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Whether you’re writing all day or just committing to a quick writing sprint, you might – nay – you WILL need a snack. Not everything works as a writing snack, though, but fortunately I’m here, sharing my opinions and expertise with you. You’re welcome.
I’ve featured a lot of writer-friendly subscription boxes in my blog, and it’s nice when I can actually review something that I’ve got my inky paws on so I can give you my actual, genuine opinion. I was really happy when Tokyo Treat offered to send me one of their snack boxes in exchange of an honest review, and this is exactly what you’ll find in this post.
If you want to see my full review where I also rate each item based on convenience, deliciousness and vibes, you should check out the video on my Youtube channel.
What makes a good writing snack?
It might, off the bat, seem a little strange to review something based on how well it works as a writing snack, but this IS a blog about writing after all.
This is what a perfect writing snack is like:
- quick and easy to access (so you can get back to writing ASAP)
- not in danger of ruining your laptop if you knock it over (so this rules out French onion soup)
- isn’t too crumbly and doesn’t make your typing hands sticky
- easy to put down without making a mess
- fits the vibes of what you’re writing
With this in mind, a snack box might be exactly what you need by your writing desk.
What I thought of Tokyo Treat
I’ve never been to Japan and I’ve never had any Japanese food besides (vegetarian) sushi, but I never shy away from trying new things in the snacks department and my favourite genre of food is “Asian”.
I found everything in the Summer Matsuri Snackfest perfectly snackable, except perhaps the instant miso and eggplant soup, but to its defence I must say that at least it was quick to prepare.
The boxes come with a mix of sweet and savoury treats, though it seems to me it’s a little skewed in the sweet treats’ favour. Keep this in mind if you’re a fan of salty snacks rather than candy!
Convenience rating
Almost everything in the Tokyo Treat box was easy to snack and would make great writing fuel. The individual packages are small, so you can have everything in one go without worrying about putting it back before your cat gets to it.
Some of the treats, like the candyfloss and the little rice snacks, were a bit sticky, so that’s a little minus on the convenience score. Perhaps keep a wet wipe near your computer so your keyboard doesn’t get sticky. Some things were also a little crumbly, which can be bad news for your keyboard as well.
Overall, however, I’d give Tokyo Treat a convenience score of 8/10. (That’s eight Hello Kitties out of ten.)
Deliciousness rating
Was I a fan of everything I found in the snack box? Not really. Would someone else love them? Absolutely!
There was a nice little booklet that came with the box, explaining what everything once and including possible allergens, but some of the descriptions tried so hard that the actual products fell a little flat. Sometimes, I was promised fireworks, and I got none.
But generally, I thought there was a nice variety of flavours and absolutely everything (except the soup lol) got eaten completely, with the help of my children, so I’d say it was a success. Deliciousness score: 9/10. (Nine sticky apples out of ten.)
If you’re wondering what my favourite was, it was the orange KitKats – both delicious and convenient.
Finally, the vibes
I’m not an expert or anything, but not everything in the box instantly screamed Japan to me, although there were some completely new flavours to me as well. So when it comes to the vibes, I’d say this is a very versatile snack box.
Some of the sweet treats were so overly sweet that perhaps they’d go best with something a little sappy or perhaps something fun and light-hearted, though the sugar rush might also sustain you during particularly intense scenes that take a lot from you.
The more savoury treats, on the other hand, could go perfectly with a story that takes place in Japan, though strangely, I found that some of them could also go nicely with a historical setting or when writing about a fantasy world.
Of course, you don’t need to care about the “vibes” of your writing snacks, but this is my review after all and I’ve decided this matters.
My overall rating for Tokyo Treat from the point of view of a writer
As a whole, I give Tokyo Treat 8/10. (Eight wasabi-covered edamame beans out of ten.)
The snack box is a fun experience, and I’m sure future boxes are equally fun, and it’s fairly convenient to have all this variety at your writer’s desk or wherever you happen to write. Not everything in the box hit the same way, but I’d say it would still absolutely be worth the money if you decided to start getting your own monthly snack boxes. I mean, new snacks every single month? Yes please.
Thanks again to Tokyo Treat for gifting me this box.
Protagonist Crafts is a blog about writing fiction, written by a published author and creative writing teacher. You can find more writing tips and inspiration in the blog and you can get the best author tools at Writer Lifestyle on Etsy.
