Make Your Picky Friends as Obsessed With Japanese Snacks as You Are

We all have that friend who is a picky eater. Someone who isn’t keen on trying new foods and, after they find their favorite dish at a restaurant, they never order anything else. Your foodie buddies struggle to convince this friend to sample an entirely new cuisine at that local restaurant which just opened up. We get it, it’s frustrating, you just want to share the joy of new, delicious food with them! Here at Bokksu, we love trying new snacks and spreading the joy that comes with eating them, and we are here to help bring some new flavors into your friend’s life with our snack subscription boxes!

Why Japanese snacks in particular? Japanese snacks are, objectively, delicious (no, we’re not biased at all). Part of that is because many snack makers prioritize using real ingredients to add flavor over artificial . Some Japanese snack makers can be very particular about where they source these ingredients from. Some Japanese snacks are even limited to the region where the ingredients can be found. For example, of the 300+ Kit Kat flavors in Japan, there are some that can only be found in one region, and you won’t be able to buy them anywhere else in Japan!

Additionally, there are seasonal snacks that are only sold when their ingredients are at their ripest. Some of these snacks are only sold for one season ever! But don’t worry, you don’t have to travel all over Japan to discover all these snacks—Bokksu has got you covered! Not to brag, but we take pride in sourcing our snacks directly from makers and even collaborate on creating exclusive, hand-made treats like these fruit candies.

The friend who doesn’t like to eat their veggies can get their daily serving with Hokkaido-sourced sweet corn sticks or with a bag of shitake mushroom chips made from real mushrooms. Their earthy umami flavor will satisfy any snack craving. Japanese rice crackers, known as senbei , are another great vegetarian snack option. You can find them in simple flavors like soy sauce or seaweed, as well as a salt herb and vinegar flavor!

Does your friend like food from the turf but not necessarily the surf? Perhaps you can entice them with crunchy shrimp-flavored chips, one of the most popular Japanese snacks. Ranking #5 in seafood consumption per capita, it’s no surprise that Japan has plenty of (delicious) seafood snacks! Shrimp chips are one of the best ways to sample an authentic, classic taste of Japan.

Okay, who doesn’t love chocolate? If your friend likes sweets but still needs a little nudge to get a little adventurous, Japanese sweets are an easy way to test the waters. Japanese confectioners are always seeking new ingredients to incorporate into their chocolates! Some of the most popular chocolate snacks in Japan are matcha green tea-infused chocolates, which pair the bitterness of the green tea with sweet, smooth milk chocolate. If matcha is a no go, there’s black sesame, strawberry, honestly the options are endless!

But let’s not limit your friend’s education to snacks. Japanese tea is just as varied as their snacks, and makes a great tasting companion! Many of us are familiar with basic green tea, but there are plenty more variations to explore, such as genmaicha, which blends green tea with roasted brown rice to create a toasty flavor, or hojicha, a roasted green tea. Green teas come in different qualities and intensities, affected by multiple factors including the time of the year the tea leaves are picked and the roasting process. Exploring an assortment of green teas can be an interesting way to discover what intensity you and your friend like best.

With all of these options, it can be overwhelming to pick and choose between all the snacks and teas! But why do that when you can let Bokksu do the job for you? Our Japanese snack boxes include a perfect mix of savory and sweet treats and tea pairings. Explore Japan and a whole new world of flavors with Bokksu!