Japan Candy Box is filled with hand-picked quirky Japanese sweets & snacks directly to your home every month. Each box includes 10 delicious, special and fun Japanese candies and snacks.
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About Japan Candy Box
The Subscription Box: Japan Candy Box
The Cost: $19.90 a month + free shipping
The Products: 10 Carefully curated and fun Japanese snacks
Ships to: Worldwide, with free shipping to every country!
Japan Candy Box April 2018 Review
This box came with an illustrated info sheet for details on the products included.
Yaokin Umaibo Snack Natto Flavor - Retail Value $0.40 (found here for $0.28)
Before these, the only time I had seen natto was as an ingredient on Chopped. Have you seen what natto looks like? I ordinarily wouldn't think it was something I would want in my puffed corn stick. However, when I bit into it was pleasantly surprised. It is a nice savory flavor with hints of pepper and a tiny bit of funk from the fermentation. I liked it a lot more than I expected, and since they are on sale for $0.28 I have already bought 10 more (with free shipping!). Coin me a natto-enjoyer.
Kasugai Rose Aroma Ramune Candy
I didn't do my due diligence when eating these candies. I thought that since they looked like a smartie, they would taste like a smartie, and as a result, the rose flavor punched me in the taste buds. The rose is a very strong flavor in these little candies, and the texture dissolved a lot quicker than I expected, so every bit of rose essence coated all of my taste buds. The info sheet very clearly announces the rose flavor of these little candies, and I think that if I had gone in expecting rose flavor it would have been more pleasant.
Tomica Ramune Candy - Buy a pack of 4 for $3.80
These Ramune, on the other hand, taste a lot more like a smartie, which a harder texture. Plus, some of them are in the shape of trucks! This was a fun little bag, and I have eaten them all.
Kit Kat Dark Chocolate MiniBar
I tried this version of Kit Kat in my March Zenpop Sweets + Ramen box, and it is definitely a mild version compared to what you expect from Japanese Kit Kats. It tastes like a slightly less sweet dark chocolate Kit Kat. Not bad, but nothing for me to write home about.
Pocky Natural Strawberry Biscuit Sticks - Buy a pack of 9 for $7.90
I tried Pocky a few years ago and I wasn't impressed. I think it was your basic chocolate covered biscuit stick, and it takes a lot for chocolate to impress me. However, these naturally flavored strawberry sticks were the perfect mix of fruity flavor and lightly sweetened biscuit. My sticks came a bit stuck together, but I am not fussed about it. I am excited to try more Pocky now that this strawberry version has shown me the light!
Koikeya Scorn Wafu BBQ Corn Snacks
These look like a Cheeto without the bright orange color, and they taste like a honey bbq Cheeto. As you eat you get hints of sweetness and hints of pepper, and it is pleasant. Great snack.
Meiji Fruit Gumi Peach Gummy Candy
I love peach candies, and I love gummies. These reminded me of peach flavored fruit snacks vs. an American peach candy, but I am okay with that. The peach flavor was definitely there without being too strong or too sweet.
Tohato Caramel Corn Snacks
These are probably my favorite snack in the box (with the natto umaibo being a close second). These aren't caramel corn in the sense of popcorn like Americans think of, rather it is a lightly sweet corn puff that tastes so well-balanced. This was a small bag and I was sad because I wanted a lot more. These were also sold out when I bought more natto, otherwise, I would have bought a lot of these too.
Kabaya Puchi Purin Pudding Chocolates
This treat didn't survive the journey in their original form, but that's okay— I could still enjoy the taste of the caramel flavored white chocolate and milk chocolate! I am really particular about the chocolate I prefer, so while these were tasty I wouldn't see these out again. If you are a lover of chocolate in all forms, however, this would be a hit.
Popin' Cookin' Kuru Kuru Takoyaki DIY Candy Kit - Retail Value $3.69
You know, this is the snack that made me realize that the Japanese version of candy is not the same as mine. This kit includes octopus ball (takoyaki) flavored powders that you mix with water, bake in the microwave, and then top with a teriyaki-like sauce as well as MAYONNAISE. I am actually impressed with the fact that these powders actually turned into a baked snack, but the flavor wasn't for me. The mayonnaise made from the powder tasted an awful lot like mayonnaise you get from a jar, and it was a bit too much for me. One thing I really appreciate is the Japan Candy blog post that included a tutorial on how to actually make these— I would have been lost without it.
The Verdict: Japan Candy Box was a really neat box to receive! I devoured all of the snacks except the rose candies and octopus balls, and I was pleasantly surprised by a lot of the snacks included. I enjoyed the mix of sweet and savory included, and I am glad the info sheet provides details on each treat so you know what you're getting into (assuming you read it before breaking into the snacks). Y’all probably think I sound like a broken record when I say I am excited to see what next month brings, but I really am. I am totally new to the Japanese snacking scene, and I love getting a box that combines new things with tried and true flavors.
To Wrap Up:
Can you get this box if you sign up today? No. Sign up by April 30 to get the May box!
Coupon - Use coupon code KONPEITO to save $5 off your first box!
Value Breakdown: This box cost $19.90 with free shipping, and I received 10 cool snacks. That breaks down to $1.99 a snack!
Read all of our sweet snack box reviews in the Food Subscription Box List!
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