Moonlight Delights - September 2022
The moon is shining bright on those starry summer nights. Time to take out the snacks and bathe in some rejuvenating moonlight with a selection of Japan’s best snack. Enjoy those warm nights outside stargazing while you can with ZenPop’s Moonlight Delights snack box!
Rice Scented Senbei from Hozugawa Arare
<Syoyu> Allergens: wheat, soy <Aosa> None <Ebi salad> Allergens: shrimp We feature Senbei ( 煎餅) regularly in our packs, because they are such an important part of Japan’s traditional snack selection, and they have some many small differences in flavor and texture to one another, that we always want to share novelties with you. This rice scented senbei is precisely one of those! Hozugawa Arare, the company behind this particular product, prides itself in the quality of their senbei and their unique aromas that you won’t find anywhere else!
Mitarashi Dango from Echigo Shiratama Honpo
Allergens: wheat, soy Mitarashi Dango (みたらし団子) is something special and very Japanese – chewy and sweet rice dumplings glazed with a sweet soy sauce glaze that's infused with smoky and umami flavors, Mitarashi dango are made with a mix of glutinous rice flour and joshinko (short-grain white rice flour), for a stiffer texture than mochi. However, this one is made with Shiratamako (しらたま) of Mochi rice called wataboushi, from Niigata prefecture. The dumpling skewers are grilled before the soy sauce glaze is added to give them a charred flavor. We recommend giving it a try with vanilla ice cream, or if you’re feeling a little adventurous, try Nori seaweed.
Shittori Nameraka Otona no Baumu from FLEUR
Allergens: egg, dairy, wheat, soy Who doesn’t like some German-style Baumkuchen? Baumkuchen was first introduced to Japan by German baker Karl Juchheim over a century ago. His legacy is carried forward at Juchheim, which is still producing the legendary baumkuchen at its Kobe premises today. It’s a very popular dessert, good for nearly any occasion. Traditionally, baumkuchen (‘tree cake’) is made by brushing batter over a rotating spit. Once it’s baked and sliced, you will see multiple layers (anywhere between 15 and 20, but they can reach up to 25), that resemble tree rings. You can find some with many flavors, but we’ve gotten you a classic one.
Otsukimi Usagi Candy from Iwai Seika
Allergens: dairy Otsukimi Usagi Candy, the moon rabbit candy, is a cute stick candy inspired by a child’s nursery song: "Rabbit, rabbit, What do you see that makes you jump??" (うさぎ うさぎ 何見て跳はねる, pronounced “usagi usagi, nani mitewaneru?”). The song is from an unknown composer, but has been used for centuries in Japan to teach singing lessons to children at school. The song is also strongly linked to a lunar event in September, during which one may witness a white rabbit bouncing around the moon halfway through the lunar cycle in September. This year it will be on September 10th. The rabbit comes with a milk flavor!
Choco Kinako Mochi from Coris
Allergens: dairy, soy Processed in a facility that also processes egg We love some DIY candy, and this time, you can make your own traditional Mochi at home! Mochi (餅, もち) is a Japanese rice cake made of mochigome, a short-grain glutinous rice, and sometimes other ingredients such as water, sugar, and cornstarch. To make yours, follow these steps: Open the ingredients and separate all three, the mochi, the chocolate, and the kinako powder Add water to the mochi to make it sticky Place the chocolate in the center of the mochi and sprinkle with kinako Enjoy your homemade mochi!
Corn Snack Mayo flavor from Matsuyama Seika
Allergens: egg, dairy, wheat, soy, chicken, apple Processed in a facility that also processes shrimp and crab Limited Edition alert! A delicious bite-sized round corn snack that comes with a crispy texture and is perfect for anyone looking for a light snack on the go! The pack is neither too full, nor too empty, and offers just the right amount to satisfy a spontaneous craving!
Happy Turn from Kameda Seika
Allergens: soy Processed in a facility that also processes shrimp, wheat, egg, dairy, and peanuts The little prince of snacks, soon to be a king, is releasing new and renewed flavors. Another perfect snack on the go that aims at making everyone who eats them happy. That’s the idea behind Kameda Seika’s classic snack from Japan, loved by kids and the grown-ups alike!
Personal Harvest Koubashi Sesame from Tohato
Allergens: dairy, wheat, sesame, soy Processed in a facility that also processes egg, peanuts, shrimp,and crab New technologies bring out new flavors. Tohato is a giant of the Japanese snack industry, and they have the means to experiment and use new approaches to classic snacks. For your box, we’ve gotten one classic cracker that has been renewed by popular demand of the public. They’ve roasted the sesame seeds through an infrared roasting method and created delightful bite-sized Personal Harvest sesame-scented treats with a hint of fermented butter.
Shimi Choco Corn from Ginbis
Allergens: wheat, dairy, soy Just like Pokcy or Umaibo, Shimi Choco Corn is a classic snack in Japan. This special treat is made in a slightly different way that the regular Shimi Choco, it’s a long bar type, making it even more pleasurable to eat! They are full with calcium and dietary fibers too, so don’t worry too much about your diet!
Kibi Dango from Kyoushin
Allergens: soy, egg Processed in a facility that also processes dairy and peach A Kibi Dango (吉備団子, きびだんご, "Kibi Province dumpling"), is a type of wagashi sweet or snack with an eponymous reference to Kibi-no-kuni, an old province roughly coincident with today's Okayama. Kibi dango continues to be represented as being the same as the folk hero Momotaro’s (peach boy) dumpling, although the recipes are different. But it’s hard to say which recipe this one is really based on! According to the one story, this mochi was created in Hokkaido in the past, and the name was "Kibi Dangou 起備団合", meaning, to prepare and help each other. However, it sounds really similar to Kibi Dango (notice the lack of “u”), so it is now also called Kibi Dango. Regardless of the exact origins and the recipe, those dango are delicious!
Roll cake Butter cream flavor from Yaokin
Allergens: wheat, dairy, soy, egg This delight is a roll cake wrapped with cream sandwiched between moist textured dough. It’s soft, it's buttery, it’s yummy.
Banana Man from Yaokin
Allergens: gelatin, soy, dairy Processed in a facility that also processes wheat, egg, and peanuts Banana Man is an original mascot from Yaokin. The snack is inspired by the classic Tokyo Banana, a lovely that some people can’t ignore when visiting Japan’s capital. Inside, this packaging hides a cute banana-shaped marshmallow covered with yellow banana-flavored chocolate cream, perfect for some Instagram shots of original Japanese snacks. Simple and to the point.
Policky Kokutou flavor from Yaokin
Allergens: wheat, dairy Processed in a facility that also processes shrimp, egg, peanuts, beef, soy, chicken, banana, pork, peach, mountain yam, and apple We’ve gotten you a stick-type pretzel with a gentle brown sugar coating (黒糖味) to complete your snack collection this month. It’s a light, easy to eat treat from Yaokin, one of our beloved snack producers in Japan.
