Reviewed by
Mary
Spring is a very special season in Japan, and TokyoTreat is celebrating with seasonal goodies in the Sakura Picnic Party box!
Even the shipping box is sakura pink, a limited design for spring. The menu booklet tells you all about the goodies inside, including descriptions and an allergy guide.
You can also learn all about the Japanese tradition of Hanami, the viewing of sakura – cherry blossoms, plus lots of interesting facts and tidbits about sakura season and culture, places to go and things to see.
Sakura Senbei, KitKat Peach
These little rice crackers are traditionally flavoured and savoury but have a floral twist with the taste of cherry blossom leaves. It’s a surprising but quite delicious combination, and is an interesting twist on the usual sweet cherry blossom flavours.
Peach KitKat is one of the many wonderful Japanese KitKat varieties. It’s a limited edition flavour especially for Springtime, with reach peach powder in the white chocolate filling and coating.
Strawberry King Cider, Piri-Kara Spicy Ramen
Cider isn’t what we think of in the UK, as alcoholic fruit juice, but instead a fruit juice soda. This one is made from Amaou strawberries, considered the sweetest and tastiest, and it’s lovely and refreshing with a proper strawberry flavour.
The ramen is a spicy vegetarian variety, but you can still taste the umami vegetable flavour. It also contains a little cooking sake, which adds lovely depth. These ramen pots are perfect for a fast lunch, and you can add whatever extra protein you like as well.
Mini Caplico, Sakura Matcha Cookie Bites, Sakura Cherry Candy
Like little ice cream cones, the mini Caplico has a wafer cone with a delicious bubbly filling with a sweet sakura taste. The filling goes all the way down the wafer too!
The cookie bites are an outer crunchy layer of matcha cookie, which has a slightly bitter flavour. It actually contrasts really nicely with the sakura cream filling, and the two flavours combine well together for something a little bit different.
The candy is cherry rather than the blossom, but these boiled sweet candies are lovely and fruity, and made from the juice of sweet cherries from Sato Nashiki in Yamagata Prefecture.
Premium Ghana Truffle, Ghana Chocolate Cake Bites, Sakura Manju
These truffles are super rich, with a creamy inner, covered in a layer of chocolate and then finally dusted with cocoa powder. The little cake bites are also very chocolaty but much lighter, as they’re fluffy chocolate cake coated with chocolate.
The Manju is a traditional pastry that is a staple of spring in Japan. The outer shell is soft pastry made with rice flour, and it’s filled with a sakura-scented red bean paste, another traditional Japanese sweet delicacy.
Texas Corn Okonomikaki, Cola Lollipop Dipper, Puppy Ramune, Full Moon Pon Cracker, Sour Paper Candy Cola
Onomoyaki is a savoury pancake with various savoury fillings, covered in sauce, and is a favourite Japanese street food. These crunchy puffed corn snacks have the exact same flavour. Lollies dipped in sherbet are alway popular, especially with children! This version has a cola flavoured lolly and sweet bubbly sherbet. Ramune candy is the sweet candy version of ramune soda, the most favourite soft drink in Japan. The little candy pieces are sour and sweet with a variety of fruity flavours.
The cracker gets its name from the shape, that of the full moon! As well as the shape being significant in Japanese folklore, this cracker has the traditional flavour of soy sauce, and is a lovely savoury bite. Finally, paper candy is so called because it’s very thin like paper, and it’s sweet cola flavour with a tangy sour coating.
