We all know that I am a big fan of foreign candy and cosmetics. And because of it, I jumped at the occasion of trying something new from the Japan Crate site.
They offer several subscription boxes (Japan candy or kawaii stuff), the mini starting at 15$ + free shipping.
I received their Mini box and here's what was inside of it.
THE BOX
My box came about 10 days after they shipped it and I received a confirmation email stating so.
The box is big, but I found it interesting that there was no bubble wrap. I guess food items don't really get ruined in the post? I am not sure.
But I did like the red fabric that covered the entire box. It gave a nice touch to it.
I found several items inside (8 even if a mini is about 5 items, so YAY).
They say:
Japanese candy & snacks Box
The Japanese candy that you’ve seen on the web can arrive straight to your doorsteps. You’ve gotta try them for yourself to see how fun, crazy, and delicious they are! Won’t you try some right now?
It is quite a view, right?
But let me take you through them all.
THE ITEMS
1. Umaibō
Umaibō or "delicious stick" is a small, puffed, cylindrical corn snack from Japan. It is produced by Riska and sold by Yaokin. It has a suggested retail price of 10 yen, but because profit margin is so slim, its price can change without notice. Wikipedia
I received three different flavors: Curry, Shrimp-Mayonnaise flavor, and Beef tongue.
The names put me off a little, but I was brave (and hungry) so I gave it a go. They were actually pretty delicious! I liked the Shrimp one, it was quite mild, with a slight sea taste. The Curry one was very strong flavored but very sweet and non-spicy at all. And the beef tongue one seemed nice at the first bite, but the flavor got a somewhat artificial flavor at the end of the bite. They are essentially fun sticks, made from corn puffs (like we have Smoki here), with additional flavors. I liked them (overall) and am hoping to get to try some other flavors in the future.
2. Crispy Mois Chocolate
"Soaked chocolate," a bite sized corn puff soaked in chocolate with the most superb texture, highlighting the softness of the corn puffs. One of the best-selling snacks in Japan.
I don't know anything about best selling snacks, but I do know one thing - these were freaking delicious. I enjoyed every bite of them. They come in two shapes (in the bag), round corn puffs and heart shaped corn puffs. All of them are completely soaked in milk chocolate, that gives them a gentle chocolate taste. Because they are corn puffs they melt in your mouth and leave you happy and wanting more. Damn good!
3, Whistle Candy: Grape flavor
This is a very popular and regular snack in Japan. Because this candy can make sounds like a whisle when you put it in your mouth and blow, it makes kids happy but their parents angry. A cute secret tox box comes with this.
I laughed really hard at the description. Hilarious. Of course, I had to try to whistle with it right away. It was fun ;). And I guess that's why kids love them. They don't have much flavor and are pretty bland tasting. A bit like those "energy" candy, that melt in a second or two in your mouth. Just very very bland. I liked that it has a toy inside the small box. Cute!
4. Potato Happy Butter
Sold for a limited time in Japan, stores kept going out of stock. You can enjoy a combination of 4 flavors (butter, honey, parsley, mascarpone cheese). A sweet and salty deliciousness with these 4 flavors as a base.
Yay for chips! I didn't have chips in months and I was happy to get some extra special ones from Japan.
The first taste was interesting because they are sweet but there is also some saltiness to them. A nice and delicious combination, that was really easy to eat. I liked that the chips are big and thin. Really nice. They also have a great crisp to them and I think these were overall really nice.
5. POKEMON 3D Candy
Electric lemon flavored hard candies with a 3D drawings on each individual wrapper.
I love Pokemon! I grew up watching them and I am quite fond of them. These candies come in a plastic bag from which you can cut out the glasses and see the drawings of the Pokemon in 3D. Fun! Except I don't care for that ;). But my kid did enjoy this aspect of the candies.
The candies have a basic lemon flavor that has some bitterness to them that is more of an artificial aftertaste. I didn't like that.
Inside you can find a sour center that was nice, but again the artificial flavor did it no justice. These were pretty mediocre.
6. Strange Gum
When you eat the lemon, strawberry, and green apple flavors together it mysteriously changes into grape flavor. You can enjoy various flavors depending on the combinations you pick.
I have never seen a gum packed like this. It's okay but not great to take with you. The description on the back side said something odd like "create your own bubble gum tree". Um okay.
I tried all the gums separately and together and they all have one thing in common - a very gentle, creamy flavor. I liked them, but the flavor disappeared quickly and I don't know anything about the grape flavor when combined together. I guess they are all too mild for my taste buds.
These are all the items for this box (probably for all the monthly boxes since I didn't receive all of them). I got the first row.
I really enjoyed this box, especially the salty snacks and my kid enjoyed the sweet snacks. I also liked that they included multiples from one product, just in different flavors. I think it really makes for a better overall experience.
I am a fan of subscription boxes and this is no different. Overall, I got products worth about 10-11€ in a box that costs $15 + free shipping. I think it's a great way to try new snacks. So yay!
Watch me unbox it here (Slovenian).
What do you think? Would you try it?
