Valentine Snack Ideas from Japan

Generally, Valentine's day is a special time for people to connect with their loved ones by showering them with gifts and acts of love. It is a big day for a lot of people because they get to dress up and have fun with their spouses or maybe friends. It can also be nerve-wracking for others who just can't decide what Valentine's snacks to give their loved ones. Luckily, in this article, you'll get the best Valentine's snacks ideas to help you out.

Valentine's day is a very old tradition that started in the year 496! Back then, boys in Rome would draw the names of girls from a box, and they'd be a couple for the day. Nowadays, people express their love through gifts like chocolate, cards and flowers. Jump straight to the 8 best Japanese snack ideas for Valentines below:

• 1. Box Of Chocolate
• 2. One Snack, Different Flavors
• 3. One Flavor, Different Snacks
• 4. Chocolate Donuts
• 5. Chocolate Covered Strawberries
• 6. Valentine Cookies Snack Box
• 7. Healthy Fruits Snack Box
• 8. Valentine's Day Snack Cakes

How is Valentine celebrated in Japan?

What if I tell you that Valentine's day is celebrated a little differently in Japan? Strange right? Well, in western countries, friends and spouses give each other gifts, and it is usually the responsibility of the male to give the woman flowers and a fancy date. For Japan, surprisingly, it is almost always the women who give chocolates to men to express their love. 

In fact, not everyone gives a pack of chocolate to their official partners, Valentine day in Japan is an opportunity to confess your love to your crush by giving them a pack of chocolates. That's not all; there are two types of chocolates in Japan given to either friends and family or a love interest. The chocolate for friends is usually less expensive than the latter kind, which is usually homemade in hopes that special feelings reach their loved ones. 

8 Fun Valentine's Day Snack Box Ideas

Let's be honest; you can never go wrong with food as a gift. If you are struggling to come up with snack pack ideas for your partner, try out these simple Valentines day snack boxes you can make at home in a few minutes. You can also buy store-made snacks and package them in a box. Need ideas of Japanese snacks to buy for your Valentine’s day snack box? Read this article on the best Japanese snacks in 2023.

Box Of Chocolate

You can never go wrong with chocolates as a Valentine's gift. There are many different brands of chocolate, and you can get a variety of snacks like cookies, wafers and bars. In Japan, chocolate gifts are usually presented in small boxes, but you can go all out with a large gift box.

One Snack, Different Flavors

If you are running out of ideas, you can create a fun Valentine's snack box with one snack and different flavors. In Japan, KitKats have over 300 flavors; picking a few flavors for your box will definitely make a fun game for you and your partner, where you try out unique flavors you've never had before. Of course, you can do this with other brands as well.

One Flavor, Different Snacks

This is another fun way to set up a Valentine's snack box. By choosing another flavor aside from chocolate, you can go on a mission to find snacks that come in the flavor. Japanese snack brands like pocky, calbee jagariko and kinoko no yama all have strawberry flavors. It will be exciting to set up a variety of snacks with one theme. 

Chocolate Donuts

Chocolate makes everything just a little bit better. You can skip the snacks on Valentine's day and just order a pack of chocolate-glazed donuts to make up your snack pack. The soft chewiness of donuts is sure to make anyone thankful and hopefully more in love. 

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Snacks are great, but fruits are healthier. Strawberries dipped in chocolate are a great last-minute gift for Valentine’s day. You can make it by melting chocolate bars and dipping strawberries halfway inside them. For a nicer finish, you can add more decorations. A box of these strawberries is always a perfect gift for your friends or partner.  

Valentine Cookies Snack Box

Nothing screams this was made with love louder than 'heart-shaped cookies.' Cookie recipes are easy to follow and would take a short time to make, so it's an easy gift to set up. If you can't make the cookies yourself, you can buy regular ones and add your extra touch to make them more heartfelt. 

Healthy Fruits Snack Box

For Valentine's Day, you can just forgo the snacks and chocolate altogether and set up a fruit snack box filled with a variety of fruits like oranges, apples, bananas and kiwis. Fruits are a great source of vitamins and minerals, and anyone would appreciate a fruit snack box. 

Valentine's Day Snack Cakes

When it comes to giving a gift to your loved ones, no effort is too small. Along with these suggestions, you can also go all out for the Valentine's boxes. They can come in different shapes, sizes and colors. Japan is a country with a strong Valentine's day culture. You can take inspiration from women's commitment to expressing their love and even give gifts to your crushes or people you'd like to know better for the rest of the year. 

If your partner loves anime or is just a little obsessed with Japan, you're in luck. Here at ZenPop Japan, we offer snack packs that can be gifted as a Valentine's Day snack box to your loved ones. Discover our Japanese Snack Box!

This article was originally written by our freelance writer Umm-Kulthum Abdulkareem and edited by us.