Sakuraco March 2024 “Beauty of Sakura” Japanese Snack Box – Review

The March 2024 Sakuraco box is all about highlighting the beauty of Japan’s Sakura season through a whole bunch of tasty treats that will leave you wanting more.

I was provided with the Sakuraco March 2024 Japanese Snack Box for free for review. The opinions I have shared are my own.

As someone who consumes a lot of Japanese media, I appreciate Sakuraco providing people a way to experience authentic Japanese snacks from the comfort of their homes. Also, I feel I have a connection to the cherry blossom due to Sakura Haruno being one of my favorite characters as well as being partial to the color pink. So, yeah, I really enjoyed getting to taste what the ‘Beauty of Sakura’ box had to offer.

The box itself measured approximately 8×8 inches and 4 inches deep. It’s pink with sakura imagery all over. The design was heightened through a gold sakura in the middle and petals around it (made to invoke a sense the petals were blowing in the wind). It’s a beautiful box that I will be keeping around for storage purposes.

Opening the box, I got to see the snack guide, some promo material, and a drawing of two Japanese women. Behind the drawing was a note from Ayumi Chikamoto, the Founder of Sakuraco. The note shared her inspiration behind creating the Beauty of Sakura box.

As for the promos, one talked about how you can win more goodies by leaving a review. The second promo was about using the code SAKURACO15 to get 15% off your next order (the code being valid until 11:59 PM JST, July 31, 2024).

One of the things that sets Sakuraco apart from other subscription box services is the detailed snack guide. Not only do you get to learn about the treats present inside the box but it also contains interesting information about the theme. Being called ‘Beauty of Sakura’, the guide had content about the different types of sakura found across Japan, the manufacturers behind the treats, as well as a piece called ‘The Legend of the Sakura Tree’ that talked about the tale behind the first cherry blossoms.

The guide also highlighted fans of Sakuraco and extra rewards the community members could win.

Coming to other stuff inside the box, I received:

• Sweet Sakura Tea x 2
• Sakura Shiruko Biscuits 
• Sakura Mochi x 2
• Kinako Senbei x 2
• Okoge Shrimp Arare x 2
• Shoyu Okaki x 2
• Sakura Arare Tetra x 2
• Sakura Dorayaki 
• Sakura Donut Bou x 2
• Sakura Honey Kuzumochi
• Sakura Candy 
• Strawberry Caramel Okashi
• Anko Castella Cake
• Neko Sakura Dish

The treats ranged from sweet to savory, basically, having something for everyone. From what I can tell, the number of treats you get does encourage sharing with a friend or family member (but no hard feelings if you don’t. Ha!)

The snack book featured short descriptions of every snack, details about the ingredients, possible allergens, and whether or not they were vegetarian-friendly.

I began my snacking journey by biting into the Anko Castella Cake. It was moist, sweet, and was filled with Hokkaido red bean paste. So, good!

The Strawberry Caramel Okashi was very crunchy and tasted like strawberry. It has little pieces of almond in it. While I enjoyed the crispness of the puffed rice, I have to warn you that this little treat will stick to your teeth.

The Sakura Dorayaki was another favorite of mine. This particular cake was filled with salted sakura leaves infused with white bean paste. The unique thing about this snack was that it was a seasonal treat exclusive, being only available during Japan’s sakura season. So good!

Another interesting snack for me was the Sakura Candy. Featuring a sweet and sour taste, the little pieces of candy had an image of a cherry blossom in the center. You could bite into them if you wanted to, but, in my opinion, they’re the type of candy you suck on.

The Sakura Honey Kuzumochi was for tart lovers. I wasn’t expecting the sakura honey (which came in a separate packet) to be that tart, but I was delighted by it nonetheless.

The two pieces of Sakura Mochi had the most appealing pink I had ever seen. I didn’t want to bite into the chewy goodness because it looked so cute. But I had to. I did it for you guys! And I’m glad I did!

While I’m not the biggest fan of tea, I wanted to try the Sweet Sakura Tea because I had heard about the cherry blossoms blooming in hot water. And they sure did bloom. The tea itself was sweet enough. I didn’t add any sugar.

For those wanting to know more about the Neko Sakura Dish, it’s a small little treat dish with imagery of sakura and six cats. Most of the design is pink, but it has instances of blue and gold.

Can you find all of the cats?

The dish came in at approximately 5 inches in diameter. It has some depth to it to keep small treats in place. It felt ceramic to me, but I could be wrong. A useful thing about this particular dish is that it’s microwave- and dishwasher-safe. I’ve gone through certain similar items found in other subscription boxes, and most of the kitchen stuff is handwash-safe only. So, yay to Sakuraco for offering convenience.

All in all, I enjoyed all of the snacks present inside the Beauty of Sakura box. The savory treats complimented the teatime vibe, especially with the Sakura Shiruko Biscuits enhancing their flavor when dipped in tea.

Munching on Japanese treats while enjoying your favorite anime is a whole different level of fun.

If you’re interested in experiencing the Beauty of Sakura box, you can do so by signing up at Sakuraco by March 15, 2024.

Another useful aspect of Sakuraco is that the company doesn’t keep things a surprise. You will get to see all of the snacks that will be present in an upcoming box so you know exactly what you have paid for. And that makes sense, especially for people who might have certain dietary concerns and restrictions.

Here’s my unboxing and taste-test video for the Sakuraco “Beauty of Sakura” March 2024 Japanese Snack Box.

Have you tried a Sakuraco snack box?

What did you think of it?

Let us know.

Author: Farid-ul-Haq

Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.

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