Bokksu – July 2018 Review

July!  It’s the peak of summer heat, and all we really want is something refreshing – so Bokksu comes through with that Citrus Refresh theme to keep things juicy, cool, and sweet!

The Classic Bokksu subscription features 20-25 snacks curated around a monthly theme, and a tea pairing.

$39/month with free shipping worldwide!

Bokksu also features a Tasting Bokksu subscription for $19/month, which includes 8-10 snacks and a tea pairing.

Use code BEEJU to get $5 off your first box with any Classic or Tasting Bokksu subscription!

Both boxes are available at a slight discount with longer subscriptions.

Bokksu’s theme for the month of July is Citrus Refresh, celebrating the delicious Vitamin C-filled flavors that provide pure refreshment in the summer heat.  Citrus is pretty much the flavor of summer for me, since it’s ubiquitous during the hotter months.

Japanese culture has the concept of natsubate, or summer fatigue, when the heat wears on you and makes everything feel slow and sluggish.  To combat this, you eat lots of citrusy foods that wake you up and energize the taste buds!  In addition to familiar tastes like orange and lemon, Bokksu is also exploring traditional Japanese fruits like yuzu, hyuganatsu, and shiquasa.

Bokksu’s tri-fold information cards are always beautifully photographed and well-organized to be informative and aesthetically pleasing!

Orange Stick Cake by Nakajima Taishodo

This cake was fantastic.  It had a very well-balanced orange cake flavor – not too candy sweet, but not overly citrus-sour either!  And the fluffy cake is topped with real candied orange too.  Orange peel can sometimes be bitter, but that has totally been avoided here so all you get is a juicy genuine orange sweetness to go with the orange flavor of the cake.  And of course, as with most Bokksu cake treats, this was not dry at all, but perfectly moist!

Rich Orange Biscuits by Meiji

Ohhhh boy, favorite snack potential.  These biscuits were like the perfect Double Stuf Oreo, but higher level.  The biscuits are made with that famous Meiji chocolate, which is dark and smooth but sweet.  The creamy filling is 41% orange juice concentrate to really give you a fresh orange sweetness.  Orange and chocolate are honestly a fantastic combination, and in the form of an Oreo?  More, please.

Lemon Low Carb Cake by Nakajima Taishodo

This cake is delicious and good for you – well, as good for you as cake can be.  It’s “low carb” in that it’s made with almond flour rather than traditional flour, and sweetened with both lemon and just a hint of orange, which actually brings out the lemon flavor even better.  I honestly could not tell a difference with the almond flour, so that’s a big win in my book!

Yuzu Candy by Daimonji Ame Honpo

These little pieces of crystallized sugar have been flavored with yuzu, a traditional Japanese citrus fruit that’s somewhere between a lemon and a grapefruit.  It’s a beautifully simple little hard candy that was made exclusively for Bokksu!

Mini Fried Rice Cracker Shiquasa Salt by Amanoya

I’ve had these little fried rice puffs before (and loved them!), but not in the shiquasa salt variety.  Shiquasa is a lemony citrus fruit found in Okinawa, where this version of the rice cracker is exclusively available.  The fried rice puffs are pleasantly crunchy, and the salt is really intensified by the citrus sourness to a next level flavor (think like a salt and vinegar chip!).

Lemon Rusk by Tokyo Rusk

How cute is this rusk!?  It’s shaped like a little lemon!  Rusks are twice-baked baguettes that are extra crispy and come in a wide variety of flavors.  This one has had lemon peel mixed in with the butter that coats the cookie, so the lemon flavor is literally infused into the very crunch of this treat.  I love all rusks, and the sweet lemon taste with the rich buttery crisp is especially delightful.

Hyuganatsu Jelly by Ace Bakery

Who remembers those little jelly cups you could get at any Asian mart, that came in flavors like lychee or mango or coconut???  Those were like the snack of my childhood, and I still adore them to this day.  These jelly cups are similar, and have been flavored with hyuganatsu, a pomelo-like citrus fruit found in the Miyazaki prefecture.  The taste is delicious and juicy, but the jelly is a little grainier and less-smooth than I prefer.

Olive Oil Senbei Yuzu Pepper by Kingodo Seika

This rice cracker senbei is like an explosion of flavor.  There’s a saltiness from the rice cracker itself, a richness from the olive oil, a peppery kick of spice, and a sour tang from the yuzu.  Somehow this multitude of flavors works together well and makes this better and certainly more unique than just a plain salt senbei.

Ofu Smoked Crackers and Peanuts Lemon Salt Flavor by Itofu

These are a popular bar snack of round cracker pieces and smoked peanuts.  The crackers are made with ofu, a wheat-gluten tofu alternative commonly found in Buddhist cuisine.  They have a satisfying salty smoky flavor, as well as a hint of lemon tang.  I can definitely see how they would go well with a nice cold beer!

Yuzu Green Tea by Kagoshima Seicha

I usually turn to green tea whenever I want something light and refreshing, and this one does not disappoint.  The light yuzu citrus flavor gives it a sweetness that is really quite perfect for summer.  I also tried this steeped overnight in the fridge in a giant pitcher of water, and it was a cool refreshing drink post-workout – like an elevated infused water!

This. Box. Did. Not. Disappoint.  I love citrus, and pretty much everything in this box was a hit for me.  My favorites are closely tied between the orange cake, the chocolate orange oreos, the lemon rusks, the rice puff crackers… There’s too many!  I loved trying all of the more exotic fruits in addition to the comforting familiar flavors.  Probably one of my favorite boxes so far!

 

PR sample.  All opinions are my own.  No compensation was received for this review.  This post may contain affiliate links.