Japanese Foodie: SNACKOO (LOVE BOX) REVIEW

Snackoo Love Box

Kobe Pudding

"Love Box" is consisted of Snackoo team's favorite snacks of the month, including lots of sample-sized snacks! Snackoo is a snack company based in Hayward (North California) who focuses to bring a wide selection of snacks from Asian countries. The most interesting snack in this box is the "Kobe Pudding," which is this adorable Japanese caramel custard pudding you see all the time! This is the first time I am having a non-refrigerated packaged pudding! ^ 0 ^

*Don't forget to get an extra $10 off at Snackoo.com at HERE!

FIRST IMPRESSION

When I first got my package, it feels a lot more heavier than the other snack boxes I got before. I thought there will be at least two bottles of beverages inside to make up the weight. But then when I opened it, I realized there is no air space in this fully packed package! No beverage, but lots and lots of "family size" snacks!

The box is simple with Snackoo logo and website

SNACKS

The snacks in Love Box this month (August/2017) is actually giving me a lot of surprises! Not only the box is consisted of snacks from different Asian countries, it also tells me there are so many different kinds of possibility for snack makings such as flavor, texture, packaging, etc. Because this "Love Box" has so many family-size snacks, I will actually talk about each one in details.

Kobe Pudding 神戸プリン (Original Flavor)

Kobe Pudding is obviously a product from Kobe, the city that is often famous for their Kobe beef. This product has won the Monde Selection Gold Quality Award 4 consecutive years! What I have here is the original flavor, but there are actually many other flavors: matcha, mango, vanilla, coffee, strawberry, and even RÉMY MARTIN! It may not seem like it, but this original pudding already contains liquor, so... maybe it's a good idea to keep them away from the kids. :P

Kobe Pudding 神戸プリン (Original Flavor)

One small box contains 4 servings of pudding!

The packaging of this snack is amazing because it is extremely easy and convenient to serve. One box has 4 servings of pudding, which includes 4 packs of pudding, sauces, and spoons. All you need is an extra plate to serve your pudding.

Opening the pack of pudding... Ready to place it (upside down) onto the plate

The pudding itself is silky soft like a tofu. It tastes very milky and rich by itself already. With the caramel sauce, it makes it sweeter with a bit of bitterness and some hints of coffee too. It's a pretty rich dessert, so I had it with some tea. ^^

What Kobe Pudding looks like on a plate

Kobe pudding is actually the most popular souvenir gift in Kobe, so if you are visiting Kobe soon, make sure to grab a box of pudding on your way back home! (It usually has a short storage time, about 6 months) But what's incredible about this pudding snack is also that it can be stored in room temperature!

UHA Premium Pure Muscat Gummy

This gummy candy feels like eating a grape. I don't know how they manufacture this, but each candy is shaped and has a texture of a real grape. There is no juice, but the jelly texture makes it really satisfying and addicting. I wouldn't say I have a sweet tooth for candies and sweet goods, but this muscat grape gummy candy is pretty hard to resist after my first try. The package has a "ziplock" in case you want to re-seal the package for next time. (I finished it in one-go >_<")

Mannan Life マンナンライフ "Konnyaku Batake 蒟蒻畑" Konjac Fruits Jelly (Apple Flavor)

Have you tried these small fruity flavored jelly cups before? Mannan Life has always been a famous Japanese brand for making jelly snacks since 1964. They use Konnyaku/Konjac powder for its gelatin property. Surprisingly, there's also liquor included in this snack as well. (So many fun facts today!)

Mannan Life マンナンライフ "Konnyaku Batake 蒟蒻畑" Konjac Fruits Jelly (Apple Flavor)

Anyway, here we have a family-sized jelly snacks with apple flavor in 12 servings! When I opened the outer package bag, the smell of apple and fruit is already pretty strong! Once you open the individual jelly, you can just squeeze the plastic package to eat the jelly.

As you can see, the jelly is translucent with no color. The flavor is sweet and full of fruity taste. (doesn't really taste like apple to me personally) Texture is smooth but very thick. (**Safety: please consume these jelly slowly to avoid choking, especially for young children or elders.)

Ishiya - Mi-Fu-Yu 美冬 Yuzu with White Chocolate Millefeuille (limited edition)

Most people recognize "Shiroi Koibito" cookies (photo below) but they may not remember its Ishiya brand. Ishiya has been around since 1959, and they have so many kinds of confectionery and dessert products. That includes their second popular product, Mi-Fu-Yu 美冬, which is what we are having today!

Japan Hokkaido Shiroi Koibito, Langue De Chat with Dark & White Chocolate

MIFUYU 美冬 is all about couverture chocolate (high quality chocolate with higher % of cocoa butter) and millefeuille. (a multi-layer puff pastry) Today we are having a special limited edition version of MIFUYU, which is a white chocolate millefeuille flavored with yuzu (Japanese lemon)

Yuzu with White Chocolate Millefeuille (limited edition) with souvenir wrapper

Without wrapper, the snack reveals a beautiful snowy cover!

Yuzu with White Chocolate Millefeuille (limited edition) with 6 servings!

Yuzu with White Chocolate Millefeuille, each snack has a size of a little bit bigger than my thumb

Layered yuzu pastry inside, covered with white chocolate on the outside

This white chocolate yuzu snack looks small, but it's quite creamy and heavy. The white chocolate is very rich, and the yuzu aroma and flavor makes it a delight combination.

One mistake that I made was that I eat the snack right away after receiving it, which the chocolate already began to melt on my finger. (It's pretty warm in the Bay Area these days...) As Ishiya suggested on their website, it's best to store the snack in the fridge first. When serving, leave it out for a short while before eating.

BE & CHEERY 百草味 Mango & Cranberry Walnuts

BE & CHEERY is a causal food manufacture brand base in Hangzhou, China. The brand was established since 2003, and had been the number 1 brand for food on Taobao.com (the Chinese version of Amazon.com) since 2011.

Bai Cao Wei 百草味 Mango & Cranberry Walnuts

Bai Cao Wei 百草味 Cranberry Walnuts

Bai Cao Wei 百草味 Mango Walnuts

Personally I am not into nuts, and walnut is one of my least favorites too... So I don't think I can be the judge of this snack. T_T However, the idea of compressing dried fruits into nuts is a pretty cool idea. We always see raisins and dried berries packing with nuts. If they are actually one single snack together, it will still basically retain its aroma, flavor, and nutrition. Of course, now it's easier to consume. After opening, you can re-seal the package and save them for later.

BE & CHEERY 百草味 Cranberry Cookies

Again, BE & CHEERY is the same brand as the walnuts above. Here, we have a family-size cranberry cookies. The box has a configuration so that you can open it on the side. Then you will see 12 pack of individual cookies in the box.

BE & CHEERY 百草味 Cranberry Cookies

A pack of cranberry cookie

The cookie itself actually is not what I expected. I thought it will look like a thumbprint cookies like how the cover photo kind of suggested, but it's actually a crumbly cookie with thick jam inside.

Cranberry jam inside crumbly cookies

Orion 오리온 Goraebap 고래밥 ("stir-fried in sauce flavor")

Orion 오리온 is a South Korean food company, established in 1956 and headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. Today's snack from Orion is called Goraebap 고래밥, which literally translate to "whale food." But don't worry, the snack is not made out of whale meat, only shaped like a whale. (Their fish-shaped fried snack is actually one of my favorite snacks since childhood! \ > 0 < / )

A cute whale with a crown and "magic stick?"

Fish Snacks inside

Airy fish shaped snack

Other than a shape of fish, there's also crab shaped ones. The snack is a super light and airy crispy cracker. It is actually hollow inside, which makes its texture more interesting when chewing. The flavor is labeled "stir-fried in sauce" on the package. It is savory and full of umami. The taste reminds me of seaweed too.

CONCLUSION

What I like most about Snackoo's "Love Box" is the variety of snacks from different Asian countries and the fact that their snacks are mostly in family size.

I remember I got a snack box before that provided only one hard candy with only one flavor. This makes it quite difficult to share it with someone, unless you actually crack the hard candy into broken pieces. But still, sometimes those hard candies have different layered of flavors and textures individually.

With Snackoo's Love Box, I don't have any problem sharing snacks with other people. With their family size packaged snacks, which have at least 4 servings, I can experience and discover new flavors with my friends and family. The small individual packs and ziplock packaging are also useful for storing too.

To me, Kobe pudding is probably the winner of this snack box. It is so easy to prepare and you feel like you made the pudding by yourself, like those DIY snacks. The experience of doing a little bit of work before hand makes the eating more exciting and adventurous! Of course, the flavor itself is not bad either. ^_^

GALLERY

Want to see more photos of Snackoo Love Box? Check out my Flickr album: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jfoodie/albums/72157685022543954

$10 OFF!

By clicking on this link, you will find a unique coupon code to get an extra $10 off at Snackoo.com!

READY TO TRY OUT?

You can try out their snacks individually, or, for Snackoo boxes they have 3 choices: Love Box, Mixed Box, and Sweet Box. Read more about each box at https://snackoo.com/collections/snackoo-box