Many of us are still working from home, which we’ve all learned comes with some pros and cons. You don’t have to commute, but you’re finding it hard to log off your computer at the end of the day. You can wear sweatpants to work, but you can’t fall asleep because your brain has construed your bed as your new office. We’ve adjusted to many new things, but if there’s one dangerously tempting work-from-home habit that we just can’t kick, it’s snacking.
At this point, the 3 p.m. snack attack has become more or less a daily ritual. But if you’re like us, boring potato chips or a can of peanuts just isn’t doing it anymore. Switching to healthier snacks is a good way to mix things up, but if you’re the more adventurous type and love the sound of getting snacks from the other side of the globe delivered to your door every month, we’ve got just the thing: Bokksu
What is Bokksu?
Bokksu is a snack subscription box that helps you explore the culture of Japan through the country’s fun and exciting snacks and candies. The process is simple: All you have to do is sign up for one of the subscription plans, which are available for $49.95 per month (there are also gift subscriptions if you want to send snacks to someone else), then just wait until your box arrives and snack away.
Each box has a theme, with the first box always being the “Seasons of Japan” box, which has different snacks based on the seasons. After that, you’ll get a different theme every month. Some past themes have been Sweet Love, which included a strawberry sandwich cookie, baked chocolate and more, and Winter in Hokkaido, which had white raspberries, royal milk tea and more.
Plus, if you get a snack that you absolutely love and want more, Bokksu has an online market where you can purchase individual treats, teas and more. You can browse by category or even past box themes so you can stock up on all your favorites.
The packages are filled with snacks, but they also come with a booklet that explains what each snack is and who it’s made by, along with any common allergens. This way, Bokksu highlights small businesses making delicious products from all over Japan. You can also learn more about these businesses on Bokksu’s website, where there are profiles on artisanal makers from all over Japan.
What do you get in the box?
We loved the idea of Bokksu so much that we got the initial “Seasons of Japan” Bokksu box shipped to us so we could try the snacks ourselves. After days of munching and crunching through our box, we were blown away by not only the amount and variety of little treats that were packed into the box but also the all-around deliciousness of the snacks.
There were sweet and savory snacks, from an edamame cracker and plum-flavored chips to a chocolate-infused strawberry and matcha chocolate stick cake. There were flavors and textures we’ve never tasted before, such as the Funwari Meijin Mochi Puffs, which were delightfully airy and crispy at the same time. We were glad there weren’t any popular Japanese snacks you could just find in the supermarket, like Pocky or Hi-Chew. Instead, each package was a whole new experience, and we never really knew what we were in for next.
All the treats were packed tightly and neatly in the box, and they made it largely unharmed through shipping. Some of the more delicate snacks were cracked, but nothing so severe that we were trying to eat a bag of crumbs.
We thoroughly enjoyed the booklet that came in the shipment too, as it explained what each snack was, which wasn’t always easy to decipher at first glance since much of the packaging is in Japanese. The booklet explains how each snack falls under the theme, which for our box meant an overview of celebrations and flavors commonly found in Japan throughout the seasons. For example, there were Mocchan Dango Mochi, which are little mochi balls normally eaten while viewing flowers in spring, and Dondon Yaki, which are little crisps named after the sounds of beating taiko drums you’d hear during a summer festival.
Some of our favorite snacks were the Aomori Apple Caramel Yakkoi Sable, which was a soft and chewy cookie; the Uni Rice Crackers, which had a delicious umami flavor from sea urchin; and the Puku Puku Tai: Chocolate, which was a fish-shaped wafer filled with an airy chocolate mousse.
The bottom line
With a Bokksu subscription, not only do you get a cascade of delicious and exciting snacks, but with each bite you can learn more about the traditions and culture of Japan. So while you may not be able to travel to the land of the rising sun right now, with Bokksu you can turn your snack break into your next big adventure.
Bokksu is available in monthly subscriptions for $49.95, or you can save by purchasing longer subscriptions up front, such as the annual subscription for $479.40, which saves you $120 compared to having a standard monthly membership for one year.
