After last month’s two year anniversary extravaganza, this month Bokksu is taking us to Nagoya!
This city is famous for its food culture and unique dishes, and this month’s selection of snacks should be a real treat.
The menu format is slightly different from previous months; it now is a double foldout, so requires two pictures to show you the whole thing!
You get information about each snack, plus a very useful allergy list. (Fortunately, last month’s incorrect allergy information has now been put right.)
Nagoya Hojicha Tea. This local Nagoya tea is made from slow-roasted Sencha leaves. This process reduces the caffeine level and gives it a deep earthy flavour, perfect for enjoying at the end of the day.
Scallion Miso Senbei. These senbei (rice crackers) are enormous! They’re flavoured with negimiso, a sauce made from miso paste and scallions. This variety is inspired by a popular Nagoya dish, Miso Katsu, which is pork cutlet with thick miso sauce.
Nagoya Caramel Sandwich Cookie. These are sandwich cookies from Chezi Shibata, a company that combines classic French pastries with Japanese techniques. The cookies are caramel and the cream has lovely little bits of raisins inside. They are ridiculously delicious.
Matcha Cream Sandwich Cookie. Another sandwich cookie, this time with matcha powder in both the biscuit and the cream filling. The sweetness of the cookies and cream is a lovely contrast to the bitterness of the matcha.
Ebi Crunch. This is a spicy mix of rice crackers and peanuts flavoured with shrimp, black pepper, curry powder and garam masala. It’s inspired by Ebi Furai, a fried shrimp dish popular in lunch bento. Apparently this snack is great with a beer, and sounds delicious, though sadly the shrimp means it’s not for me.
Kinshachi Chocolate. The design on the package is a Kinshachi, the shachikoko symbol of Nagoya. Inside the lovely gold packet is a chocolate langue du chat sandwich cookie. These particular cookies are often given as souvenir gifts to friends and family.
Mini Red Bean Crackers. These little crackers have a thin filling of red bean paste. They are reminiscent of the traditional Japanese dessert Shiruko, made from red beans.
Tenmusu Senbei Rice Cracker. This senbei is inspired by another Nagoya dish, Temnusu. This local specialty is a combination of shrimp tempura and rice balls, wrapped in a sheet of seaweed. The senbei itself contains shrimp and seaweed, and has a soy glaze.
Nagoya Kinshachi Langue du Chat. Yet another sandwich langue du chat cookie! The cookie itself is printed with the kinshachi symbol, and it contains not just one filling, but two! There’s a white chocolate disc in the center, surrounded by tangy cream cheese cream, with two light cookies on the outside. The cream cheese stops it being too sweet, and it manages to be both delicate and rich.
Ogura Toast Langue du Chat. OK, it’s the last langue du chat sandwich cookie! This one is a splendid homage to the classic Nagoya breakfast dish, Ogura Toast. The dish itself is toast spread with sweet red bean paste, butter, and sometimes whipped cream. This cookie version has the toast represented by the cookies, and the bean paste in the form of white chocolate cream infused with red beans.
As a bonus, here’s a little bag of Mini Fried Rice Crackers (Amanoya Himemaru Arare). They showed up in the March box, and are tiny crunchy senbei covered with a sweet soy glaze. They are alarmingly moreish.
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You might think five different sandwich cookies was too much, but let me tell you, they’re all delicious! I especially liked the cookies with the cream cheese filling and the raisin filling. I also think it’s interesting that langue du chat, which are so French, seem to be very popular in Japan! The Japanese versions, though, are square rather than the usual oval shape. Either way, yummy.
I’m always slightly sad when a shellfish snack shows up, as it means something I can’t eat. This month there are two, or rather three items that are off-limits, and I’m especially sorry about the Ebi Crunch, because they sound like they’d be wonderful with a cold beer! Oh well, at least I can enjoy everything else.
I’m not a great fan of red bean paste, but it’s used very effectively in these little treats. The theme of this month’s box is fascinating, and really showcases local flavours and dishes. I’ll definitely be adding Nagoya to my list of must-visit places!
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Click here to read more Bokksu reviews.
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Here’s some blurb for you:
Bokksu is unlike any other Japanese snack box. We are totally in love with Japanese snacks, which is why it is our mission to craft authentic Japanese gourmet experiences for our Members around the world. We source directly from artisanal producers in Japan, so you won’t find our delicious snacks and teas anywhere else.
Classic Bokksu will take you on a gourmet journey through Japan each month. From Hokkaido white chocolate butter cookies to Kyoto handground matcha to Kyushu mango chiffon cakes, get the experience of tasting authentic Japanese snacks delivered right to your door. Each box comes with:
- 20-25 delicious Japanese snacks and a tea pairing curated around a cultural theme
- Our Tasting Guide that explains the story and flavors of each product in your box
- The option to pause or cancel anytime
- Free shipping worldwide
Payment is made upfront for the subscription period. The price starts at $39 (around £29) for a month-to-month subscription, and the monthly cost is reduced the longer the subscription! You can find more details here.
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A different version of this review was first published on allsubscriptionboxes.co.uk.
