Bokksu Box Review January 2017

Bokksu is a premium subscription service for people to discover delicious snacks and teas from all over Japan. Having lived in and snacked through Japan, Founder Danny Taing curates a gourmet box for subscribers every month filled with authentic Japanese snacks and tea pairings.

Wow, wow, wow.  Seriously though!  Bokksu has blown me away and I’m not even a huge fan of Japanese snacks and food, but this box is a game changer!  I’m a details person, so a box’s look from the outside to the inside is very important to me.  I loved the art of the cards provided and even the shredded paper filling.  It all seemed to match and support the theme of Japanese treats and culture.  Great start!

Each Bokksu box is filled with a selection of treats, but don’t know what you’re looking at, like me?  Don’t worry, there is a menu card to help you understand what you received.  Let’s get started!

Ok, again, I can’t stress enough with how impressed I am with the layout and artistic detail of this box.  Just look at how these treats are all lined up and organized.  This goes a long way for me.

Kaisen Usukeshi Kasen
This crispy senbei is twice-baked using deep ocean shrimp to fully imbue the fresh and savory flavors of the ocean

Ok, so I may not like the taste of shrimp in my cookies, but these look so tasty.  I bet they would go so nicely with a cup of green tea!  I also really like how they have provided a few to try.  This box is already catered to enjoying with friends.

Baumkuchen
Baumkuchen is a German roll cake that was first introduced to Japan in the early 20th century and is now an incredibly popular dessert all over Japan.  Baumkuchen literally means “tree cake” in German and gets its namesake from the characteristic rings that resemble tree rings.  We’ve included two flavors: Plain and Chocolate

These look delicious!  I love how their origin wasn’t Japanese but German.  It just goes to show that we are all connected in our cultures.  I can’t wait to try the chocolate one!

Gaufrettes
Gaufrettes are the cuter, smaller version of Gaufres (Waffle in French).  This crispy, cream-filled sandwich wafer comes in three flavors: Vanilla, Strawberry, and Chocolate

These remind me of those wafer cookies my grandma use to stock for our visits!  Waffles are popular in any culture it seems.   I’m glad for the variety of flavours as well.  It really gives you a rounded experience of the product.

Ka No Michi
Ka No Michi is a Japanese reimagining of a cream cookie sandwich.  It is first filled with flavored cream and then baked to perfection in a beautiful wave pattern.  Each bite infuses your mouth with a delicious balance of crispy butter cookie and lightly sweet cream.  We’ve included three flavors: Vanilla, Matcha, and Cocoa

These were definitely my favourite when pulling all the items out of the box.  After reading the description I can confirm they will be my favourite item in this box!  I’m loving the education on Japanese sweets culture!  So it’s not all fish flavoured cookies!

Cheese Manju Okashinai
Manju is a traditional Japanese confection made with flour, rice powder, and buckwheat.  Instead of the traditional red bean filling, this fluffy manju from Akita Perfecture is stuffed with white bean and cheese to create a sweet and savory happy delight

I like that Bokksu provided more items than just sweets.  This sounds like a great addition to a packed lunch!  Also, the picture on the menu card shows happy faces on the pastry.  Who wouldn’t want this?!

Natural Yeast Bread Hokkaido Cream
A fan favorite from June Bokksu, this delicious fluffy bread is layered with a cream made using milk from the Tokachi district of Hokkaido

It’s good to know that Bokksu brings back favourites!  This looks pretty tasty and from just the description can already understand why it was a fan favourite.

Gyokuro Green Tea
Gyokuro is widely regarded as one of the highest grades of Sencha (Japanese green tea) due to its more laborious cultivation process.  Unlike uncovered Sencha leaves, Gyokuro tea leaves are shielded from the sun fro about three weeks before being harvested.  This process causes the theanine and alkaloid caffeine in the leaves to increase and results in a richer flavor.  Please note that Gyokuro is steeped at a lower temperature for a longer duration than the standard green teas

Perfect!  Here is my green tea to go along with my snacks, just as I was saying in the beginning.  Bokksu has truly thought of everything!

Bokksu Box Review January 2016 – Final Thoughts

Wow, I can’t believe how impressed I am. I have never been one to indulge in Japanese treats and it seems those who do are obsessed with them; I’m starting to understand why.  I see Bokksu as an event!  I can’t wait to invite friends over and have these treats out so we can all try and experience them together.