Review: Try a taste of Japan's Moon Festival with TokyoTreat snackbox

Is there a better way to appreciate nature than finding the perfect snacks to pair with the seasons? Japanese cuisine is known for having specialty flavors and ingredients that are unique to specific regions or are associated with certain seasons or holidays. Maybe you aren’t able to travel to Japan to enjoy the local street food for a Tsukimi or Moon Festival, but don’t worry! TokyoTreat is bringing all the festival flavors right to your door in their September box!

If you’ve never heard of TokyoTreat, it’s a monthly subscription box that finds the best Japanese snacks with both new and traditional flavors. This month, they’re featuring goodies inspired by the Moon Festival, and the ancient tradition of Tsukimi. Tsukimi, or “moon viewing”, originated in the Heian period as a pastime for nobles to get together and admire the moon, which is said to look the most beautiful in early Fall. The box comes with a little pamphlet that tells you all about the history and culture of Tsukimi, as well as detailed descriptions of each food item, including allergen information.

A box packed to the brim with delicious snacks!

Every box is packed with tasty snacks ranging from sweet to savory.

TokyoTreat sent me this month’s box for free, but all opinions below are my own.

I was the most excited to try the chestnut flavor KitKats and snack-sized instant noodles, so let’s start there.

Japanese KitKats have become infamous for their wide variety of flavors not commonly found in other countries. This box comes with sweet chestnut KitKats, made with white chocolate and cream. The chestnut flavor is present, yet subtle, making this an easily enjoyable candy for not only fall but anytime!

The “Nyumen Soy Sauce Ramen” is the perfect snack-size noodle experience. The thin noodles are freshly boiled and packaged, rather than dehydrated, and the soup base is a basic soy-based broth that can’t go wrong. The best part is the cherry-blossom-shaped fish cakes sprinkled throughout.

From left to right: Onion Soup Corn Puffs, Pickled Daikon Potato Chips, Soy Sauce & Sesame Senbei, Maeda’s Crackers

The salty snacks offer quite a variety; the “Black Pepper Potato Chips” are an interesting twist on a basic potato chip, while the “Pickled Daikon Potato Chips” are an unexpected but pleasant surprise with a smoky barbecue taste.

If you’re a fan of traditional snacks, both the “Full Moon Rice Crackers” and “Soy Sauce & Sesame Senbei” are right up your alley. I shared my snacks with a friend (because there were more than plenty to go around!) and she was thrilled to see the “Onion Soup Corn Puffs”—apparently, they’re a favorite from her childhood!

Of course, the Moon Festival goes hand in hand with Japan’s legendary tale of the rabbit pounding mochi on the moon, so I would have been disappointed if TokyoTreat didn’t include any of this sticky rice dessert.

I thought the “Sweet Soy Sauce Kibidango” was perfect, and it comes wrapped in an edible wafer-like paper to keep your fingers from becoming too messy (I wish more rice cake treats would come wrapped like this!). Unfortunately, the “Brown Sugar & Kinako Mochi Stick” was a miss for me, but I guess not every snack can be perfect. On the plus side, I still got to try something new.

There are plenty more snacks included, but I won’t spoil all the fun. If you love Japanese food or trying new things, you’ll definitely love TokyoTreat. You can get your box for as low as $32.50 (USD) per month with their 12-month plan. Check the TokyoTreat website for additional details.

Topic Tokyo Treat

Writer, painter, houseplant parent, takoyaki enthusiast.