Ah, yes. The ol’ Japanese snackbox subscription. I tried to order this box last month and I messed up. Instead of getting the largest box they offered, the Deka Box ($24/month with discounts if you sign up for longer plans), I accidentally signed up for the smaller version, the Original Skoshbox ($12/month with discounts if you sign up for longer plans). It was a very interesting box.

Several of the candies were stamped with the name ‘Bourbon’ on it. For a minute I was pretty excited thinking that I was going to get a slight buzz from some candies. Instead, I’ve come to learn that Bourbon is a Japanese snack maker that has several different lines and interests.

Rather than subject Andrew or Brian to taste testing any of these snacks I elected to bring the box into work.  We sampled a few of the treats in the box. For example:

• Cheese Umaibo Stick – This was literally a giant Cheeto. The artificial cheese flavor wasn’t over powering and tasted very similar to the instant mac & cheese Yakisoba you can buy at the supermarket.
• Anpanman Soft Senbei – The taste was surprising. We really didn’t know what to expect. At first we thought it was buttery and salty. It wasn’t until we did research that we discovered that this interesting flavor was a sweet soy sauce!
• Super Energy Candy – There is a sour powder around this candy that I think is supposed to shock you awake. I wasn’t prepared for it and immediately felt oogy. Beneath the light powder is a citrus flavored hard candy. It wasn’t bad once you get past the sour. You could definitely taste the ‘energy’ flavor that is typically found in artificially flavored drinks of this genre. I still fell asleep on the train ride home.
• Rubella Cigars – These were very delicate both in taste as well as construction. When I first opened the Skoshbox and pulled it out they were fine. Afterwards, when I brought the box to work, it was mostly crumbled pieces 🙁

Final thoughts

Man, I really should have paid more attention to my hair in that video. The price is fairly reasonable. Their premium box goes for $24 and you wind up paying about $2 for shipping and handling. That’s about $10 less than what you get from other Japanese snack boxes.

You’ll notice in the video that I say that my niece really likes the DIY candy kits. I didn’t get one in the smaller box and not sure if one will be included in the Deka box. I think if you’re looking for a reasonably priced treat on a regular basis then the value for this particular box is pretty great. You’re not breaking the bank when you order the smaller box.

I’ll look forward to receiving the July Deka Box so we get a better understanding of what this subscription service is like