REVIEW / Taste Japan

It seems that in recent months, we have been hit with a bunch of new companies who are more than happy to deliver a box Japanese snacks to your door.  You hear ’em knockin’? Well, let ’em in, then!  The Dec-Jan box from Taste Japan is filled with nine treats that will have your taste buds buzzing in anticipation.  From Strawberry Creme filled Koala bears to melt-in-your-mouth crispy corn snacks, if you can’t find something to like in this box, then you really just don’t like Japanese snacks.  Trust me, you won’t be disappointed as several different types of snacks will satiate your snack cravings.

The two guys running Taste Japan have made getting tasty Japanese snacks delivered to your door once a month a very simple proposition.  Simply subscribe on Taste Japan’s website and in 1-3 weeks you will be enjoying your first box of delectable, exclusive Japanese snacks and candies.  It’s that easy!  A monthly subscription will run you about $23 per month, which is about what you would pay for similar Japanese snack boxes.  And don’t worry about trying to decipher the Kanji on the packages because Taste Japan includes a handy guide to that months snacks inside the box.  In addition, the guide will contain a top secret code that you can enter on their website that will unlock even more information about the mouth watering snacks hand picked for that months selections.

Kuri Country Ma’am

The actual cookie that I was supposed to get was a Chestnut version but for whatever reason I got the Chocolate Chip version.  In addition, there were supposed to be two in the box but I only got one.  Nevertheless, I got a delicious cookie that didn’t fail to impress.  The cookie part was soft and crumbly and the chocolate chips were sweet and good.  I’ve had worse chocolate chip cookies, so this one was a nice surprise.

Morokoshiwa Tarou

Morokoshiwa Tarou are corn puff snacks that kind of reminds me of Cheetos Puffs.  They have a very hearty corn flavor with a hint of garlic and are lightly salted.  They were a bit more greasy than I was initially expecting as well.  This snack is kind of heavy on the stomach so you might just want to eat a few at a time.  Still, they didn’t disappoint and I could see myself eating them again.

Mogi Mogi Fruits

You simply cannot go wrong with gummy candies so you can probably guess how I feel about Mogi Mogi Fruits.  Molded into the shape of a vine that is bursting with tasty grapes, this candy was one of my favorites.  Boasting extremely fruity grape, melon soda and muscat (a type of grape) flavored “grapes,” plucking a few bushels from the vine was oh so good.  The gummy texture was just right and the flavors were perfect.

Edamame Snacks

A staple in the diets of many Japanese people, an edamame or soybean snack is a no-brainer.   This crispy snack is in the shape of an actual soybean but is lightly salted and baked to perfection.  The unique soybean taste is actually very subtle but not so much that it is unnoticeable.  It had a satisfying crunch and an above average taste but may not appeal to everyone.

Milky Coffee Pucca

As a big fan of the coffee bean, this snack immediately had me interested.   Upon opening the package, I got of whiff of coffee nirvana and I knew I had found my next best friend.  These delicious pirate Octopi were crispy on the outside and filled with a creamy coffee flavored filling.  Shiver me timbers if this snack didn’t delight and it was one of the best treats in the box.

Kaola’s March Snacks

Strawberry Cream filled Koala bear shaped cookies.  There, I said it.  Who knew Koala’s tasted so good?  They have a crunchy cookie outer shell and are filled to the brim with sweet, creamy strawberry filling.  Winner!

Milky Chocolate

I was starting to wonder if I was going to get any chocolate treats in this months box when I stumbled upon these.  While the faces of these candies seem to get a little scuffed during shipping, it didn’t affect the flavor one bit.  A creamy, fresh milky filling is surrounded by wonderful, sweet chocolate that really does melt in your mouth.  The milky filling is smooth with a flavor that really compliments the milk chocolate.  This was one of my favorites as well and a welcome addition to my monthly selection.

Twinkies!

This treat wins the “Fun” award of the nine snacks offered.  It is a milk chocolate egg that is hollow and filled with fun, crunchy candies on the inside.  The mixing of the textures was somewhat of a turnoff but I soon figured out that I was eating them wrong.  If you pop the whole thing in your mouth, you don’t get to see what type of candy is on the inside.  So, I began biting the tops off and looking in to see what I had gotten.  The contents of each egg was different every time and it was fun to crack open a new one to see what was there.

Takenoko no Sato

This is a limited edition version of this popular Japanese snack.  This snack tasted a lot like strawberry and Oreo cookie ice cream.  The chocolate cookie has a delicate crunch while the smooth strawberry coating on top is sweet and smooth.  These were very pleasing and a snack that I wouldn’t mind having more of.

Getting unique Japanese snacks delivered to your door has never been easier or offered by a more amazing group of guys that have an eye and taste buds to pick out only the very best snacks Japan has to offer.   Other than the mix up with the Chestnut and Chocolate Chip cookies (I am just curious to how the former would taste), this box was perfect.  Remember, shipping is totally free and if you decide to cancel, you can do so with no penalty.