Cherry trees start blooming in late March or early April, signaling the beginning of Spring. In Japan, cherry blossoms, known as sakura, are deeply tied to the country’s history and culture. Many festivals take place celebrating the trees and they even have a term “hamani” meaning flower viewing, where visitors sit and enjoy the beauty of the cherry blossoms.
To honor this special time of year, Japanese snack subscription box TokyoTreats has debuted its Cherry Blossom Bites Box for the month of March and it is filled with sakura-inspired snacks.
I was fortunate to be able to sample this box and I was thoroughly impressed! The box contains thirteen different authentic Japanese snacks. Most of the snacks were large enough for multiple samplings. I enjoyed the variety of different types of snacks that covered the spectrum of salty, sweet, crunchy and soft. There was even a package of Tonkotsu-flavored ramen noodles.
While I’ve had my share of Kit Kats, this was my first time trying the Strawberry Shortcake flavor. There were a bunch of these Kit Kat bars included in the box. The bag held 10 mini bars, so my whole family was able to enjoy them! While I'm usually not a huge fan of white chocolate, I liked the Strawberry Shortcake flavored bar. It was sweet, without being overly cloying, and had a nice berry flavor.
The Cherry Blossom Bites Box from TokyoTreat is filled with sakura-inspired snacks!
Other sweet treats in the box included Sakura Petal Marshmallows, Peach Mochi and Blossom-Viewing Bites. Crunchy salty snacks included: Crispy Fried Rice Crackers, Baked Potato Poricky Sticks and Onion Puffs. There were also some packaged baked goods like the Sakura Blossom Cake and a Sakura Donut stick.
As mentioned, the snacks in the Cherry Blossom Bites Box are sakura-inspired. Many are pink in color and have a light cherry or fruit flavor. The snacks in this box included a wide array of unique textures and flavors. It was a really pleasurable experience sampling the different treats.
I appreciate that this box is not only filled with tasty snacks, but it also has an educational component. Every month’s snack box comes with a 24-page Culture Guide. This colorful booklet describes each of the snacks included in the box and notes any allergens. It also gives information about the monthly box theme. In this Cherry Blossom Bites Box, the Culture Guide is filled with information about sakura.
To get your hands on one of the Cherry Blossom Bites Boxes, you need to sign up on the TokyoTreat website by March 15th. While individual monthly box subscriptions, including this box, cost $37.50, the price decreases if you sign up for a 3-, 6- or 12-month plan.
This is such a fun box to receive and makes a great gift for any snack lover! The snacks in the TokoyoTreats box are ones that you will not find in your regular grocery store. A monthly delivery from TokyoTreats makes for a unique snacking experience!