABLE fish-shaped filled treat, similar to a strawberry wafer cookie.
I feel like I've seen these on Instagram lately; they're super cute and unique. They also tasted pretty darn good! The exterior was nice and crunchy, and the filling sort of melts in your mouth, with lots of strawberry flavor. I'm saving the second one to share with my toddler, who I think will get a big kick out of the shape.
Dondon Yaki x 2
These little crackery treats kind of blew my mind. They're fried and marinated in tonkatsu sauce! I know I've had tonkatsu in the past but it's one of those flavor profiles that are so hard to pin down. These are definitely salty and savory and decidedly not fishy at all. Strangely addicting and I feel like the flavors change as you eat them, with some being a bit more soy-ish and some being sweeter.
Fried Seaweed with Sudachi
Seaweed is pretty hit or miss for me and I admit I opened this bag with some trepidation, but these were pretty unique! The fried seaweed is seasoned with sudachi fruit, a "small green citrus" used in place of lemon or lime. These were crunchy and had a nice bright citrus flavor and plenty of salt, too. I love citrus flavors so this was super fun to try.
Matsuri Bayashi Senbei x 2
These little packets of rice crackers are so visually appealing! I love the variety of color and texture, and some of these (black sesame! chili pepper!) were really delicious. Unfortunately for me, the shrimp flavored crackers seemed to permeate every flavor with just a little bit of fishiness.
Apple Candy
These hard candies were another big win! They are SO cute and really look like tiny red apples, and have an incredible flavor, too, which comes from local and seasonal apples. I usually think of apples being super American, but apparently, candy apples are also super popular in Japan, too. Yum!
Firework Rice Crackers
Anyone else expecting Poprocks from this treat? 😉
These unusual black pellets are actually black rice crackers surrounding a peanut center, meant to mimic the fireworks common in summer festivals. They were definitely a novelty to me– totally strange to eat at first and discover what they really were! Despite the crunchiness and peanut center, though, I didn't find the flavor itself to be particularly memorable or remarkable.
Honey Castella Cake
Seeing tiny cakes like this in snack boxes is my weakness. Who doesn't want a petite lil piece of cake with their afternoon coffee or tea?
The texture of this cake was unbelievable: so pillowy and light! The flavor was really light and I'm not sure I'd have pinpointed it as honey if the booklet hadn't explained it to me.
Edamade Rice Crackers x 3
This is a rice cracker snack I can get behind! They're meant to be enjoyed with beer, but my pregnant-self craves salty food right now so I paired them with some La Croix instead. 😉 I loved the contrast in texture from the green crackers and the peanuts, and everything was super crunchy and salty and delicious. Would definitely snack on these again.
Verdict: My first experience with Bokksu was great! I feel like the festival theme was well represented and explained, and I loved that there are some novelty treats (like the firework peanuts) along with some truly delicious savory and sweet snacks. This was a fun way to discover some new-to-me Japanese treats and I thought the balance between sweet, salty, savory, and tea was excellent. I loved the unboxing and packaging, too. All in all, we got 12 different things to try and 19 total items.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Sadly, no. You must order by the 25th of the month to receive the following month's box. Order today to receive September as your first. Check out the most recent spoilers here.
Coupon – Use code ADDICTION to save $5 off your first box!
Value Breakdown: At $39.00 for this box, you're paying approximately $2.05 for each single item.
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What did you think of Bokksu's Summer Festival box?
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