Disclaimer: This review is not affiliated to or sponsored by Bokksu. All opinions are my own.
In my previous review of the September 2020 box, the theme was Otsukimi Moon Festival which featured snacks that are round like the full moon and associated with the Otsukimi traditions.
This month, it’s Autumn Harvest! Each snack revolves around fall colours, comfort food and fall flavours such as sweet potatoes, mushrooms and nuts.
As compared to the September box, this box was a lot more visually appealing and I was so excited to try the snacks! 😍
I’ll be reviewing 13 items in total and rating them based on
- Taste
- Are the flavours as they describe them to be?
- Are the flavours good?
- Uniqueness
- Will I be able to find this snack in Singapore?
- Will I be able to find close substitutes of this snack in Singapore?
I’ll also be dropping Bokksu facts and tips along the way!
Savoury Sesame Biscuit
Uniqueness:
My favourite of the lot – this savoury sesame biscuit looked and sounded rather underwhelming. But when I took my first bite, I was pleasantly surprised by the multidimensional flavours it had to offer.
The biscuit was very thin and crisp. It was fragrant, buttery and featured a sesame flavour with a tinge of sweetness. Definitely a binge-worthy snack!
Every snack in this Autumn Harvest box can be bought individually. The shipping fee for each order will depend on the weight of the items and selected shipping method.
There are 2 trackable shipping methods to choose from: standard (2-3 weeks) and express (1-2 weeks). You can also opt for route package protection at an additional fee of $0.98.
Shiitake Mushroom Black Pepper Arare
Uniqueness:
This snack had a strong smell of shiitake mushroom and it tasted exactly like deep fried mushroom with black pepper. The black pepper taste was strong and aromatic, which balances well with the mushroom.
However, it’s not really suitable for binging due to the strong flavours. An overall pleasant and unique snack with a crunch!
Mori no Madeleine: Apple
Uniqueness:
At first look, this looked boring and unassuming but I was proven wrong! The texture is softer and more moist than a French madeleine.
There wasn’t much Apple jam filling but I felt that the proportion was just right. Plus, it wasn’t too sweet! This pastry ticked all the boxes for me.
Perhaps the uniqueness would be elevated if it came in a different flavour!
Beniimo Purple Yam Pie
Uniqueness:
A one-of-a-kind take on a pie, this yam snack had a buttery crust that isn’t crumbly. The purple filling is like a paste, with a light sweet flavour that’s not too overpowering or too sweet.
The flavour of the filling reminded me a little of a red bean steamed bun. The winning feature of this snack is the complementary combination of the crust and filling.
Hojicha Roasted Green Tea Financier
Uniqueness:
This was my first time trying a financier (French almond cake) and it was like a moist cake.
The hojicha taste was strategically paired with a hint of chocolate and a fruity aftertaste from the fruity black tea flavour. However, I couldn’t quite get any caramel taste.
I’d say that it’s a pretty good snack that would go well with a cup of coffee, but I didn’t particularly like it. Wouldn’t reach out for it but would eat it if offered 🙂
Craving for Japanese snacks? The Bokksu market has a huge selection of authentic snacks and teas from artisanal makers.
Mini Chocolate: Anno Imo Sweet Potato
Uniqueness:
I was really excited for this as it reminded me of 白色恋人 (Shiroi Koibito)! In fact, the texture was exactly the same – soft biscuit that crumbled lightly with a bite and the soft chocolate melted in my mouth.
The fragrance of the sweet potato in the biscuit comes through and complements the white chocolate well. While it was a little too sweet for my liking, I must admit that it’s a very unique snack!
Would pair well with a cup of sugarless tea 🙂
Hojicha Latte
Uniqueness:
The drink for this month is hojicha latte! I tried it hot, but it probably would’ve been nicer if it’s iced. It was sweet, creamy and tasted like a typical hojicha milk tea.
The sweetness definitely didn’t do well with all the other sweet snacks – a sugarless tea would’ve been perfect!
Having said that, it’s a pretty good cup of latte, but nothing out of the ordinary.
Imokari Cube
Uniqueness:
Having eaten so many sweet potato snacks from this box, I’m surprised how different each type of sweet potato tasted!
These potato cubes tasted exactly like sweet potatoes in the form of crunchy cube chips. However, they were a tad too hard and sweet for my liking.
Would’ve preferred snacking on sweet potato so I don’t feel like I’m damaging my teeth.
Chestnut Pie
Uniqueness:
The chestnut pie tasted like tau sar piah (bean paste pastry) but with a pasty (rather than crumbly) filling. It had a buttery pie dough crust which I enjoyed!
However, the white bean paste flavour overpowered the chestnut flavour; wasn’t a very good balance in my opinion. Overall, it tasted pretty good but wasn’t very unique.
On a budget? Simply search “Bokksu review” on YouTube and you’ll find a ton of 10% off promo codes to use for your order!
Grape Gummy
Uniqueness:
There was a pungent grape smell as soon as I opened the packet. This candy has a sour exterior and a sweet gummy interior. The natural grape flavour was also very apparent.
I love such gummies, but this one was just too sweet. Plus, you can easily find a better alternative in our local supermarkets – this is one of my favourite sour gummies.
Sesame Oil and Salt Potato Chips
Uniqueness:
This was the most underwhelming-looking snack of this month’s box. There wasn’t any aroma from the sesame oil, it was just slightly salty; much like Lays classic salt chips.
But something worth mentioning is the thickness and strong potato flavour of each chip. Also, the bag was substantially filled as compared to the nitrogen-filled packets you usually get.
Walnut Mochi
Uniqueness:
Who doesn’t love the chewy texture of a mochi? I couldn’t wait to take a bite but to my disappointment, it wasn’t as good as it sounded.
The soy sauce countered a bit of the sweetness, but it was still a little too sweet for my liking. The chopped walnuts kneaded in the mochi were sufficient to make their presence known through the strong nut flavour.
I didn’t quite like this snack but I can see some people enjoying it.
Uni Rice Crackers
Uniqueness:
These rice crackers were a huge disappointment. The flavour sounded so interesting – it was supposed to be a combination of uni and soy sauce.
However, the taste of the rice cracker overpowered the faint flavours. The snack was very one-dimensional; I could only taste the soy sauce mildly and nothing else. Wouldn’t reach for this again.
Know someone who’s a huge fan of Japanese snacks? You can get them a Bokksu Market gift card in denominations of $25, $50, $75 and $100!
Gift cards are delivered by email
Redemption instructions included in email
No additional processing fees
No expiration date
Overall Ratings for Bokksu Subscription Box (Oct 2020)
Taste:Uniqueness:
Value for money:
Would you recommend this Bokksu box to others?
Yes! I’m so glad that this box was a lot better than the Sep 2020 one. Would’ve loved it if the box had a more balanced sweet to savoury ratio.
But the snacks really came through this month! 😊
Would you buy this Bokksu box again?
I can say with confidence that I would buy the savoury sesame biscuits again! Would consider the purple yam pie and the apple madeleine as well 😍
Bokksu subscription plan prices
Here are the prices for Bokksu if you’re interested in getting yourself a premium Japanese snack subscription plan:
($96.00 saved) | ($42.00 saved) | ($15.00 saved) |
If you enjoyed this review, you can read my September 2020 review and stay tuned as I review the snack box for November 2020!
Have a product you want us to review? Email us at hello@bumblescoop.com!