Sakuraco Japanese Snack Box: December 2022 — Tochigi Traditions

My December Sakuraco box has arrived! 

Sakuraco is a monthly premium Japanese snack box subscription program. It's not a cheap subscription, so I decided to do six months to start, which ended up being approximately $60 CAD per box after shipping costs. (I want to note that they do use DHL to ship. Out of the five boxes I've received so far, I only got charged for duties on one box, but I want to be transparent about additional fees.) Each box includes 20 items — including a tea, traditional sweets, seasonal treats, baked goods, and one home item — all centred around one specific Japanese region or theme. All monthly boxes are available from the 15th of every month to the 15th of the next month. 

Sakuraco "Tochigi Traditions" Japanese Snack Box
December's theme is "Tochigi Traditions," focusing on Tochigi Prefecture, which is "one of only eight landlocked prefectures and its mountainous northern region is a popular tourist region in Japan."

Sakuraco "Tochigi Tradition" Greeting Postcard
Sakuraco "Tochigi Traditions" Snack Guide
Sakuraco "Tochigi Traditions" Snack Guide
Sakuraco "Tochigi Traditions" Snack Guide
Sakuraco "Tochigi Traditions" Snack Guide
This month's box comes with a postcard showcasing a Japanese woodblock painting featuring three people walking through the snow into a village. (Unfortunately, Google has failed me and I could not find any information on this artwork.) On the back is a message from the founder of Sakuraco about why she chose to feature this particular theme this month. Every box also contains a "snack guide," which includes an introduction and a brief history of a particular maker and prefecture, as well as information on the the month's selected tea and snacks. Of course, the guide also showcases every single item included in the box, with detailed descriptions and allergy warnings. Included in my "Tochigi Traditions" box are the following items:

Clockwise from left: Furoshiki Wrapping Cloth, Bekko Ame, and Aged Sencha x 2

• Furoshiki Wrapping Cloth by Salonge (Fukushima) — "To the untrained eye, furoshiki wrapping cloth may just look like a piece of fabric. But furoshiki wrapping is an art and a piece of Japanese history. The technique began in 710 B.C. Then, it was primarily used to wrap important goods and treasures in Japanese temples. In the present day, furoshiki cloth can be used to wrap gifts, bento boxes, books, and even bottles."
• Bekko Ame by Yashi Takamura (Tochigi) — "This traditional candy has been sold during festivals across Japan for centuries. The makers at Yashu Takamura have artfully and uniquely crafted each piece to resemble Japanese motifs. Inside its colourful packaging, you'll find figures in the shape of a maneki-neko (beckoning cat), Mt. Fuji, a cherry blossom, a sumo wrestler, and a daruma doll."
• Aged Sencha by Hagiri (Shizuoka) — "Aged sencha is made by slowly maturing carefully selected tea leaves at low temperatures. As the tea leaves age, the sharp bitterness fades into a refined, mellow taste. It is said that shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu was a great admirer of aged sencha."

Left to right: Anko Donuts, Uni Rice Cracker, Wasabi Mayo Peanuts, and Tochigi Lemon Yokan

• Anko Donuts by Motohashi Confectionery (Tochigi) — "With red bean paste cooked fresh every morning and dough kneaded from scratch, it's easy to see why these donuts are Motohashi Confectionery's signature product. These delicious bite-sized treats have gained popularity across Japan from word-of-mouth alone."
• Uni Rice Cracker by Maruhiko Confectionery (Tochigi) — "Uni, or sea urchin, has a delightfully creamy texture and a delicate blend of sweet and briny flavours. Here, uni is combined with salt from the Seto Inland Sea and 100% domestic Japanese rice to create a satisfyingly crisp rice cracker."
• Wasabi Mayonnaise Peanuts by Futaba (Tochigi) — "These crunchy peanuts are deliciously wrapped in a mayonnaise and wasabi shell. Enjoy the spiciness of the wasabi mixed with the creamy, umami flavour of Japanese mayonnaise."
• Tochigi Lemon Yokan by Wako Foods (Tochigi) — "Refreshingly sour with a hint of sweetness, this particular yokan flavour is quite rare to see. It's inspired by Tochigi's lemon milk beverage and features cute retro packaging."

Clockwise from left: Plum Renkon Chips, Strawberry and Yogurt Piccolo Dolce x 2, Strawberry Tiramisu Biscuit, and Amaou Strawberry Almonds x 2

• Plum Renkon Chips by Sokan (Tochigi) — "Renkon, or lotus root, is a mainstay in Japanese cuisine. For this treat, lotus root is made into a light chip and flavoured with the aroma of plums."
• Strawberry and Yogurt Piccolo Dolce by Nakajima Taishodo (Hyogo) — "This bite-sized sweet is the perfect marriage of smooth yogurt and sweet and sour strawberry jelly."
• Strawberry Tiramisu Biscuit by Aoi Nosho (Tochigi) — "This strawberry sweet is made from Skyberries, a premium strawberry produced in Tochigi, and mascarpone cheese exquisitely placed between a bittersweet crispy cookie."
• Amaou Strawberry Almonds by Sennarido (Kumamoto) — "Amaou strawberries are known throughout Japan as the "King of Strawberries" for their supremely round, large, and sweet characteristics. The earthy flavour of these almonds perfectly combines with Amaou strawberry powder to create a delightful contrast of flavours."

Left to right: Chili Arare with Peanuts, Black Sesame Mochi, Yuba Chips, Chestnut Manju, and Nikko Jingoro Senbei x 2

• Chili Arare with Peanuts by Minoya Arare (Kanagawa) — "These tiny morsels of arare are seasoned with Minoya Arare's original dark soy sauce and carefully selected chili peppers. The arare is then intermixed with butter peanuts. The spiciness of the arare and the sweetness of the butter peanuts make this a treat you can't put down."
• Black Sesame Mochi by Tengudo (Hokkaido) — "Black sesame seeds are intricately kneaded into soft mochi to create this delectable treat. It's chewy texture and sesame flavour perfectly exemplify traditional Japanese sweets."
• Yuba Chips by Nikko Foods (Tochigi) — "While walking through the streets of Nikko, you'll be overcome by the amount of yuba promotions decorating restaurants and souvenir shops alike. This crunchy, fluffy soy treat is made from crispy fried yuba. They are the perfect light snack with a hint of salt."
• Chestnut Manju by Yamakyu (Gunma) — "Indulge in the unique texture of this chestnut-filled, bite-sized manju. With its moist dough and mildly sweet seasonal filling, it's the perfect treat for a cozy afternoon with a cup of tea."
• Nikko Jingoro Senbei by Ishidaya (Tochigi) — "Founded in the neighbourhood of Nikko's Toshogu Shrine, Ishidaya has been creating their lightly-baked rice crackers since 1907. This treat is named after craftsman Hidari Jingoro, who carved the wooden sleeping cat located at the shrine. The cat is so adored in Nikko that Ishidaya made it their logo."

As strawberry season has begun in Japan, I'm very excited for all the strawberry-centric snacks in this box, especially the strawberry almonds. I'm also looking forward to the anko donuts and the wasabi mayo peanuts, both of which sound incredible. But I gotta say, while the furoshiki wrap is very pretty, it's a total cop-out to present as a "home good" when we've received chopsticks and ceramics in previous boxes. 

Finally, here are my picks from last month's box: Okonomi Five Rice Snacks (a great variety of crunchy, salty snacks — as I like, indeed!), Hand-Grilled Tako Senbei (a lot of senbei ends up tasting very similar to me, but this one has a very distinct grilled octopus flavour which is delicious), and the Honey Apple Karinto (the sweetness of honey and tartness of apples work so well together in a crunchy snack — almost like a more subtle, less sweet version of an apple fritter).