The beauty of opening up a gift is the suspense and surprise. You may have a general idea of what somebody got for you, but you’ll never exactly know what is in the box or bag until you open it up. But what if you could purchase a surprise gift for yourself?
Here’s where blind boxes come in. Originating from Japan, blind boxes (also known as mystery boxes) hold adorable figurines that are made to collect. Every blind box holds a secret figurine, which is part of the set shown on the box. Of the set, which figure you have is unknown until you crack open the box and tear the inner plastic wrapping. Blind boxes are sort of a gamble, but the thrill of opening them is always worth it.
As blind boxes have skyrocketed in popularity particularly among the Asian American community, so have the number of blind box types. With sets to represent almost every category imaginable, there of course are also food-related blind boxes. Whether you are seasoned or new to blind boxes, here is a list of the best food blind boxes to purchase.
Sonny Angel (Vegetable, Fruit, Sweets Series)
Sonny Angel is the brand that first popularized blind boxes in America. It is the ultimate blind box. These pudgy little angels have various headpieces, which match the theming in each respective series.
If you want a Sonny Angel with a radish, carrot, cauliflower, or tomato head, opt for the Vegetable Series. For raspberry, melon, grape, or strawberry Sonny Angels, pick the Fruit Series. The Sweets Series contains cookies, popcorn, pancakes, cream puffs, and more. If you collect enough of these Sonny Angels, you can even make your own garden or bakery scene with these cute figurines.
Yumo Fruit Market
Yumo Fruit Market blind boxes include a sleeping head inside of a juicy fruit. This Chinese brand of blind boxes looks as though a person was the pit of a hyperrealistic fruit. Yumo Fruit Market offers figurines in oranges, lychees, pineapples, peaches, dragonfruit, durian, and more. When lined up, they definitely mimic a fruit market.
Kewpie
Have you ever tried Kewpie mayo? This Japanese mayonnaise is the usual option for making spicy tuna mixtures, topping takoyaki, and more. Kewpie’s mascot is a little naked angel, quite similar to Sonny Angels. You can pay tribute to Kewpie’s delicious mayonnaise by collecting its mascot in different positions, like lying on the floor or dancing.
Tayto Potato
This is for all of the starch lovers out there. Tayto is an adorable, chunky potato who actually engages in many activities. There are numerous series of the Tayto blind box, including the cats, bathroom, diner, ramen, fruit, and Care Bears series. You can purchase Tayto dressed up in cat or Care Bear outfits, drinking boba, in a potato-cherry hybrid suit, and more.
Sanrio Colorful Food
Everyone knows at least one Sanrio character besides Hello Kitty: Pompompurin, Cinnamoroll, My Melody, Kuromi, and more. These iconic Japanese characters can be found munching on ice cream cones, lollipops, and other sweets in the Sanrio Colorful Food blind box. Take a gamble on your favorite Sanrio character, and receive a cute surprise.
Cinnamoroll Convenience Instant Food
Cinnamoroll is a cute white dog with floppy ears, and is one of Sanrio’s most beloved characters. You can find him at a Japanese convenience store with a host of different instant foods, such as popcorn, milk, chips, ramune soda, pizza, and more.
Rilakkuma Deli Series Plush
Instead of decorative figurines, this blind box series offers plush keychains. You can find the loveable bear Rilakkuma holding a donut, or as a donut or hamburger. This blind box set is nice for those who would prefer to take their blind box goodies on the go, or have something soft to squish whenever.