I was approached recently by ICHIGO Inc., the parent company of TokyoTreat and Sakuraco. They offered me the opportunity to review one of their subscription boxes. I actually was delighted as I had been regularly seeing ads for both. I choose Sakuraco as I have such a fondness for traditional Japanese sweets which often can be challenging to find such authentic and such a variety of treats even here in California!
I invited my friend, Nancy, to join me in tasting this box of wagashi seasonal traditional Japanese sweets. She had never tasted any Japanese sweets so I thought it would be a nice balance to my more knowledgeable palate.
What is the Autumn Moon Viewing Festival?
Tsukimi (月見) “moon-viewing or looking at the moon”, are Japanese festivals honoring the autumn moon, which take place all over the country. I have very fond memories of going to a number of these when I lived in Japan with family and friends and of course, sampling and savoring delicious traditional foods, sweets and snacks, as well as admiring the beauty of the autumn moon made it always very special and memorable. To this day, you may find me outside often admiring the moon here in California!
This is a very clever, ambitious, generously filled, and curated seasonal subscription box that provides great value and variety as there aren’t many companies that offer locally sourced and made Japanese sweets sent internationally. I love these types of sweets so I may consider ordering for myself and my daughter in the future as a holiday gift. I am especially interested in what they may offer for Japanese New Year’s as that is a favorite holiday of ours.
Treats in the Sakuraco Subscription Box that We LOVED:
Kokuto Kinako Mochi—I love any type of mochi and Nancy loved it too
Tsukimi Candy—We both liked the pear flavor more than the grape
Black Sesame Miso Arare—with a glass of sake and or beer a perfect umami snack!
Hokkaido Sweet Potato—moist, rich flavor and not overwhelmingly sweet
Tsukimi Ryokucha (green tea)—a winner
Tsukimi Mikan Cream Cookie: So unfortunate these crunchy cookies arrived broken as they were visually so pretty. Despite that, we both loved the flavor.
Chestnut Dorayaki: Delicious
Custard Taiyaki: Yummy
We also really appreciated that it included a cute Tsukimi traditional tableware ceramic dish from Gifu Prefecture of rabbits dancing under the moonlight as a keepsake. I read the beautifully written, informative, detailed and beautifully photographed in-depth booklet cover to cover that not only included the history of the Tsukimi Moon Viewing Festival but also where each treat came from and detailed information on the local makers.
The breadth of the sweets offered from all over Japan was a really nice and thoughtful touch with introductions of different regions and prefectures as well. Sakuraco says that they work directly with many Japanese family-owned businesses who have dedicated their lives to the art of snack making. I love that they are supporting local businesses in Japan in many different prefectures around the country and introducing them to the international market.
Some misses:
Usagi Pon Senbei—not tasty at all
Kodaimai Senbei—loved the crunchiness but very dry
Cocoa Black Soybeans—Not a great balance of flavors
Usagi Hozui: We found the texture tough and not flavorful which disappointed me as I usually love this treat. Perhaps it doesn’t travel well?
Lemon Baked Chocolate—While I love lemon as a flavor, neither of us could taste the chocolate at all but the rice puffs for crunch was a nice contrasting touch.
Some Minor Quibbles and Suggestions:
Packing better to avoid breakages: This surprised me that more care wasn’t taken in the packing (although they say it is hand-packed) since overall, it is obvious such care was taken in all the other elements of the box. All the senbei included in this box arrived broken. A pity since many of them were so pretty and visually attractive.
Signing for the delivery of the box: I get a lot of boxes from Japan and have never had to sign for any of them, but I did for this one. Very annoying as it interrupted an important business call I was on.
Overall if you’re looking to try out a Japanese treats subscription box, I definitely recommend giving Sakuraco a try!
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