Putting Together a Japanese Snack Haul

If you’ve been on the Internet a while, chances are that you’ve heard of hauls. For those who may not know, a haul refers to assembling a large amount of items whether that may be food, clothing, merchandise, and so on. For foodie friends or even for yourself, throwing together a Japanese haul with various snacks and teas can make a fun and special gift. For those who do not have a Japanese grocery store easily accessible, the Bokksu Boutique is a great place to find unique snacks and treats that cannot be found anywhere else. If you’re fairly new to the concept of hauls, here are a few suggested themes to build your snack bundle around.

Matcha Bundles

For tea lovers, matcha is a great flavor to build your snack haul around. For those new to matcha, it might be a good idea to begin with a matcha latte mix like the Kyoei Seicha Uji Matcha Au Lait. The mix produces a cup of milky matcha perfect for those who are not yet unaccustomed to the earthiness of matcha powder. You can also add in the Ceremonial Matcha Tea Starter Set, which comes with all the tools you’ll need to whip up a more traditional cup of matcha.

You’ll also need some sweet treats to pair with your tea. Mochi is often served alongside a cup of matcha, which makes the Seiki Matcha Chocolate Daifuku Mochi a great selection. If you prefer cake with your tea, the Nakajima Taishodo Matcha Chocolate Stick Cake is another excellent addition. This decadent cake combines rich chocolate chips with soft matcha cake and is a perfect little sweet whenever wherever. For another matcha treat to add to your snack bundle, try the Maeda Seika Kyoto Matcha Waffle Sandwich. This sweet is made of two thin waffle buttery waffle cookies stuffed with white chocolate matcha flavored cream. These sweets should give you an idea of the kinds of items to include in a matcha snack bundle.

Sakura Bundles

Sakura season is when the cherry blossom trees bloom for a few glorious weeks in Japan. This is also when sakura-flavored snacks can be found everywhere. While you may not be able to experience the sakura trees in person, you can bring the spirit of the season to your home by putting together a sakura snack bundle.

Get your snack bundle started with these Japanese Kit Kats: Sakura Flavor. These Kit Kats are a limited edition flavor that not only taste delicious but are also helping to fund recovery efforts in Tohoku Japan. Another item you’ll want to add to your cart is a box of Sweet Sakura Tea, which looks beautiful and tastes refreshing. This herbal tea is lightly sweet, salty, and floral. When steeped in water, it’ll appear like the flower is blooming once again. Pair the tea with a snack like the Ichifuji Seika Sakura Bouchée, two soft cake halves filled with a cherry-flavored cream. Once again you can’t go wrong with mochi, a classic cherry blossom picnic treat. The Marusan Tamakiya Sakura Mochi will go excellently with any tea. Combine all these treats for the ultimate sakura picnic spread.

Otsumami Bundle

If savory snacks suit your tastes better, Bokksu has plenty of options too. You might want to consider building your snack haul around otsumami or beer snacks that are usually salty or spicy.

To get you started, we recommend Otona no Otsumami: Ebi Crunch, which is a mix of rice crackers and peanuts flavored with soy sauce with a bit of kick from black pepper, curry powder, and garam masala. Another tasty option is OFU Smoked Crackers and Peanuts. This snack is made with ofu, wheat gluten, and peanuts tossed in a shichimi pepper seasoning blend. Seaweed Tempura: Setouchi Sudachi Citrus Flavor is also a staff favorite. What isn’t to love about crisp fried strips of seaweed with a citrusy kick from sudachi, a citrus fruit grown in Hiroshima? One last unique option Showa no Yoshoku Shittori Ham Katsu Senbei. These rice crackers are inspired by a dish that gained popularity in the Showa period of Japan, hamu katsu. They have a sweet-savory flavor with a melt in your texture, perfect for snacking on alongside a cold beer or on their own.

Now that you’ve got inspiration, you can easily build a Japanese snack haul around your flavor preferences. Treat yourself or create a thoughtfully crafted snack bundle for a loved one.