It's Matsuri season! If you—like me—aren't able to experience a Matsuri festival, don't worry, because ZenPop made sure that we're able to enjoy this aspect of Japanese culture with the delicious snacks in this month's box!
They've been so kind to *sponsor* this blog post, and sent me a free Japanese Snack Box to review. Are you ready? Let's go!
Each Snack Box includes:
- New and trendy snacks from Japanese supermarkets and convenience stores
- Popular instant noodles and beverages
- Candy and gummies unique to Japan
- Indulgent sweets like chocolates, cookies, or wagashi
- A variety of salty and savory snacks to delight and surprise you
- At least a dozen or more new things to try in every box!
The theme for the July 2023 box is Matsuri Munchies: Ready for Festival seasons? Celebrate the Japanese way with a tasty selection of snacks shipped directly from Osaka to you! Everything from a refreshing drink, a yummy ramen, and savory snacks to cover all your summer festivities!
I apologise in advance for the lateness of this review, as it should have been posted in June. However, the Italian postal service was so jealous of the yummy treats that my box was held at Import Customs for a really long time, and I only received it a few days ago.
Now that it's here, let's not waste any time and let's dive into Matsuri Munchies!
- Ippei chan Yaten no Yakisoba from Myojo syokuhin: I don't know how it's possible, but this Yakisoba tasted like festival. I know it doesn't make sense, but at the first bite I could picture myself in the middle of a festival, with all the sounds and wonderful smells that can be found there. I can't attend a festival, but it certainly doesn't mean I'm not able to enjoy it!
- Policky BBQ flavor from Yaokin: I've had the chance to try this snack in last year's November Nibbles box and somehow the flavour felt a bit different. Although my opinion about this snack hasn't changed, the BBQ flavor was a little more subtle than I remembered, which was nice.
- PET Ramune Desuyo from Hata kousen: Ramune drinks are always fun to have, and this one certainly doesn't disappoint! A tasty drink combined with a fun game, what more do you want? The taste of this Ramune slightly reminded me of the Calpis Melon Cream soda from the Kawaii Snacks box, it was really nice!
- Potemo German Potato flavor from Oyatsu company: In this Matsuri Munchies box, ZenPop introduces "Potemo," a snack with a playful name inspired by the Japanese word "も" (mo), which means "also/too" in English. The subtle smokiness of the bacon flavour reminded me of a snack I was very used to as a child, so this particular salty treat brought back some happy memories.
- Kotsubu Poteco Umashio flavor from Tohato: I had a bigger version in my Sakura Treats box, so imagine my delight when I found this tasty, salty snack in this box. Since this Kotsubu Poteco resembles the shape of the ring used in a popular game called "Wanage" (or "Ringu Toss") played at Japanese festivals, I can only thank ZenPop for picking snacks that are so much fun! Perhaps I can still play the game using a toothpick as the stick... 😉
- Cheese Arare zoo chi from Iwazuka seika: What a tasty treat! I like cheese snacks, and the fact that they added peanuts to the mix makes it even more enjoyable. Be careful, though, with its addictive bite-sized shape you may finish your packet before you realise it's all gone!
- Sankaku Cracker Norishio flavor from Yaokin: The mini triangular crackers were quite popular when I was a child, so I was happy to try something that would evoke memories I had as a little kid. I couldn't taste the seaweed flavour too much, but these crackers were absolutely delightful!
- Hi-Chew Assort FANTA from Morinaga: Fanta and Hi-Chew's collaboration created a delightful and exciting snack pack! I really enjoy this type of candy, and let me tell you it IS packed with flavour! This Fanta treat may not be drinkable, but it is surely refreshing!
- Baby Star Ramen Umashio flavor mini from Oyatsu company: I'm normally not a fan of this type of snack, however, this Baby Star Ramen was quite the surprise! Its umami taste of scallops was delectable and a burst of flavourful delight! I'm going to take ZenPop's word and use it as a salad topping, since I like my salads to have a bit of crunch!
- Hora Dekita! Choco Banana Soft Candy from Coris: Leave it to ZenPop to make their boxes extra fun! This DIY snack was quite entertaining to assemble, and very yummy too! And, in case you're wondering, "Congratulations! You made it!" is what Hora dekita means in English.
- Petit Uranai Choco from Chirin seika: I just love this kind of snacks, and I'm definitely requesting ZenPop's assistance to help me with the choices of my fortune telling. Divination aside, these tiny chocolate bites are so good and addictive!
- Mini Bottle from Marta: Lots of ramune treats in this Matsuri Munchies box, and I have to say this was high among my favourites! Encased in a small bottle, these delightful ramune granules were both fizzy and sweet. A unique snack I definitely wouldn't mind trying again!
- Umai bo Yakitori flavor from Yaokin: What an amazing snack! I really enjoy these umaibo treats, and the delectable taste of yakitori (grilled chicken) sauce with this one was simply too good! Too bad there was only one, hehe 😅
- Pachi Pachi Panic Cola from Meisan: Awww, another snack that reminds me of my childhood! This too was in the November Nibbles box, so I was glad ZenPop gave me another chance to try this popping candy. The cola flavour is not very strong, but the fireworks sensation you feel when you eat it definitely enhances the flavour.
- Donguri Gum Life Guard from Pine: I am not familiar with the 1980s "Donguri Gum" and "Lifeguard", but I surely liked this candy-gum! The candy tasted like pineapple and, although I've never tried the Lifeguard fizzy drink, I agree that the overall taste is one of an energy drink. Truthfully, I feel very energised right now!
- Sour Paper Can Grape from Yaokin: We all know grape-flavoured treats are not may favourite, so this one was a bit of a miss for me. However, I think the texture of this unique paper-like candy was quite interesting.
- Kingyo Jelly Hakutou from Hata seika: Is it a peach-flavoured jelly or a game of "Golden fish Scooping"? Surprise, it's both! It undoubtedly gives Matsuri vibes, and I genuinely liked how this yummy treats combines two of my favourite things, peach and the fish scooping game. We don't have Matsuri in Italy, but we have fun fairs and as a child I used to always enjoy the fish scooping game... Well, I always enjoy it as an adult as well! 😉
- Petit Shirokuma kun Jelly Rennyu flavor from Kinjo: Let's face it, the adorable white bear with its tiny little crown made me want to not eat this yummy jelly snack. However, ZenPop is counting on me so I had to try it—sorry white bear! The cute thing is that when seen from above, it resembled the face of a polar bear, with the red beans as eyes, cherries as the nose, and mandarin oranges as the mouth. It was milky and very delicious, I should just learn to read all ZenPop's notes beforehand, as not only I didn't notice the face, but I didn't freeze the jelly and missed on a unique experience.
- Korasete Taberu Sherbet Soda Assort from Ace: I loved this, I loved this, I loved this! Have I told you how much I loved this delicious treat? These sherbet nibbles come in three flavours—Coke, White Soda, and Melon Soda—and they were so refreshing! It's really hot in Italy now, so they were a Godsend (thank you, ZenPop!). However, I can't tell you which one was my favourite because they were all super tasty!
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I'm so in love with the Matsuri Munchies snack box, all the snacks are perfect for the season and they truly make you feel like you're part of the fun a Matsuri brings.
I also have a little public service announcement... The awesome people at ZenPop have introduced ZenPlus, a fabulous service where you can stock up on past boxes with an awesome discount! If you missed on some snacks that were featured in my earlier reviews, you can now get them at a very affordable price. This also applies to past anime, stationery, and limited edition boxes, so click the link below to get your hands on some great goodies!
Get previous boxes and a variety of snacks by visiting ZenPlus!
What Matsuri Munchies snack are you most interested in? Let me know in the comments!
次回まで。♥
4 comments
Yep, the Italian postal service was so jealous that they even kept my box . . . However, I can finally taste all the good things in this box, too!! I don't know which treat will be my favourite yet, but from what you say I think there may be more than one, although I think you already know that I will have a particularly good time with the Hora Dekita! Choco Banana Soft Candy 😁 Also, I must say I had a fun time with your review and the pictures with the festive theme. Nice touch, Fran!
ReplyDeleteI immediately thought of you as soon as I saw that, since I know you really enjoy DIY treats. I'm sure you'll enjoy everything the Matsuri Munchies box has to offer, I have a feeling you'll particularly love the Yakisoba!!
DeleteThe Italian postal service ha ha. Were all the treats still there? :)
ReplyDeleteI saw this box at Silvia's yesterday and it looks delicious! The yakisoba, and those crackers... I want all of these.
I love the sound of ZenPlus too.
Yes, luckily they were all still there. Everything was super tasty! Yes, I'm really happy they introduced ZenPlus, especially because it's not just past snack boxes, but also anime and stationery!
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