A Taste of Japan with TokyoTreat

This post is sponsored by TokyoTreat, who sent me this product to review on Taste As You Go at no cost to me. I did not receive monetary compensation for this post. All opinions expressed in this post are my own.

For more information about sponsored content, please review our site policies.

When I launched Taste As You Go all those year ago, food blogging was still relatively new. I joined a small community of established food bloggers to share my love for food and my passions for cooking with others through stories.

I tried to encourage my readers to trust their instincts in the kitchen and to "taste as you go" through the cooking process. Adjust seasonings along the way and modify recipes to highlight the flavors and ingredients that you like the most.

This approach was also helpful when it came to dining out. I wanted to inspire others to try new cuisines and restaurants... to order something they've never eaten before... to sample little bits of his and that until you discovered something you loved.

Fast forward a few years, and now I'm encouraging my kids to have the same attitude about food. We try new recipes all the time and aren't afraid to be adventurous eaters when we're dining out. And one of our favorite ways to learn about different cultures is through the food.

So, last month, when the opportunity to collaborate with TokyoTreat, a monthly subscription box featuring some of Japan's most popular snacks, came my way, I just couldn't say no.

In Japan, the New Year is all about good luck, fresh starts, and tasty treats, and our box was filled to the brim with treats that would help make our New Year brighter, luckier, and delicious. 

As we dug into our full-size samples, we read the enclosed booklet that explained what each treat was and offered more information about New Year's traditions in Japan. We made our way through most of the treats in the box and, naturally, ranked them all on a scale of 1 to 5 to see which ones we liked the best.

Here they are in order from highest average score to lowest!

 

Score: 5

The limited-edition Strawberry Chocolate Cake KitKat was our favorite treat, hands down. The combination of dark chocolate and strawberry is a classic one, and we couldn't get enough!

Also coming in with a score of 5 was the Good Luck Taiyaki. This wafer taiyaki, a sea bream-shaped pastry - is light and airy and filled with a delicious layer of chocolate. 

Score: 4.5

The Hokkaido Smoked Butter Chips were my favorite, but, as a family, we gave them a score of 4.5. Made with butter from Hokkaido, famous for its dairy products, these chips are only slightly smoky and incredibly addictive.

Also scoring a 4.5 were the Daruma Peach Gummies. Resembling Daruma, monk-shaped dolls that motivate you to set and achieve goals, these gummies were soft, chewy, and tart rather than cloyingly sweet. So good!

(The booklet explained that you color one eye of the Daruma to make your wish and then color in the other eye once you've hit your goal or your wish has come true.)

 

Score: 4.25

Next up? These poppable Crispy Caramel Bites. This fried treat is crunchy and sweet with a subtle caramel flavor. We liked these enough to argue over who got to finish the bag. 😉  

We also really enjoyed the Strawberry Dorayaki. The sweet confection consists of two small pancake-like patties that are wrapped around a sweet azuki bean paste. After eating this treat, we read that January is the start of strawberry season in Japan... so it made a little more sense that strawberry was a prominent flavor in some of the goodies in the TokyoTreat box.

 

Score: 4

Much to our surprise, the Miso Seafood Cutlet ranked pretty high on our list with an average score of 4. I wasn't sure how everyone would react to this snack because it was one of the savory choices in the TokyoTreat box. But we welcomed the change from the sweet snacks.

Inspired by popular katsu, or fried cutlet, the seafood cutlet was topped with umami miso, which was flavorful but not overpowering. The kids, especially our son, asked me to look for these in the United States because he wanted us to start packing them in his lunch box!  

Rounding out the treats that scored a 4 were the Golden Kinako Mochi. The chewy treat is coated in a nutty soybean powder, kinako, and is believed to bring good luck and long life with every bite.

 

Other Treats

• Ghana Moist Chocolate Cake Truffles - Thanks to TokyoTreat, we learned that, traditionally, all birthdays were celebrated on New Year's Day in Japan. The cake bites reminded us a little bit of red velvet cake, but they scored lower because they weren't as moist as we thought they'd be.
  
  Score: 3.5
  
  
• Corn Potage Puffs - Potage is the French version of a creamier soup, which explains the picture of a bowl of corn soup on the packaging. We enjoyed this crunchy, salty snack but we wished the corn flavor was more pronounced.
  
  Score: 3.25
  
  
• Lucky New Year's Arare - These arare rice crackers are also shaped like the lucky sun bream. Because they had a fish shape to them, the kids enjoyed playing with the crackers more than they enjoyed eating them.
  
  Score: 3
  
  
• Butter Seaweed & Salt Peanuts - Given that butter is in the name of this treat, we wanted to like these peanuts more than we did. But we didn't think the flavors were balanced. We tasted plenty of butter but couldn't pick up on the seaweed.
  
  Score: 2.75 

There are still two treats we have yet to try -- Seafood & Vegetable Dashi Ramen and Matcha Au Lait -- because they involved cooking, it'll be fun to share them when we do. (Well, the adults will have the Matcha Au Lait... the kids don't need that!)

 

Conclusion

By the end of the taste-testing adventure, our whole family was thrilled that we had the opportunity to try new foods and discover some satisfying Japanese snacks. And we didn't have to plan a trip to Japan to do it.

If you're interested in learning about different cultures through food, then I highly recommend you checking out the subscription box from TokyoTreat. There are four different subscription levels to choose from:

• 12-Month Plan (Best Value) - $32.50/month (save $60)
• 6-Month Plan (Popular) - $33.50/month (save $24)
• 3-Month Plan - $35.50/month (save $6)
• Monthly Plan - $37.50/month
  

If you sign up by March 15, you'll receive the Cherry Blossom Bites box in celebration of Sakura season in Japan -- go check it out!

Thank you, TokyoTreat!

 

• How To: Reheat Leftover Fish 
• How To: Make and Freeze Homemade Baby Food {Applesauce}  
• A Letter to Our Daughter on Her 5th Birthday
• Simple Mixed Berry Smoothie 
• Simple Olive Oil Drop Biscuits

 

One year ago: What's for Dinner: February 25 - March 2
Two years ago: What's for Dinner: February 26 - March 4
Three years ago: What's for Dinner: February 20 - February 26
Four years ago: Our Family Snickerdoodle Recipe
Five years ago: Graham Cracker Toffee
Six years ago: And Her Memory Will Live On
Seven years ago: Everyday Reminders to Say "I Love You"
Eight years ago: Menu Plan: February 26 - March 4
Nine years ago: Sausage-Stuffed Acorn Squash
Ten years ago: The Burgery Company - Emmaus, PA
Eleven years ago: Stylish Serveware: Salad Server Sets
Twelve years ago: Market by Jean-Georges - Boston, MA
Thirteen years ago: Spinach and Gruyere Quiche
Fourteen years ago: Guest Post: The Sexiest Pasta on Earth
Fifteen years ago: Merlot Cream Cheese Brownies
Sixteen years ago: Valentine's Day Brunch at Tournesol

Like this post? Connect with me to find out when I post again. Find me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest, or sign up to receive updates via email!